Subject: RE: what is better bike training for hills - rolling hills vs steep repeats? Hate to start of any answer with this, but it depends... If you live and train in an area that is fairly hilly, then you can start off with both longer and steeper hills. The length of the hill should be long enough that you have a sustained power output for at least a couple of minutes, preferably 5+ minutes. It should be steep enough that it is a challenge, but not so steep that you can't maintain good form and cadence. There's no use riding a hill that is so steep that you run out of gear immediately and can't maintain proper form for the duration.
Short steep hills are useful in peak power training. This is what we used to do when I raced bikes (I was a sprinter... ), find a hill that is steep and long enough that you need to maintain power for about 30-60 seconds, but not longer. Ride into the hill at two gears lower than what you normally sprint in and then go all out in that gear until you crest the hill. Do not shift during the effort. This is a max effort and really painful, so 2-5 reps is more than enough and don't start off with this. This is a peak power training, so only to be done after you have a very solid base. |