I read on a 'bent forum the other day that one thing that made climbing easier was 'closed hip angle'.
I find that there seems to be 3 ways of tackling hills on the 'bent.
The first is the "lie back and spin", where I try and keep the cadence up and not really feel like I'm muscling anything.
The next is "push hard" which is sorta the 'bent equivalent of standing on the pedals where I really mash those gears and can feel myself pushing hard against the seat.
The third is a method someone on the same forum described a while back. Where I grab the bars and pull myself forward, bracing the upper body as I pedal. This seems to make it easier to put more legmuscle into the spinning than lying back does. Om the other hand, I get puffed more quickly - not sure if that's from doing more work, or compressing the diaphragm some.
Seems that #3 is this "closed hip angle" but damnfino what the mechanism is, what the body mechanics are. Anyone got any ideas?
"Zebee Johnstone" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I read on a 'bent forum the other day that one thing that made climbing easier was 'closed hip angle'.
I find that there seems to be 3 ways of tackling hills on the 'bent.
The first is the "lie back and spin", where I try and keep the cadence up and not really feel like I'm muscling anything.
The next is "push hard" which is sorta the 'bent equivalent of standing on the pedals where I really mash those gears and can feel myself pushing hard against the seat.
The third is a method someone on the same forum described a while back. Where I grab the bars and pull myself forward, bracing the upper body as I pedal. This seems to make it easier to put more legmuscle into the spinning than lying back does. Om the other hand, I get puffed more quickly - not sure if that's from doing more work, or compressing the diaphragm some.
Seems that #3 is this "closed hip angle" but damnfino what the mechanism is, what the body mechanics are. Anyone got any ideas?
Zebee
Could it be that at a more open hip angle the glutes are at the end of their effective travel before the bottom of the pedal stroke?
"Zebee Johnstone" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I read on a 'bent forum the other day that one thing that made climbing easier was 'closed hip angle'.
I find that there seems to be 3 ways of tackling hills on the 'bent.
Are you talkiing trike or bike? My trike experience is that after say 100km of the "lie back and spin" technique you feel OK, but after 100km of the "push hard" technique my knees are pretty damn sore. Thus, I "lie back and spin". I've since got much better at spinning up hills on my upright 2 wheeler now, and find that this technique gets me up hills faster, easier, and quicker than mashing it.
Are you talkiing trike or bike? My trike experience is that after say 100km of the "lie back and spin" technique you feel OK, but after 100km of the "push hard" technique my knees are pretty damn sore. Thus, I "lie back and spin". I've since got much better at spinning up hills on my upright 2 wheeler now, and find that this technique gets me up hills faster, easier, and quicker than mashing it.
I'm talking bike.
I don't mash often, I sometimes use it as a sprinting mechanism to get quickly up short steep hills.
The pull on the bars one seems to work as well and is less hard on the legs but harder on the breathing.
Are you talkiing trike or bike? My trike experience is that after say 100km of the "lie back and spin" technique you feel OK, but after 100km of the "push hard" technique my knees are pretty damn sore. Thus, I "lie back and spin". I've since got much better at spinning up hills on my upright 2 wheeler now, and find that this technique gets me up hills faster, easier, and quicker than mashing it.
I'm talking bike.
I don't mash often, I sometimes use it as a sprinting mechanism to get quickly up short steep hills.
The pull on the bars one seems to work as well and is less hard on the legs but harder on the breathing.
Zebee
I've often wondered how 'bent riders (or is it recliners?) get a bit of extra ooomph in a climb. Wouldn't it make more sense for a recumbent style that allowed the rider/recliner to lay on their front with the head up front for uphill climbs?? It would make for [censored]-loads of fun on the decline!! Woohoo!
I've often wondered how 'bent riders (or is it recliners?) get a bit of extra ooomph in a climb. Wouldn't it make more sense for a recumbent
Usually by pushing like hell against the seat, but this pull on the bars thing works for me.
I suspect it would be easier for those with praying hamster bars as I have to move my hands close to the stem to have the pull work properly.
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style that allowed the rider/recliner to lay on their front with the head up front for uphill climbs?? It would make for [censored]-loads of fun on the decline!! Woohoo!
Yeah, but working out when to activate the mechanism that flips you over could be a problem.....
Oh! you mean always head first? I think you'd need a camera and screen to see where you are going.
(I dunno which way up you are makes any difference for climbing. Note I am so far successfully resisting comments about blokes always wanting to be on top)
I read on a 'bent forum the other day that one thing that made climbing easier was 'closed hip angle'.
<snip>
Quoted message said:
The third is a method someone on the same forum described a while back. Where I grab the bars and pull myself forward, bracing the upper body as I pedal. This seems to make it easier to put more legmuscle into the spinning than lying back does.
Yes, that would be very much like the position of a roadie climbing who reaches forward on the hoods or front of the drops to climb, or a MTBer reaching forward on the barends. Bending forward more is supposed to bring the gluteous muscles into play to help you climb better, enabling you to pedal more of a circle by pulling back on the bottom of the pedal stroke.
Quoted message said:
Om the other hand, I get puffed more quickly - not sure if that's from doing more work, or compressing the diaphragm some.
Seems that #3 is this "closed hip angle" but damnfino what the mechanism is, what the body mechanics are. Anyone got any ideas?
Someone told me about the "scrape it off your shoe" idea, and it certainly works.
As I have trouble co-ordinating enough to walk and chew gum at the same time it never occurred to me to think about pulling up as well as pushing down, my brain would have overloaded.
On the other hand, I think I need to slide the seat forward a tiny fraction so I can tell more easily if I'm rocking the hips.
