I know. There are so many different kinds of hills, and then you have weather conditions. A certain hill when you have a stiff following wind is a very different challenge in a side wind or a strong head wind. Then you have hills that come in fairly evenly spaced bunches and are about the same height. You just keep gearing basically the same over them all. There are hills that slope up gradually to a certain point where the up-slope suddenly increases dramatically. I did about 130 miles one day over a long series of sloping hills because there was a strong storm in back of me with straight-line winds going exactly my way. I stayed in my highest gear almost all the time and was completely unable to feel any torque through the crank arms and pedals for much of the ride. It was like riding a moped except that the engine was the wind. Those same sloping hills in a head wind would have been a completely and totally different story.
I try NOT to stand up at all going up hills. I read that if you must stand going up hills the bike may be the wrong size for you. I have stood going up hills but I have not found it to be particularly advantageous. I remain seated and concentrate on relaxed functioning and try my best to keep the leg muscles relaxed.
The Pacific Coast Bicycle Route was really fantastic. I loved it. Of course I had moments of frustration and anger too, but all in all it was great. Going from north to south puts a lot of wind at your back and you can really feel the difference on those coastal hills. The scenery is unsurpassed anywhere on the globe that I know of. The air off the pacific is fresh, clean, and loaded with oxygen. The route is very hilly. It is a good workout. I loved it.
It does go through some areas of dense populations such as San Francisco, LA, and San Diego, but that is okay. They are good places to rent a room in a hostel, rest, and see the cities. In San Frencisco I went to Fishermens' Wharf, took a trolley ride, and then crossd the bay to Berkley to visit around the campus at the UCB and Telegraph Avenue. In San Diego I took a trolley to Tiajuana in Mexico. Of course there are many towns and cities along the way. Some are very small and others are medium sized. At LA I stayed in a hostel on Venice Beach. That place was different.
If I had to recommend one route among them all as the best one to take in the USA I would recommend the PCBR, but not necessarily for everyone and not necessarily for the beginner. It is a tough route. It is not a pushover. There are hiker / biker sections in state campgrounds and they are cheap and many have showers. I say do it. If you get the chance do it. It is the best, but it is tough and it is no bed of roses.
I too have moments when I am up or down. For some odd reason during the day when I cycle the most I feel either medium or somewhat down. Then when dusk approaches I start feeling ultra energised. Some mornimgs I feel energised, then somewhat down in the afternoon, and then back up again near night fall. It may be due to my eating habits. I notice that if I eat a good breakfast and wait an hour-and-a-half or two hours before cycling I can feel the energy in the muscles, but if I just get up and eat and go right away I cannot feel the energy. I have found it helpful in the mornings when I first get going to cycle about ten or fifteen minutes and then to stop even if for only five minutes for rest. It seems to give a sort of second wind and the muscles function more efficiently after that than they would have if I had just kept going solid. My mileage also goes up dramatically after a few days of rest. The muscles need that rest. I read in a book on physical fitness that muscles get stronger not while you are exercising, but during the rest periods between the workouts. Maybe that explains why my highest mileage days came after a few days layover in a motel, with all other variables being about equal that is.
Perhaps you could give me some more information on exactly what recovery riding is and what you do to recover after a long day's ride or any kind of ride for that matter.
jsirabella said:
I agree with everything you post. I have ridden a few different types of hills and you are correct, no hill is like no other hill and until you do the hill several times you will never figure out the best way to attack it. Also alot depends on your energy level that day. There are days where I start low and finish high and others where I am in high the whole time and others just stuck in low!
There are so many factors, so many styles...the key!! -> put in the miles. The more miles, the better you get!...simple. The only person to beat is yourself...make sure you have a heart monitor and a simple cateye that can keep atleast cadence. That is all you need and you just keep pushing.
One thing I always forget...recovery rides and days off. The older you are, the more you need. I myself find it tough as I always want to push myself and find recovery rides boring and than there is good old pride which gets in the way. With my setup .. I always get someone wanting to challenge me. This is why I took an old trek singletrack, got it running and use it for days off...no one bothers me anymore and they get ****** when I pass them.
Do not get me wrong I love a good challenge but with no recovery you just get more and more tired and your knees ache and you get frustrated.
I want to do that Pacific Coast ride next year...how is it? Do you go through well populated areas? How hilly? I am sure very pretty though...
-john sirabella
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