Clydesdale Climbing Dynamics

[wigger thomas]

Man,someone in Feedback had a great idea for a new forum. Uphillers.

I believe that clydesdale climbing creates a whole crazy fitness dynamic. It makes your heart rate go through the roof and puts you i a zany shamanic state when you do extended steep climbs at over 200lbs.

This spring,I'm hoping to work towards making those shamanic states a little less dramatic. The vintage Serrota is ready to go. I'm going to brave the road this year. I've been skittish for a couple years after getting hit but I'm ready to go now. This spring I'll be spinning and climbing like a diesel machine. In my dreams at least.

Are there any other big guys who like to climb for fitness? Don't mean to sound like a roadie. All my road climbing is part of my mtb rock n' roll fantasy.

[Mo0se]

Do the climbing on that new flight,
then we'll talk. I am clydesdale,
and theres nothing a sub 200 lb
rider can do abo0t it.

[rockyrider]

I love climbing. I'm right in the 200 pound (90.9kg) range. I climb long hills at low cadence, 40-60RPM to keep it aerobic, short hills I don't mind going anaerobic, but that's where the heart rate and BP can shoot through the roof, and you risk a stroke or a brain aneurysm. I can climb all day if I stay in my aerobic spin range. I usually climb in the middle ring except for extremely loose surfaces where too much torque will break traction.

[Mo0se]

I love climbing. I'm right in the 200 pound (90.9kg) range. I climb long hills at low cadence, 40-60RPM to keep it aerobic, short hills I don't mind going anaerobic, but that's where the heart rate and BP can shoot through the roof, and you risk a stroke or a brain aneurysm. I can climb all day if I stay in my aerobic spin range. I usually climb in the middle ring except for extremely loose surfaces where too much torque will break traction.

I do all my riding in the granny.. never
break a sweat. ;) What's a big ring
for? Sit and spin.. :D When you get to
the top, the rides over! :eek::D

[ironspoke]

I'm in the 250 lb range (6'4") :eek: but I also love the hills.

I just take my time in the granny gear and sit back and do it. On the road I pride myself on never having to get off or walk. I may have to swing back and forth and serpentine but the top eventually comes. Around these parts we have some pretty short and sweet climbs. I also occasionally ride some of the hills in the Dirty Dozen challenge and these can be knee breakers.

Off road I still go granny and when I see these people riding a single speed I realize at my size that is simply not an option.

[phastey]

I'm 6'2" 205lbs and love to climb. The gear I choose depends on lots of factors but generally I stay out of granny. I'd prefer to get over the hill faster rather than spin a lot more. :)

[K-Man]

I gotta tip my helmet to you big'uns that don't resort to the granny gear on climbs. Whenever I'm loaded down with groceries, I click all they way down for the upgrades, brutha. I feel your weight, mans. :D

[nogearshere]

climbing is the best part of the ride. my weight moves from 220 to 205 and back up throughout the season but i wouldnt consider it detrimental...i dont know how little people climb with those wee legs...

ok fine, obviously there comes a point when the power to weight ratio benefits the wee AND mighty...but i'm not good enough to play at those levels anywho...so as the dog says, until tomorrow.

[Mo0se]

I've been known to pass a few
on the hills, with the Flight.

I got up every climb in this area on it.

But they are not risking a heart
attack or an aneurism, going
anaerobic doing it. (ala Rocky)

Passing, going downhill on the
Enduro, is just as gratifying.

We all can't be major league
sUpa PiMps like Noggie. :p

[rockyrider]

It's all a matter of the sort of terrain (http://www.vanc.igs.net/~roughley/bike_bc.html) you're used to...

[mimbresman]

5’11” at 215 last time I checked.

I like climbing too. I always try to have climbing as part of my rides. I try to stay out of the granny gear. I pretty much grind up hills in my middle ring. I climb in the middle ring 99% of the time. I like out climbing riders here using my SS. It’s a big ego booster.

Riding the hills around Caracas in October, I found I needed to use my granny ring most of the time, and even at that, I got off and pushed some. The hills there are really long and steep! (Hats off to steel-s-real's climbing fortitude.)

[mimbresman]

It's all a matter of the sort of terrain (http://www.vanc.igs.net/~roughley/bike_bc.html) you're used to...

Oi Rocky! I remember some of those grades in B.C.! I had my bike loaded similiar to the one in the link. Good thing I was just turning 21 when I was riding there. (I spent my 21st birthday riding from Qualicum Beach to Ucluelet. I remember it as a long ride with quite a bit of climbing (and descending since it was from sea to sea)) I used my granny ring a lot...more there than I ever did in the Rockies.
MM

[LeeMcGough]

I don't actually know if it is any harder for clydesdales to climb. I do know that at a whopping 140-150lbs, my heart, lungs, legs, and even eyes feel like they are going to burst sometimes on climbs. If it is worse for clydesdales, I don't know how you guys bring yourselves to ride at all. Except for maybe DH.:D

[rockyrider]

Oi Rocky! I remember some of those grades in B.C.! I had my bike loaded similiar to the one in the link. Good thing I was just turning 21 when I was riding there. (I spent my 21st birthday riding from Qualicum Beach to Ucluelet. I remember it as a long ride with quite a bit of climbing (and descending since it was from sea to sea)) I used my granny ring a lot...more there than I ever did in the Rockies.
MMThere's a street here in North Vancouver that is 24% grade, I'll have to take a pic of the sign. There's a couple in the 19% grade range, they close those when it's snowy/icey because it's just a luge run for SUV's.

[1mystk]

We all can't be major league
sUpa PiMps like Noggie. :p

Noggy's favorite thing to do this year was climb the "Green Monster" at Albion Hills in preparation for Transrockies...

so I says, hey... how bad can it be?:rolleyes:

:eek:crazy... I was not sUpa PiMps like Noggy:D


climbing is the best part of the ride.

...i dont know how little people climb with those wee legs...

I never knew what the heck clydesdale meant till now...
so what do they call it for us little people with wee legs?
Pony Express?:rolleyes::D

[myron]

NOgee seemed to love Mt. Pabst. I have ranged from 230 to 190 while riding. I will say that at 190 I can climb way slower than at 230.

It's all done through magnetic fields and such...

[ironspoke]

I've only ridden a few of the hills in this race and they were all in perfect conditions in the summer. But if you want to try some steep urban riding you should plan a trip to the 'burgh next November for the Dirty Dozen.

This one is 37%. May be the steepest street in the world.

I venture a guess that those cobblestones in November with leaves and shitty conditions on a skinny tire are about as tough as it gets.

[mimbresman]

I've only ridden a few of the hills in this race and they were all in perfect conditions in the summer. But if you want to try some steep urban riding you should plan a trip to the 'burgh next November for the Dirty Dozen.

This one is 37%. May be the steepest street in the world.

I venture a guess that those cobblestones in November with leaves and shitty conditions on a skinny tire are about as tough as it gets.

You know a hill is steep when the sidewalk next to it has steps. Did a climb like that in San Francisco (I think it was the Marina District). It was raining therefore couldn't get traction to climb. The rear wheel kept spinning out. It was a steep as anything I had encountered on the Slick Rock Trail (original/normal route).

[K-Man]

Here's a link to the Dirty Dozen bike race website (http://www.dannychew.com/dd.html).

I rode it this year, but ran out of time and had to bail after 7 hills. Didn't have to walk any sections, but I'm guessing that would have been a difficult string to keep going, had I gone the entire distance. Some of the steepest hills I've ever seen on public streets!!!! :eek:

Took the knees and arms quite a while to get back to normal.

[wigger thomas]

Do the climbing on that new flight,
then we'll talk. I am clydesdale,
and theres nothing a sub 200 lb
rider can do abo0t it.
I ride the Flight as much as possible[ss29er].
I can climb hills on it that I once did in my granny gear. Also,from climbing SS,I can climb as well w/ extra weight as when I was 20-30 lbs lighter. Hoping to ditch those extra lbs. w/ the help of the road bike when it gets a little warmer. No danger of being sub 200lbs though.

[ironspoke]

Here is a pic from a few years ago on Canton?? Can anyone guess who it is?

[wigger thomas]

Maurice? You?

[davkatreb]

Okay, at 215 and with more than a nodding familiarity with Mr. Pabst, here's my take:

I absolutely LOVE to climb. I'm sure there are LOTSA guys my age who are faster overall, and as far as technical skills, I didn't even START riding seriously until I was over 50, so with keen awareness both of my own mortality and the fact that it takes three times as long for me to heal as it did when I was twenty, well...

But point me up a hill and watch me work! It's downright euphoric, I tells ya. Crank go roundy-round; bike go up and up. I just don't get tired of it. Didn't happen overnight, and I think the switch to clipless pedals afew years back helped, but now I'm a climbin' fool. Or some other sort, maybe; what do I know? But I loves me some hills.

And as an aside, I was hitting some of these hilly back roads a week or so ago on the Crosscheck, fixed. (Knew I'd get there sooner or later, dinja?:D) I know for a FACT that I was straight up MOTORING up hills that would have hurt me BAD on a geared bike a year and a half ago. YMMV.

[S. cerevisiae]

so what do they call it for us little people with wee legs?
Pony Express?:rolleyes::D

Colts or phillies. It's only a matter of time...and holiday eating.

On topic: Climbing SUX! I don't care if you're a clydesdale, colt, phillie, quarter horse, or jet car. It's up. It's gravity. What can be more fun than swooping down from a mountain pass, or being on the big ring/small cog along a fie stretch of level twisty road crankin' at high cadence and gasping for large quantities of air?

One climbs to get to these stretches, Itellyawhat.

[ironspoke]

Ying and Yang........

Ya cant appreciate the one without the other.

:)

[mimbresman]

Today I was riding the geared Litespeed...

On the group ride this morning, had a climbing duel today with a young colt on a carbonfiber Merida.
We climbed "the rails" which are a steep concrete two-track, then over to "the wall" a real step section of pavement. I had the lead halfway up the rails, then he passed me spinning in his small ring while I chugged up in my middle 32 and rear 30. On the wall, I had the lead until the very end just before the summit when he found it necessary to pass me. :)

[wigger thomas]

Today I was riding the geared Litespeed...

On the group ride this morning, had a climbing duel today with a young colt on a carbonfiber Merida.
We climbed "the rails" which are a steep concrete two-track, then over to "the wall" a real step section of pavement. I had the lead halfway up the rails, then he passed me spinning in his small ring while I chugged up in my middle 32 and rear 30. On the wall, I had the lead until the very end just before the summit when he found it necessary to pass me. :)

sounds like it was necessary to put you in your place. All of the sudden after battling battling battling it wasn't supposed to matter?;)

[mimbresman]

sounds like it was necessary to put you in your place. All of the sudden after battling battling battling it wasn't supposed to matter?;)

Probably...couldn't let a gray-haired fat gringo beat him up the hill. :rolleyes:

After the pavement stuff, we climbed "the ramp", the semi-technical dirt climb I cleaned yesterday on the SS. He wasn't on yesterday's ride, but when I told him about it, he didn't believe me because it's a challenge on a geared bike...:D

[wigger thomas]

see,YOU won't let up:D

Did you get into that wierd zone where you forget parts of the ride because your on a shmanic journey?:)

[1mystk]

well this little colt, started to love climbing as I got better. I had to find my groove and figure out how to pick a line.

the hard part was getting the fitness level up to be able to conquer some of those climbs...

once I started making it up more hills with the "cheater bike"... when I jumped back on the SS a lots of those climbs were easier to tackle...

clipless pedals were a big help when I swtiched... this is when I started noticing that I was using different leg muscles and I started building more strength in my legs...

I have seen some clydes tackling those hills... it is downright amazing how you guys can blow by little girls like me...:D

[phastey]

My only problem with hills is how to negotiate obstacles. If I have to pull up my front end to get over anything I immediately lose traction to my rear wheel and spin out when the wheel comes back down. Any suggestions other than get off and walk?

[mimbresman]

My only problem with hills is how to negotiate obstacles. If I have to pull up my front end to get over anything I immediately lose traction to my rear wheel and spin out when the wheel comes back down. Any suggestions other than get off and walk?

Depends on how steep and how high of obstacle. On a low object like a waterbar, you usually want to shift/slide your weight up toward the nose of the saddle to keep the front wheel down but also keeping traction in the rear. Its a lot of finesse. Keep your elbows in. Keep your momentum up, and power on. Keep practicing and experimenting.

Other types of obstacles sometimes need more trials-like techniques. I have never mastered this technique very well, but sometimes you need to trackstand, then bunnyhop, or hop up on and or over the obstacle.

Practice on curbs and steps.

[jh4rt]

This weekend I bit off more than I could chew. I ended up riding with a bunch of Ricky Racers. My buddy assured me that it was a training ride and so I'd be able to keep up since he was going to keep his heart-rate at 60-70%. :-)

FAMOUS LAST WORDS>

A couple of other guys showed up and I was a guy with a knife at a gun-fight. I did the climb, though, after spinning like crazy to keep up on the way down to the start.

All-in-all, it made me consider having a geared bike. I love my SS, but ... if I'm going to ride with these guys, I need a bit of help.

Meanwhile, I am a masher of a Clydesdale. I'm one of those really short clydes, too..., but still pushing 200#. I love climbing. I like riding down too, but if I had to pick one, climbing would be my choice. But, I am not a big fan of spinning up the climbs. I kind of alternate between a sitting grind and standing and mashing.

[rockyrider]

My only problem with hills is how to negotiate obstacles. If I have to pull up my front end to get over anything I immediately lose traction to my rear wheel and spin out when the wheel comes back down. Any suggestions other than get off and walk?One of the biggest problems with climbing over obstacles is viewing them as obstacles. I used to be have one particular 4" or 5" tree trunk laying across a steep section of trail that always messed me up on one particular climb, it was a granny gear climb early in the season and a middle ring climb later in the season. If it had been wet the trunk was bare wood, so it was slippery as all get out. This drove me nuts because I can climb the same angle of slope covered in wet baby head rocks.

Then one day I realized that I was focusing on the tree trunk as an obstacle and anticipating having the wheel spin out on the wood, and I wasn't doing that on the wet rocks. I just decided that I was going to treat the tree trunk like a bump in the trail instead of a thing laying across the trail, and I just scampered over it in the middle ring like I do over rocks. I just let the body takeover and do what it knew how to do to climb over slippery wet rocks. Even in wet conditions that tree trunk doesn't affect my climb any more, and it's as slippery as it ever was.

[mscotch]

I'm 5'7", 52 and weight right at 200.
I use a HR monitor for xc ski racing and also for mtn. bike racing. When you talk about the "burn" pulling those hills do you know where you are in regards of % max HR?

[wigger thomas]

I'm 5'7", 52 and weight right at 200.
I use a HR monitor for xc ski racing and also for mtn. bike racing. When you talk about the "burn" pulling those hills do you know where you are in regards of % max HR?

You talking to me? :D

I rely on intuition. If I feel myself 'in the red' to the point of high respiratory rate,seeing spots,I back off. I will occasionally touch the red zone on hills though. I think it's good for me. The old theory that those high metabolic temps burn toxins. But I'm just eccentric and not scientific about how I get in shape. My goal this year is to just hit the middle of the sport pack in any races I might do.

[mscotch]

You talking to me? :D

I rely on intuition. If I feel myself 'in the red' to the point of high respiratory rate,seeing spots,I back off. I will occasionally touch the red zone on hills though. I think it's good for me. The old theory that those high metabolic temps burn toxins. But I'm just eccentric and not scientific about how I get in shape. My goal this year is to just hit the middle of the sport pack in any races I might do.

It was for anyone that cared to respond. Thanks.

[dangerousdave]

??? spots? red zone? death zone? you fukkers are Everest talkin psycho's!!!!!
Sadly enough the great vast majority of my uphillin is on the pavement- thats AC out here- for about a 12 miler on the return trip home- at least its everyday though! it gets steep towards the end, bout 4% or maybe, maybe 6% last 1/2 mile, I like to really crank it up for short bursts, then breath, then repeat, then call 9-11:p
in the yearsw I been doingthis ride I have gotten better and faster, I like to think its not due to the bike!

[mimbresman]

Tried to climb a new trail today, but it proved unclimbable to all who tried...even Hank, who made it only a meter or so farther than me so I didn't feel so much like a wuss. The trail is too new, and too loose. Needs more time and rain.

[mscotch]

29er, tubless, big traction pad, floats on top .....chug, chug, chug....:D

looks like fun, can't wait till the snow melts up here!:)

[mimbresman]

Good point on the floatation...
I have Ritchey Z-Max 2.1 WCS tires on the Litespeed. I don't like them. I got them for my Scotland trip last summer but have proved to be too skinny, but I paid $50 each at my NM LBS for those POSs so figure I better use them. (Special order before going to the USA last summer...actually I asked for the 2.35 kevlar bead but the WCS is what my friend ordered)
The Merlin is shod with 2.35 Z-Max and they float way better. 2.1 is too skinny for a Clydesdale.

[drewactual]

fwiw coming from a 6'4" 270+/- super clyde:

I wished someone would have spelled out how to limb for me when I first started this ridin' stuff...

I would drop to the lowest combo and spin out within minutes.... or I would push to heavy a combo and power out in half a minute.... I couldn't ever find the medium and use it correctly... until the past year or so that is....

So for folks as dumb and/or hard headed as me out there who don't wanna ask for fear of being seen as a goober:

trick to climbing for me is to find AS HIGH/HEAVY/FAST (whatever you wanna call it) gear as possible- or to the point you can't easily spin the cranks, and LOWER your cadence so you don't burn yourself out... a few weeks doing this and next thing you know you will be using a smaller cog... then a bigger ring... then you will be keeping up with those flippin' flimsy antelope lookin' folks...

as far as being heavy and playing a balancing game between rear traction and obstacles on tech climbs- I have found that using gravity for me helps out pretty good- meaning my nose is over the bars about 6" or so while I climb- when I approach the obstacle I just lean back momentarily while power stroking- wheel unweights for a second and then my nose goes back over bar.. bigger logs? 'row' up the hill and time the log and a rearward pull, then thrust bike forward under you, and plant your weight hard forward while you are planting.... try that on flats or God help you downhill and you may endo...

just my thoughts fellas... carry on!

[davkatreb]

Hills, schmills. They're just dirt. I'm a construction worker. You think I'm ascairt of a little dirt?

[mimbresman]

Climbing the Fausto Trail (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upALUASYKn0).

[mimbresman]

The science and math (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23297119/)of climbing dynamics...

[Knapes]

http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~walpole/pics/Backsted_99.jpg

-Big Maggie climbing Huez.
-Granted no dirt, but it is a mountain
-Weighing in around 2 bills
-There's hope for us all.

[wigger thomas]

Climbing the Fausto Trail (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upALUASYKn0).
That was cool. But it's hard to relate in 2 dimensions. I made a video of PAW climbing on SS one time. You really had no idea how hard of an effort he needed.

[mimbresman]

To get an idea how steep it is, if you notice when I fell over, I slid backwards about 2 or 3 feet.

Other note: I rode it today, but down. Some guys have put wooden pallets down in the switchback to make it easier (it was getting deeply rutted). Since being sick with a respiratory infection, I can't gulp enough 02 to try to ride up, but riding down is sketchy fun. :D

[quinnmantan]

I'm 6'4" and a little over 250, he he. I love uphill rideing, in fact the only thing I love more is passing up some little skinny guy. By the way that happens. Tires dont last long the tread nobs just tear off. I enjoy uphill rideing in the snow becouse I get so much traction. I can cruz on the streets about 20 all day long. But those hot sunny days call me. I'll be a huffing and sweating about 4mph up those steep mountains. You get that salt in your mouth and eyes, those little fire flies swimming in your mind as you wonder if your about to pass out or if that's the "chee thing" them monks meditate for. I have done Pikes Peak summer of 2007 14,100 feet. Monarch Crest Trail, Colarado 14,000 ft. two days later. I have the Garman GPS to prove it. I also would like to say if your local bike shop cant get you the parts you need give airbomb doc com a try, thay will barter for you but remember your local shop needs you!

[Mauriceman]

Yep, that's me, climbing the steepest hill in the world. i'm one of the few peeple that do Dirty Dozen with a triple.

Yea, yin-yang. What goes down must come up!

[mimbresman]

I've lost weight! Don't know how much, maybe 10 lbs, but its amazing how much easier it was to climb The Rails and The Fausto trail on Sunday. :)

[wigger thomas]

Hit some pretty big ones today. I was a little worried when I saw this cemetary. Didn't quite remember it:eek:

[dangerousdave]

Hit some pretty big ones today. I was a little worried when I saw this cemetary. Didn't quite remember it:eek:

Roadie Fag.:eek:

[No disrespect intended to those so inclined to have sex with others of same.... just a euphemism.]