Flatten those hills! Learn how to climb!

I find this comparison interesting. Seven percent gradient, did he say? I wish I knew the gradient of those humps on the MRT. There are several about 17 miles from here, and they seem steep to me! Fortunately they\’re very short climbs.

Getting back to the comparison in the video, do I fall into the \”beginner\” or \”amateur\” class? I won\’t even consider \”pro\”; I know I\’m not in those ranks!

If climbing while seated means you\’re a beginner, I\’m still a beginner. On the other hand, since late April I\’ve found myself pulling on the handlebars and pushing harder on the pedals when faced with terrain that\’s not flat; and that lets me take my full weight off my rear. Maybe I\’m approaching the point of being able to climb out of the saddle?

How close am I to the \”amateur\” class? Not very close, I fear. I\’ll bet I couldn\’t get up that hill as fast as Ollie did, in six minutes and forty seconds. I might not be able to do that climb even as fast as Freddie the Beginner, who took over 13 minutes.

None of the climbs I have around here are 2.6 km/1.61 miles long, and it\’s a good thing. After a post-Tour de Cure break, I need to get back to on-bike \”force\” exercises to strengthen my legs; and climbing is about more than legs.

My upper body strength needs plenty of work; and in fact it\’s declined recently. I got too busy with other stuff to give my off-bike work proper time and attention, and it\’s high time I got back to it. It will help me to flatten those hills — uh, I mean those humps in the MRT.