Many thanks. To give you a further idea, a few weeks ago I climbed up Alpe d'Huez. 53 minutes odd averaging 285 watts using a 34 x 23/25. Average cadence 77 and a torque requirement circa 220 N.

Yesterday on the Crostis I was using a 30 x 25. It's difficult to get that much smaller I would think but the torque required hovered between 300 and 400 N throughout even in that gear. So for me the limiting factor is the muscle strength. My Powerfiles see these almost as recovery rides - yet I've not been so exhausted in years!

Interestingly Ivan Basso was using a 36 x 29 on the Zoncolan climb last year. I guess even he has his limits.

Ah as I said, you are not strength limited if you can turn the pedals more than, say, 10 times. You lack endurance.

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"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

From my completely non-scientific experience, just based on what works for me.

I am a strong believer in Sassi's muscular endurance intervals. I do them in blocks of about 2 sessions per week for about 4 weeks at a time, cadence around 50-55 right on FTP output. 2 reps from between 10-20 mins.

For some reason I train in blocks as follows: aerobic/SST > muscular endurance > 2 x 20's/FTP > Speed/VO2

I find that if I follow that and taper for about 1-2 weeks I will be flying for about a month. Miss any blocks and I'll be well off my best

I hope no one minds me resurrecting this thread but I'm keen to maintain the leg strength/endurance I've built up over a Summer of riding double digit gradients.

I'm currently in the UK and soon head off to Thailand. Neither location has the sort of climbs I need and my Tacx cannot simulate them either.

This seems to leave me with gym work. Can anyone suggest suitable exercises for me to work on throughout the winter to insure that I hit the hills without the handicap I faced earlier this year? Any help much appreciated.

You dont need gym nor hills. Train at FTP on the flat at the lowest cadence you can, this will be as specific as you can be without hills. You can also trai. At FTP and above on the flat at regular cadence and you will imprOve.

I train almost exclusively on flat terrain with slight gradient of ~3-4% and I train a lot at ftp or above. Result: i am far from bad on medium to long climbs. Indeed, Id say I can go pretty hard on them while never training on hills.

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2013 rocky mountain vertex 29er
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Hi there

I sadly can't do that where I'll be as it's unsafe. I'd be travelling way too fast for the roads and traffic around here and I also find it really difficult to keep a constant resistance on the flat due to the minor undulations that I incur.

Due to the nature of specificity you'll find it difficult to maintain your cycling power (hills or no) without cycling.

Tell us what you can ride and we'll find solutions. If you only have a 200m pimple to ride up then do that repeatedly. If you have a stationary trainer, get a fan and a towel and enjoy that pain.

Anything off the bike will be a form of detraining (but potentially better than nothing).

_________________
"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

then the trainer with regular cadence at FTP effort level will do just fine. The cadence you train at doesnt matter as much as the effort level you are working at.

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2013 rocky mountain vertex 29er
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Just my own experience, but it seems like no matter how hard I work at normal-high RPM, my cardio system reacts completely differently as soon as I am forced to push gears at lower RPM on a steep climb. Lower RPMs also seem much more "efficient" on a climb than on the flats.

Illusion ?

I know that in theory it seems like one should have an optimum cadence for producing max power, and then it shouldn't matter if you are on flats or hills. Just select that cadance and produce the power. Why the illusion ?

well, FWIW, my cadence uphill is a lot lower then on the flats, despite almost never training at those cadence. I just feel more comfortable at lower cadence uphill.

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2013 rocky mountain vertex 29er
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www.cyclingtrainingnuts.blogspot.ca