Cycling Advice for Hills

Hey, I'm moving to Seattle next week and I'm curious about training to ride my cruiser on hills.  My cruiser doesn't have gears and it's heavy.  I generally go slow (compared to members of the Spandex Brigade and mountain bikers) but I have really built up my legs over the past year. 

Today I rode up a long, steep (to me) hill for a couple of miles.  So, my questions are;

Should I try to practice pedaling faster or should I work on endurance on hills? 

Should I try a lot of small(ish) hills during a workout or one steeper hill?

Am I on the completely wrong bike?  Would a mountain bike be more appropriate?  I love my cruiser for riding the roads.  But maybe it's impractical for a hilly terrain?

I am not familiar with a cruiser, but the best bike for a hilly road is a Road Bike with gears...........you really need the gears if you are going to be riding those hills.

thanks, but I hate road bikes.  If I get anything with gears, it will be a mountain bike. 

Anyone else with training advice?

I think you're going to need gears.  Seattle hills can be pretty steep and you need enough control to navigate the traffic.

I would also recommend getting a bike with gears.  You could look at getting a hybrid style bike (kind of in between road and mountain bike).  They're cheaper than a road bike and not as heavy as a mountain bike. 

My advice for hills is just to bike as far up the hill as you can before you can't go any further and then walk until you catch your breath and then get back on your bike and do it again.  As to what type of hills you do, it isn't really important.  Just go with whatever is between you and where you want to get (the store, work, the park, etc).

I would also suggest getting up your speed shortly before you get to the hill so that you have more momentum as you start up it.

I hate the geometry on hybrid bikes--the seat tube angle is steep, so I end up feeling like I'm sitting on top of the pedals.  For hills, you want the seat farther behind the cranks so that you can recruit more muscles (hams, glutes, core) to the effort, instead of just beating up on the quads.

Sorry you hate road bikes, as they really are the right tool for the job.  That said, a fixed-fork (not suspension fork, unless it has a lockout) hardtail mountain bike with slicks would be a better alternative for steep, paved roads than a hybrid, IMHO.

As far as technique goes, if you're sitting, you want to use easy gears and high cadence.  If you're standing, upshift a couple of times and slow the cadence down a bit.  Alternate between the two to shift which muscle groups you're using.  Simple rules:

1) If your legs are burning and you're sitting, shift to an easier gear and get your cadence up.

2) If your legs are burning and you're standing, shift to a harder gear and get your cadence down.

3) If you are redlined, slow down, alternate standing and sitting to stay within your aerobic abilities and chug up that hill.  Alternate anyway, to give the different muscle groups a break.

Some hills are just so tough that the only way to get up them is standing.  Pick a gear that has you turning 40-50rpm and just be patient.  You'll get to the top.

thanks, y'all this really helps. 

"fixed-fork hardtail mountain bike with slicks"

I can't wait to muss up that phrase at the bike shop!