New guy

falcon40 said:

Hey everyone,
I am new to the forum and fairly new to cycling.I have been riding a mountain bike on fairly flat ground for several months now and have recently started hill climbing:o this is really tough!!! Can someone help me out with some tips on how to become stronger at this? thanks a million

WOW a real new member!!!!!

Well your first mistake was to buy a mountain bike......😄

However (and I'm no mudpedaller) I would suggest to you there is no easy street - just have to climb more hills more often. Eventually you will find your rhythm and discover your climbing legs. It just takes time.

Also its helps to loose a bit of weight too :p

how many days a week?

Welcome to the forum.

I feel your pain, I just got my first road bike back in November, I'm still plugging away at my climbing skills. Not to mention the art of outrunning pesky pooches.... :eek:

If you are just starting out then dont get to carried away with focusing any one aspect of your riding. Just try to incorporate a bit of everything into most rides. This will keep the enjoyment factor higher while giving your body time to phsiologically adjust to the different muscle requirements inherent in say climbing hills vs hammering on the flats.

So its not simply a case of 'how many days'. For guys starting out sometimes its easier to focus on one particular hill - climb it at the end of every single ride. Time yourself. Eventually you will master that climb and in the process develop the confidence and climbing power to move onto bigger and better things.

When you first sink your teeth into climbing on the bike it does feel horrible. There is a transition phase and your body will adjust. How often you need to climb isnt something anyone on a forum can tell you with a degree of accuracy. Find what your body can handle and dont push too hard too early.

Keep the enjoyment factor high and climb your favourite hill at the end of every ride. Its a good way to challenge yourself at the end of a session.

Good info, thanks for the replies guys