The hills are alive

A complete stranger, Sherri, has sent in this question:

Quit smoking in July after 35 years. Bought an entry level bike in Nov, Felt z100. Riding the trainer most days at 60 minutes with Reoch Zonneveld workouts. I've been riding outdoors temps are in the 50s (can't do much in lower temps).

I've been reading about this cadence versus wattage stuff. My big fear is hitting a hill. I know I just need to do it and stopping
wondering/worrying about it.

Question, is there anything specific I can do in my trainer to help when I hit that first hill?

Dear Sherri:

It's hard to express how thrilled I am by your question — and what a good one. First of all welcome to cycling. I started on a trainer for about nine months before I got my road bike in 2004. I am not familiar with Reoch Zonneveld but I'm sure I would have benefitted from 50 different workouts.

About the hill in your future and how to approach it. First of all, accept that you'll encounter one and that you will slow down as you ascend. There's no shame in that. The good news is that the more hills you encounter and more directly you face them the stronger and faster you will become.

Now how can you and your trainer prepare? The bad news is that there is no realistic trainer substitute for a hill that I am willing to pay for. That category does exist though and includes the Travel Trac Real Axiom V3 Trainer ($799.99, performancebike.com) and the TACX I-Magic Trainer ($649.99, coloradocyclist.com for starters with lots and lots of add ons available). These are systems that run through a PC and both include variable resistance. I sampled the TACX once and it has the capacity to be a real buttkicker.

For cheapskates like me, the first step is a climbing block ($15 and up). The block raises your front wheel and is supposed to simulate climbing. I keep telling myself that's what it does. The second step is to crank up the tension, or resistance, on your trainer (free). Resistance is the functional equivalent of gravity, which is what keeps us in one place longer than we want to be when we're going up hill.

Short answer to your question: Work on keeping your cadence up at higher resistance. If you're already maxing out your resistance it's time to hit the road … up hill. And grade be damned.

Yours in velophility,
Cycledork