How I Learned to Love Hills - Beginner Cycling Series

When I started cycling, like most I dreaded hills. Over the years I've learned to love hill climbing and embrace the challenge, given the right climb it's now one of my favourite things to do on my bike. Watch to find out how to attach a hill and also learn to love a good hill climb on your bike.
Surrey Three Hills Ride / strava
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[@OneLessCar]

Let's hear all your hill climbing tips so the beginners can learn from your experience and find a little hill climbing love (or at least like) too!

[@SKBKER]

Use an Ebike ;) !!!

[@denverspin]

I love hills. My advice would be to watch your breathing. Put your attention in your body and breath, and with practise you naturally find your limits. With time, this becomes easier. Go up as many hills as you can. Its just practise practise practise, and be gentle with yourself at the same time. Enjoy being in your body

[@robertbonner5973]

Great topic here , and I agree with your advice on hill climbing approach. When I first started hitting the hills , I would sit and spin in a low gear. As I built my strength and confidence, I started going in higher gears and attacking the hills out of the saddle. There’s always the option to drop down a gear and back into the saddle. Hill climbing = stronger mind and body .

[@OneLessCar]

You are so right! Yesterday I hit an unexpected hill on my ride, 15% for a good 500m and a spikes at the top of 18% I was thinking you will never make it, and saw a driveway a little way up and thought I could pull in there then I told myself you CAN do this do not stop and I did it - that hill was a mental battle I also sat at my max heart rate for the the last third of it, so also very much a physical one!

[@Friday1970]

Being in SE Michigan, we really don't have any real long hills. Just a couple 100-150ft climbs. So, I love taking my bike down to Tennessee, North Carolina, and New England. Nothing better than a log climb, seeing above, equal, and then below you. And then the fun descent.

[@swimgurl7360]

I loved hills when I was young (5-8 yrs old) because I would ride on a tandem bike with my dad and a guy named Tom who is still in our bike club would be encouraging me the entire time, so my goal was always to beat him. I usually did at the cost of my dads balance

[@shawnbikes]

Where I am from, we don't have mountains but we have some very big hills. I'm like you, I used to avoid the hills because it was just too hard. Finally, I have been really pushing myself to get to a certain weight again and I've realized that hills will do it. So 4-5 days a week after work, I go to a local state park that is known for its hills and I ride. I usually only ride 5-12 miles but with the amount of hills we have, it is still a wonderful workout. Nowadays, I am doing really well on the bigger hills. I found that finding a balance between breathing and pedaling helps me. I don't get into a hurry at all, I just focus on controlling my breathing and enjoying the scenery. Great video and you've earned a new subscriber :)

[@OneLessCar]

Thank you for subscribing and welcome! Yes, cycling is so darn efficient that hills are sometimes required to drop weight :) Hill climbing is also a different sort of satisfaction than going fast. You are so right about that balance with the breathing and pedaling. I hope this will be one of many comments you leave because I think as a group we can all learn from each other as a community of bike riders.

[@shawnbikes]

Count me in for commenting :)

[@susanpace6507]

I am recovering from a serious ski injury and my physical therapist has recommended biking. Haven't ridden in a while and am 61 so some challenges to overcome. Same terrain as you. I have found a 2.5 mile ride that has 2 smaller hills. Will keep doing this route until it feels a little easier. There are many flat trails and bike paths in Rhode island for longer rides for the time being. I am enjoying it though. Your post was encouraging for me as I move forward.

[@bluejoe1873]

Nice Video Used to hate hills now i try find new ones like u i take it really easy don,t race anyone anymore 56 years old those days are gone 🤣🤣 But now spin up hill and make it all way to top No hill beat me YET ! 😎

[@the1andonly]

Enjoyed this video. Interesting how you post all the info on heart rate , elevation and speed. All I ever have is a speedometer and I don't look at it climbing. I also went coast to coast across Canada with a converted 1980's mountain bike in exactly 100 days from Tofino to St. John's.

[@BruceChastain]

I had a similar thing, when I first really got into biking I said I'd never be the type to ride up hills or mountains, but now I love it. I know it depends on your age and other factors but your heart rate is about the same as mine.

[@BruceChastain]

I'm 36

[@OneLessCar]

Glad to know there are others who feel the burn in the lungs before the legs! I suspect my issue is small lungs I only measure 30cm around my rib cage. Chris Bordman hs just opened up a centre in Manchester (wind tunnel and all) where you can get testing done, I would so love to have a session there to see if my hunch is right about lung capsity. It doesn't matter how much cardio work I do I'm gasping for air by the time I get to the top of a steep hill (like Barhatch in Surrey) which is why I like moutains, long and steady!

[@BruceChastain]

would be interesting to have that sort of test done. But maybe you're just normal, I mean I've done a lot of MTB group rides and there we have a lot of short sharp hills, and pretty much everyone is gasping at the top. The more fit I got and the more I saw new riders hit these hills for the first time, the more I realized I was pretty average. And to your point about trying to keep the heart rate down on longer rides, I do sort of do that, if I know the ride is going to be more than like three hours, I'll try to keep it down below 170, and mostly in the 150-160s range. But oddly I use that as an overall gauge, what I mean is if I'm running in the mid 170s a lot then I know I'm probably working my muscles too hard also for a long ride. On the flip side when I do shorter rides, like an hour, I don't worry about it and sometimes even see mid 180s.

[@lindapilkington2687]

I only found this video today and love it. I can do hills but my head tells me I can’t do the steep ones (10%+) and I stop which I hate. I want to learn to love the steepies as I feel I’m missing out massively 😔 I wish I had your confidence / could overcome my fear. I too have a high heart rate. I thought it was just me who had one 😂

[@gregglatz]

Another great vid. I especially like the fact that the stats showing up on the left side of the screen are those of a normal cyclist, not someone trying to capture a QOM/KOM on Strava. My hill climbing secret? I just bought a bike with a "granny gear" (third, small chainring).

[@OneLessCar]

Thanks Greg! It's way too early in the season for QOM ;) My touring bike has a granny gear, and I love it I wouldn't recommend touring without one! I changed my cassette last Sept before going to the Pyrenees to cycle, I was able to get one more gear that way and the difference between my cadance and Nathan's was quite noticiable.

[@Stu-Vino]

Thank you for the advice! I used to cycle quite a bit, but am about to get back into it after several years' break. I live in quite a hilly area so am dreading it in some ways, but will try to pace myself and build up to it rather than attacking them like I used to!

[@OneLessCar]

Be kind to those legs as you ease back in. Hills are by far the best thing to get you fit fast! 😀 🙌

[@Stu-Vino]

@@OneLessCar Thank you!

[@gamma_dablam]

I can't go south from my house without climbing a challenging hill ... so I learnt to ride a hill like it is a flat, just in a lower gear. Once I started doing this , the climbs became so much more fun to do. I also got a dinnerplate cassette fitted to my bike switching my 28T to a 34T so I could spin the legs more and have more room to save energy by riding slower. Recommended action for anyone who wants to enjoy climbing rather than slogging. Another thing to make it more fun is to try to ride at sweetspot heartrate. Means you don't feel like you're dying at the end and thus don't need to stop for as long (or at all !) I also definitely prefer to sit down and spin even up the steeper grades. Find it much easier than standing

[@xandrutait]

e bikes are great if you want a nice leisurely sight seeing ride but I prefer the agony and pain of getting to the top of Westerham Hill or Toy Hills gasping for breath in the Kent Alps and looking back at the hill and thinking "Is that all you can offer." until the next steep hill comes along and I am looking up at it swearing as I do the walk of shame or no shame for at least I had a go.

[@prestonpendergraft7792]

Thanks for posting this, I am eyeing my first 100mi and it has some hills. Some of your strategies make a lot sense and were some of things that I thought about too... so glad to hear an experienced person saying them, makes me feel a lot better. You mentioned doing hill reps, have you considered doing or done a video on those? That was a strategy I was thinking about using in my training for my fist 100mi on some early morning before work rides. There is a nice 1mi loop near my house with low traffic that has some 8.3 grade parts (according to Ride With GPS). The 100mi that I am doing has 4700ish feet of climbing with a few points with peak grades of 9.8-9.9. So yep little nervous on my part, but your video helped put my mind at ease some! Keep the vids coming :)

[@OneLessCar]

Once I do a few and understand the benefits and what to look for in a hill I will be sure to do a video. I plan on attempting to Everesting (everesting.cc) either in Sept or June of 2019 so I will need to train for that and I have a feeling hill reps will be involved! Practising on the hills for your ride would be a good idea, it will give you a good idea how to attack the hills on the ride and give you the confidence you can do it. On the day you will find the excitement of the day will see you through with that little bit of extra energy you need and then it's a matter of keeping your energy up by eating regularly throughout the ride.

[@JRsReviews]

I wished I could love hills! My top tip is try and always go down them

[@OneLessCar]

🤣

[@rjahn3000]

Great video, I grew to love hills too I think when you reach a certain level of fitness when the pain is not a major factor it becomes a fun challenge. If you are ever in the Seattle area check out this charity ride...three major mountain passes:)The Courage Classic Bicycle Tour, in its 23rd year, is known as the best supported ride in the State of Washington. The ride climbs over three Cascade passes over three days, offering plenty of great scenery.

[@CyclingOffToSomewhereIDK]

I've seen that graphic on two videos now.. in this case on the left side of your video. How does this happen? What app/ program/site is being used for this? I got my heinie kicked yesterday by Vista Del Lago yesterday (used in the 1984 Olympic men's road race) and I'd love to be able to beat it one day. How's that done? Thanks for the video

[@1-less-car]

The next lane from Staple Lane is White Down Lane...have you tried that? (It's pretty steep). Getting blocked on this with the wrong gears and nearly not unclipping and falling made me move to flat pedals (and a different cassette). Nice video. Try a flat bar road bike...I never used the drops, so went with a longer stem and a flat bar with bar ends...much more comfortable.

[@OneLessCar]

I had the unfortunate experience of going up White Down after a pub lunch!🤢 Don't recommend it! I had a 11-28 cassette at the time as well 😓 SPDs might be worth a try I can get them out in just about any situation. I just tried SPD-SL for the first time this week and was shocked how much tighter they are (and harder to get the right way up (especially on an in line).

[@josephgreen4178]

Great video! As a beginner to cycling i do dread the hill climbs and find my heart rate sky high which affects me mentality as i start to feel like it shows how unfit i am. Just got to keep practising. Can i ask how you structured this video? Did you use a particular go pro which shows the stats on the left? I presume you talked over and editted the footage after the ride?. Thanks Joe :)

[@OneLessCar]

You are correct I did the talking after the ride, as you can see in the stats my heard rate is very high, I don't talk when going up hill (unlike Nathan). I've just leaned to accept that no matter how many spin classes or hills I climb I that is how I'm built. Latic acid that others talk about, that I never have to worry about though :) The footage is a combination of go pro footage and Garmin Virb softwear overlaying the data from my garmin file.

[@hypnosiscenternyc]

Hi, I have NEVER had a full sized bike. I lived in NYC and owned various folding bikes. Now, I live up in the very hilly Catskill Mountain area. There are a lot of very experienced groups riding these hilly roads on the weekend. What type of bike should I get for casual trips up steep inclines? I don't want a 3K dollar bike ... in the 350 dollar U.S. range. Can you help me? Give me suggestions ... and what kind of tires? Thanks loads. - Your biking simpleton BTW: I'm 5'11" and 200 lbs. w a 32" inseam if any of that helps.

[@nicholassmith831]

i'm new to cycling (done about 3k miles over 2 years) and slightly on the heavy side. kinda stick to flatter routes but every time i do go up a gradient I struggle a lot. perhaps its because I'm not taking my time when I go up them. checking strava my highest climb has been 400ft over 1/2 mile. guess I just need to practise them more at longer distances and slower speeds

[@mikebrown600]

The secret is in your breathing. Don’t worry about speed. When you feel like you’re beginning to gasp for air slow your cadence down until you can breathe easier. Just continue this pattern until the end of the climb when you can put down more power because you know the end of the pain is soon. Then just enjoy the descent!

[@akivaragen]

This is the cutest video...

[@amarkhopade]

Thank you. Very good advice for the riders like myself with high base heart rate.

[@OneLessCar]

Glad to hear there are others out there with the same struggles. 😀

[@anneadkins4686]

Thanks for the advice...I hate hills and this will be useful for me. I prefer running up hills to riding up them...that's saying a LOT! ;-)

[@MrBunglor]

Thanks for the video and the Strava link, I did the ride a few weeks ago and it was very helpful!

[@OneLessCar]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know. Are you training for anything in particular?

[@siriosstar4789]

How i learned to love hills - I bought an e bike . 😂

[@thegreekblondetraveler8771]

what kind thought? Mountain or Trekking ? Or any other? which is better for riding up hills? Looking to buy an e bike

[@siriosstar4789]

@@thegreekblondetraveler8771 greek blonde. First , what type of riding do you do most , road or trail/forest/ dirt? A mountain bike can ride on any surface easily where a road bike cannot. motor - get a good mid drive with at least 75 Nm of torque . if you live in europe most pedelecs are rated at 250 watts by law but have different torque / assist values . I live in germany so i chose a bike that is made / assembled here and has a huge service network . I bought a Cube Mt. bike with a Bosch cx motor . very reliable , powerful and easy to service .

[@thegreekblondetraveler8771]

@@siriosstar4789 mostly on the road usually it's very hilly and sometimes off road.

[@thegreekblondetraveler8771]

First I thought of buying a mountain bike also but then it might be hard to ride on hilly roads than a road bike?

[@siriosstar4789]

@@thegreekblondetraveler8771 i pump my tires up if i'm going to ride on pavement all day but it's not necessary . The motor will over come those issues . the only thing that might happen is you might get less range if your tires are too soft .

[@malcolmlowe1935]

Nice ride and video. The staggered fence panels on the right at 12.43 give some idea of the steepness of that part of the climb. Phew!

[@mos3abof13]

Thank you very much for this series! What are you using to record the stats alongside the video?

[@mos3abof13]

Just starting to cycle, so an absolute obese beginner here!

[@vracan]

get an pedal assist ebike(not throttle) and you'll instantly LOVE hills! As you get more fit you simply decrease the pedal-assist more and more, if you want to that is. Another bonus with ebikes is that you get to climb hills you would never attempt with normal bike!

[@OneLessCar]

I think ebikes are great,and have one myself, but for me the amazing feeling of conquiring a hill (and I've gone up some 25% inclines!) under my own power is the reason I have come to love climing hills on my bike.

[@vracan]

@@OneLessCar Well I guess we all have different reasons to ride. I am a very active person(tennis, jogging,skiing, and gym) and am pretty slim so no need to sweat pedaling uphill or I'll simply lose too much weight. For me the beauty of riding is exploration and connection to nature.

[@marialourdesbaldonado]

How to put that grade elevation heart rate and speed on the video?

[@theamethyst93]

Im a complete beginner on a cheap bike and regular work out clothes while I save for something better and there’s this hill I love climbing just for the sake of conditioning. I’ve never felt that sense of embarrassment of having to stop on a climb. I don’t get what’s embarrassing about it. Some people just aren’t there yet and I’ve noticed cyclists are friendly when they see me standing there catching my breath. Nobody laughs at me or anything silly Iike that 😃

[@robinbhairam7508]

The hills near me can be quite busy with cars which tend to make me go quicker than I’d rather then end up into lactic! - (Is there anywhere you can check a gradient as you plan a route?)

[@OneLessCar]

Nothing like traffic to make you go faster, my commutes in London had much higher average speeds than Bristol 😂 Have you tried Ride with GPS or Komoot? Those are my go to apps and they have pretty good gradiant info.

[@LisaHerger]

What gadget dip you use to get the data you're showing in the lower left corner? Thanks!

[@OneLessCar]

It's the data from my Garmin, and garmin have a special editor that allows you to overly it (and line it up) with video.

[@LisaHerger]

Ride On Cycling Thanks!

[@mauricestrong8743]

I installed a small crankset on my bike, in order to maintain a high cadence.

[@OneLessCar]

This bike has a three ring crank set on the front so it's pretty decent especially loaded, helps a lot to be able to keep spinning!

[@frankducett9]

You're good and steady... but that rider in the red jersey is all over the place. Nice video.

[@serkanister3620]

Thumbs up if you feel bad when passersby looks at you while you pushing your bike on the side of steep hill 😁

[@OneLessCar]

You should cheer them on and shout Allez or Chapeau! 😀

[@serkanister3620]

Ride On Cycling haha they normally hong and verbally suport you some how!

[@OneLessCar]

Serkan Ister I thought you meant the 2 wheeled variety of passersby 🤣

[@Bluesman2509]

Gradient reading incorrect...Crocknorth is much steeper than 11%

[@vandaalmeida3777]

Hi, I know I will be very unpolite, you do not need to answer this question, if you do not feel conf. ...how old are you? ...I'm asking you this because I wish I could ride a bike as you do. But I think I'm to old to do this. ..😢...I would love for sure. ...😊 It looks like you are flying. ...

[@OneLessCar]

Let's just say I'm old enough to remember the 80's and leave it at that. I don't think there is a too old especially with cycling, it's a sport that is very good to your body. I have a friend just into her 60's and she is determined to get back on a bike, she goes up to the schoolyard to practice at the moment.

[@vandaalmeida3777]

Ride On Cycling 👌...tks 💖

[@bishplis7226]

my neighbor rides her bike to the supermarket every day, shes 86

[@serkanister3620]

Ride On Cycling true! Bike was my very first transportation and still my firm of ride !!

[@mauisean007]

How do I follow u on Strava?

[@OneLessCar]

Hi Shawn! Thanks for asking, all my social links can be found on my channel homepage at the bottom right of my channel banner (desktop) 😁 or in the about section on mobile.

[@popatop75]

go eletric its much better to ride than not ride at all. i'm 66 and need the help but the love of biking is much greater,sorry no hints just take your time

[@wonderwomenbicycling3435]

I have a lighter bike so it makes it easier to climbs hills

[@bishplis7226]

just ask faster riders to give you a push!

[@mrbicycle7735]

Hills but first pills....

[@OneLessCar]

Perhaps for the pros ;)

[@bishplis7226]

"speed is important" she said!

[@meneersjonnie]

I fell asleep watching this

[@renatacann3595]

Go straight to the point. Who cares if you have a coffee bar at the top of the hill.

[@marialourdesbaldonado]

How to put that grade elevation heart rate and speed on the video?

[@OneLessCar]

It's an app that Garmin has, it's called VIRB (I think Garmin may have had a camera or still does). You can then take your footage from any camera, the garmin file and align them. It's been a while but it's important that you have the times aligned (and/or the GPS turned on on the camera).