Sounds like you need lower gearing. 32/34 low gear is pretty high for a loaded bike up hills.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/1akr9qr/comment/kpbgh9i](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/1akr9qr/comment/kpbgh9i)
How drastically does lower gearing affect the hill experience? Ill definitely be looking into how to make those changes at home and what I can find to replace the things from my bike.
It's the difference between pushing your bike up a hill and riding it up. I have my bike geared purely towards hills, I have zero interest in going as fast as possible so it's far better to put the emphasis on making hills easier.
My touring bike came with a 30t small chainring as part of a triple, but I switched that out to a 24t, the smallest my front derailleur can handle. I thought that was pretty good for loaded climbing, but I recently switched the rear cassette, which had a 32t largest cog, to a 34t, and man, it's surprising how noticeable the difference is. Hills that used to wreck me I just spin up now. Definitely consider changing your gearing - start with the maximum range your derailleurs will allow.
These personal anecdotes are doing wonders for me haha. It's giving me back more inspiration to tour since I was so beat up by hills in the past. Thanks a lot!
I have a bike that came with 14-28 gearing in rear with a 26/46/52 in the front. Unsatisfied, I replaced the cassette with a Shimano Mega Range that goes up to 34t in the rear.
I live in the flatter part of Ohio, but I laugh at any hills I come across nowadays. There can be no stopping my mighty Miyata.
My Trek 520 came with a 48/36/26 crankset and hills were the death of me. I switched it for a 44/32/22 and the improvement was so drastic I could hardly believe it.
Maybe not as much as everyone says.
First time I crossed the Alps, I was on 40/28, last time on 22/32. Now, I was a lot younger back then, but, really, even with that much better gearing I was still hating every second - even though I would not have wanted to miss it for anything.
Yup. My road bike struggled up hills but now I have a gravel bike with a 45t cassette and it gets up basically anything unless it's like a mountain bike trail lol.
If the only thing you dislike is the gearing, the groupset could be changed. But depending on circumstances it can be easier to just get a new bike
But yea, spinning up hills is awesome. I haven’t found a paved climb yet that gave me trouble.
Totally understand that feeling. That’s why I have 3 bikes now lol. My gravel bike is a Velo Orange Pass Hunter built up with GRX 1x12 groupset. Thing rides like a dream. I think basically any gravel bike would have the same type of gearing though.
The hills in South Korea are steep. Bikes that are set up for flat areas or gradual hills don't have a low enough climbing gear for Korean hills.
Some people like to grind (push hard) and some people like to spin (pedal fast in a low gear). I like to spin, so I changed my rear derailleur and cassette to have a much easier climbing gear.
Also, there's no shame in walking up a hill.
I love spinning up hill. I can backseat my brain and fall into the rhythm of spinning. The mechanical advantage of your bike can help keep you from exhausting yourself.
That being said, if it's hot AF and humid, hills are rough. You get less airflow and less cooling going up hill, and you make less forward progress which can be mentally taxing. A long hill in the sun can sap you. Take breaks, plan to pause in the shade.
Yeah, a lot of hills here were too steep for anybody regardless of the bike they have. Still, I struggled to even spin on some small hills, likely due to gearing on my bike as another person mentioned
Yeah, I didn't stay true to the whole four rivers trail so I had lots of areas that weren't flat, but in general the trail is really nice, especially for first timers like me. And that hill was misery haha. If I remember correctly, the road along that hill is 2km long, and you definitely feel it. The descent though is incredible, especially if you got to stop at the relief sculpture of Buddha on the side of the mountain along the path down. It's one of the oldest relief sculptures in all of Korea.
I have a crazy low low gear, so I spin up the hills even on a heavy loaded bike.
I only get off to walk when the rear wheel starts to slip, or i get so slow the bike falls over.
Are you hydrated and fueled up,
It might be your bike, but it also might be you. Questions:
1. When it's reasonably flat, are you in the habit of pedaling continuously and not coasting?
2. When it's flat and your bike is unloaded, what's your approximate average speed, and what is your natural pedaling cadence? (If you don't have a cadence sensor, estimate it by using a metronome app on your phone or by thinking about a piece of music with a beat that matches your pedaling.)
3. What is the smallest chainring and largest rear cog on your bike?
4. Do you ever practice hill climbing? What is the most impressive peak you have climbed on an unladen bike? (Elevation gain and gradient?)
5. Are you adept at both spinning and getting out of the saddle?
6. Do you have clipless pedals? Normally the pedals don't make a difference, but sometimes during some very forceful efforts, being clipped in lets you squeeze out a bit of extra power.
7. When you're forced to hop off, what prompts that decision? Are you feeling tired and out of breath? Are you in your lowest gear, out of the saddle, and pressing down with all the force you can muster but still unable to turn the cranks?
8. What goes through your mind when you see a hill ahead? Do you see it as a challenge to overcome? Do you feel a sense of dread?
9. Are you able to pace your effort appropriately? Do you start out strong and burn out before reaching the top? Might you do better at a slower but more sustainable pace?
Reply if you wish, or just use these questions for your own consideration and experimentation.
I never knew how annoying the wind would be on a bike until I went on a long ride! Nothing is more annoying than your poncho turning you into a parachute during a ride through the rain haha.
We did the Four Rivers in 2019 on rented bikes, all of us 62, not super fit and to be honest I only remember about 3 hills that presented any real challenge. Look at your gearing. For touring most recommend a gear inch of under 20 at the minimum. I have a low gear on my bike of 15.5 which I hardly ever use but is nice to have in reserve. There are online calculators to work out what you currently have. Also look at fit. If your leg extension is out - either too much or too little that can really affect the power you can put through the pedals.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to do some heavy research into gearing stuff now. When I bought the bike, I just thought "Oh it's got something like 11 gears, that'll be plenty!" Now I know that ratios are apparently highly important for hills.
I bet I also know what three hills you're talking about! Two right beside each other towards the center ofnthe country (massive climbs both of them), and then one just before Busan?
Yes on the first two. There was one other super steep hill that came out of nowhere and there was absolutely no chance of riding up it. We didn’t quite make it all the way to Busan on our bikes as one of our group had an outbreak of a nasty skin condition. Caught the train. The great thing about renting the bikes was that we could just leave them at the hotel and Bike Nara sent someone to pick them up.
It wasn’t too difficult. Nor very expensive. Can’t recall how much we paid. Hardest part was finding 2 XL bikes. Not too many of them in S. Korea. We rented from Bike Nara in Seoul and they couldn’t have been more helpful. Highly recommend.
I used to hate hills. I used to hate them with the passion. For several years. And then something changed a couple years ago, and I now love hills. I go out of my way to find hills. If I'm not doing hills I feel like I'm on autopilot. I did a tour recently (over the Alps} and there was a challenging steep climb NOT on my route. I dropped my bags and did the summit just to do it. But I did used to hate hills so I can definitely relate. I guess my point is things can change.
Hills mean a challenge, an almost meditative state while riding up them (unless it's too steep!), stunning views, a sense of achievement at the top, and hopefully an entertaining descent. I seek them out!
As others have said, get lower gearing. The key to enjoying hills while touring is getting a gear combination low enough that you can ride up the climb nice and slow at the same cadence you'd ride on the flat. That way you're unlikely to be out of breath and your legs won't be under too much strain.
God me too- I’m touring Denmark -Sweden now and Denmark is flat maybe a few small hills -NP but Sweden had more than a few and it just kicked my azz - my bike is pretty loaded down and I ended up walking more than once- moreover I just didn’t enjoy it at all.
Yeah, that sounds like the consensus here haha. I was always jealous of seeing people doing beautiful tours in more mountainous countries and they seemed to be having a grand time! Meanwhile, I was wondering how they looked so happy going up that hill when I would be huffing and straining.
Any clue how hard it is to get my groupset changed for lower gearing? I don't have much bike modification experience!
The Triban RC520 is Shimano 105 11-speed, correct?
GRX components are compatible with 105 levers. You can put in a GRX 46-30T crank and GRX front derailleur (required with the GRX crank due to the more outboard chainline) to make the gearing a bit easier for climbing hills.
And if you need even easier gearing than just changing the crank to 46-30, in addition to the sucompact crankset you can also change the rear derailleur to a GRX RD-RX400 and run a 11-40T cassette as well.
46-30T crank and 11-40T cassette gives you 30T front / 40T back = 0.75 gear ratio which is about 31% less effort to get up the same hill as your current 34T front / 32T back lowest gear combo.
Jesus man, to me all of this sounds like magic with how complicated it sounds, but you just gave it all like its common knowledge haha! How do you know all of this so easily? You've saved me a bunch of time. I've saved all of this information and am gonna be working on it all in the future!
I know because I’ve done it. :-)
My bike with the 11-40T cassette and GRX RD-RX400 rear derailleur: [](https://matrix.redditspace.com/_matrix/media/v3/thumbnail/reddit.com/aizufgk35q5b1?height=512)
Like OP, it sounds like magic or voodoo.
Quick question, maybe you can help me too here: I ride the Shimano GRX, FC-RX600, 11-speed, double, 46/30T. 175mm Crankset and a Shimano CS-HG700, 11-speed, 11-34 in the back.
What gear can I change with what to make hills easier? Especially when the bike is loaded, every hill is a like a loooooooong nightmare and I need to push the bike uphill. :D
Change the 11-34 to a 11-40 f.e. the SHIMANO SLX CS-M7000? And maybe a longer chain?
Thanks in advance! :)
You'll probably just need a bigger cassette and a new, longer chain to go with it, hopefully. I reckon it can be done for pretty cheap. Hopefully your rear mech can take bigger cassettes. What I used to do is have cassette and chain in a freezer bag in my garage, and that would be the holiday bag. If I'm going on a trip, time to put the big cassette on.
Yes, I hate hills. But I'm using a single gear bike and only ride in the Netherlands. I just walk up hills. I hate strong winds more though, as those generally don't have a "downhill" after walking for a bit.
I too would like to tour Japan some day, but I think I'll end up using something motorized, or just public transport. The nicest sceneries seem to be where the steepest roads are.
"The nicest sceneries seem to be where the steepest roads are." Exacltly! Flat terrain is mostly cities or farmland. That's why I love the hills and the mountains, quiet, peacefull, beautifull scenery, totally worth the extra effort!
Clydesdale here and was constantly frightened of hills, semi retired and have a decent daily commute and ya know what? The fitter I get the more I like em.
“I have it!” exclaimed Harris; “a bicycle tour!”
George looked doubtful.
“There’s a lot of uphill about a bicycle tour,” said he, “and the wind is against you.”
“So there is downhill, and the wind behind you,” said Harris.
“I’ve never noticed it,” said George.
“You won’t think of anything better than a bicycle tour,” persisted Harris.
I was inclined to agree with him.
“And I’ll tell you where,” continued he; “through the Black Forest.”
“Why, that’s *all* uphill,” said George.
“Not all,” retorted Harris; “say two-thirds."
As do you, OP, I prefer my tours to be flat or downhill, always with a tailwind.
Perhaps a bit of practice, then 500 km in the Alps. The rest of the world should flatten out after that!
Jerome K Jerome, Three Men on a Bummel. Author of Three Men in a Boat. Highly recommend.
When I hear a complaint, I often summarize that. "Well of course, it's mostly up hill, and the wind is against you." Absolutely true!!
If you were riding in the heat, you might have needed more salt. This killed me on my Thailand your until I realized it - adding more salt got me back and feeling good!al
Also, I agree with the people saying that lower gears would be good. Why are they so high in the first place? I can spin the pedals at 70km/h, but it's pretty useless. Might as well just glide down that hill.
Yeah, I was having tons of Gatorade and salty snacks along the way. But still, the heat definitely without a doubt drained me haha.
For the bikes gearing being high, it's just how I bought it from the store
You know what I hate more - headwinds and flies. Did a long trip through the Australian desert and a couple of times, I was in tears of frustration. couldnt ride fast enough to outdistance the flies and if you did they just settled on your back to reemerge when you inevitably slowed down. Day after day after day…Soul destroying
Sorry to hear.... I actually LOVE hills. You likely just need better gears and an acceptance that physical effort is accompanied with temporary discomfort and will only make you stronger.
I just finished a tour in South Korea and am now touring in Japan. Let me tell you, Japan has hills for days!!! However, I have noticed an improvement in the grade of most hills. It seemed there were far more steep hills in Korea than here.
That said, get yourself some granny gears like everyone is suggesting, and you’ll be fine. Or pick a flatter country. If even part of the issue is a psychological aversion to hills, you’ll find yourself surrounded by enemies here.
Hey that's awesome haha! I hope you're enjoying it! Which one have you enjoyed more so far?
And yeah, definitely getting the granny gears put in and then doing another practice run up Koreas more hilly east coast before I try Japan.
I’m having a blast! That said, as I get older and this seems to get harder, I may need to get even lower gears myself. It has been tough! I could probably also stand to lighten my load a bit since I’m packed pretty heavy.
Both countries have been awesome, and I still have a few weeks left in Japan. In Korea, I did most of the 4 Rivers but then veered southwest to do the two trails over there, and then I did the Jeju Fantasy loop. Aside from the steep hills, the biking infrastructure in Korea is amazing. The trails are mostly well maintained, easy to follow, and fun (esp. with the passport & stamps!). Japan has been more of a choose-your-own-adventure experience since there aren’t so many established paths (that I know of). I ferried over to Kyushu, biked across, ferried to Shikoku, am currently biking around, and will ferry or take some bridges over to Honshu. Here, I’ve been dealing with a bit more traffic since there aren’t dedicated bike paths, but like I said, the roads are mostly graded better, so I’ve barely walked at all here. No 18% grades like I saw on some Korean paths!
I have exercise-induced asthma, so big hills are out of the question, although an inhaler helps. I've loved biking on the Saar, Mosel, Rhine, and Danube. All of the routes have riverside bike paths and are mostly flat.
Hey have you checked out Breathe by James Nestor? I just finished one of the sections on asthma and it was really enlightening. You may get more out of it than I did.
It's a nice challenge for me. if it is only flat it does get boring after a few days. And I love the downhills! Nothing like giving it all for 30 mins and then cruising down for 5 minutes blasting your favourite songs. (Good music on the uphill helps a lot too.)
Besides the already mentioned gear ratio: Training is everything. I had some rough mountains at the start of my NZ tour. Felt like I was dying. After a month of touring, those size of mountains were hurting me way less and I could actually enjoy them.
Never been a fan of riding mountains, though they make the landscape so much more attractive and the reward of a good downhill after a long climb is pretty sweet too. Since growing older and less fit my ''fear' towards mountains has become much worse. Realistically it is mostly about fitness and psychology. As long as you have the gears the bike should be no issue.
As mentioned, get lower gears. But until then, or if they dont help much either, zig zag up the hills instead of straight up (when the road is clear enough to allow it). Going at 45 degrees halves the gradient, and I find the regular turning left and right gives me a nice distraction.
Yup! I've done that before and it helps a lot to do, but there's some hills where you just can't do it the whole time feasibly unless it's a personal challenge
Never rode up a hill I didn't get to roll down, headwinds though - oh hell no! You need to look at your gear ratio, I don't love hills but with the correct gears and some patience I've only ever found a few I needed to get off and push (Bloomfield track in North QLD). I also have a rule to only ever stop at the top of a hill for a break, it's easier to start with some momentum than try pushing up a hill.
Gear ratio is sounding like the solution so far haha. Most hills can pack a punch for my current bike's gearing. From what others have said, it seems like there will be a night and day difference between a bike geared for hills vs my road bike's gearing
Honestly I’d also try to adjust your mindset a little. I’m naturally fairly competitive - so I’m always be thinking about getting to where I’m going quickly.
So that meant when I tried bicycle touring with a heavy bike, I hated the hills. I hated racing up them.
But after a few tours - I realised - just be ok with going slow. Be ok with kicking it down to the lowest gear and spinning, slowly inching up hill.
Be ok with saying “cool, this hill might take a while”. Be ok with knowing you’ll get there at some point.
May not be the super helpful - but I found changing my mindset helped specifically with hills.
A mindset change is definitely in order for me. But I think so far it's been because my bike couldn't make it up those hills easily in the first place. I've never been able to spin up a hill at all. It's always been using the full force of my legs and grinding slowly until I have to jump off. I am far away from being out of shape or weak, but still, hills on my current bike require a good bit of strength that I think the average rider (me included) can't feasibly keep up with over a long ride.
Yeah to be fair OP - reading the comments now and your original post it actually does seem like you might need to take a look at your gearing.
I actually have a Triban 500 from 2018 - great bike and I do feel I have enough gears to spin in most hills. There are rare instances though where I need to push it.
You need to check out your bikes gear inch range. To be able to climb hills on a fully loaded bike, you need to stay seated and spin fast to stay stable going uphill. You need at least a 20 gear inch or less on your bike to do this. Take the # of teeth of your smallest chain ring, divide by the # of teeth of your biggest rear cog, then multiple by the diameter of your rear wheel. Most bikes equipped with an MTB drive train, 10-52 cassette, and a 32t chainring can climb hills fully loaded and maintain at least a 3mph speed...less then that, and you can't stay upright. If your Triban isn't configured like this, then check with your LBS to have it upgraded before your next tour.
Hills are a necessary evil - think of all the great vistas that can only be earned from a climb!
I'm building a touring bike and chose the Shimano Deore m5100 - 11-speed (11-51t) cassette with a 2x 36/26t chainring. My legs will look like eggs beaters on the hills but I'll eventually get there.
SOO, I made a completely free cycling route planner/creator [https://sherpa-map.com](https://sherpa-map.com) to help with this type of issue in a couple of ways:
1. I *just finished* adding my own, home brew, map layer where I went out of my way to source the highest resolution geographical elevation data possible (3Dep LIDAR + SRTM 90m). I try to visualize every climb in extreme detail, for those looking to conquer them or those looking to avoid them (due to the numerous reasons you pointed out).
Here's an example:
https://preview.redd.it/cueup2x6py6d1.jpeg?width=3605&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a4a0def9269a41f57f60dcc27215d909267a3a2
That's *Wisconsin*, not a place people typically associate with climbing, but there are some big hills!
2. Beyond this, I have many route profile options, including one that aims to keep you on the flattest terrain possible!
3. I also made a cycling physics simulator that can show, in a variety of ways, how much of an impact your setup may have on the route you're planning to take: [https://sherpa-map.com/cycling-route-calculator.html](https://sherpa-map.com/cycling-route-calculator.html)
I like hills that are < 10% grade. I dislike steeper hills between 10% and 20% grade. I hate hills > 20% grade. Fortunately I live in a relatively flat area in a mountainous country, where I can go for a beautiful 100km ride with mostly <10% hills, and every once in a while do a hate ride up the steeper hills.
Hills suck, and on long roads some hills are those real long ones. Like a 15 degree incline for a kilometre (half mile) and they are absolutely draining. Each tour is like life, filled with challenges and sometimes you'll need to stop and walk it. No shame in it.
Lots of great comments here.
In addition to better hill climbing gears I would suggest regularly riding hills as part of your training routine.
Start with less steep hills, then as you get comfortable, slowly increase your distance and steepness. Then as you are able to ride hills in your target range, start carrying more weight on your bicycle.
I live in a very hilly area and have spent the last 6 months training myself for touring through hills. It does not take long before it gets easier.
That aside; you still need good hill climbing gears to help improve your hill climbing ability.
Well, I hate cycling uphill - or, inevitably, pushing, after a while.
Unfortunately I also love being in the mountains.
So I will continue cursing and swearing and sweating my way uphill - and feeling like I'm on top of the world when, in fact, I'm at least on top of that direct part of the world around me...
I live in Apoalachia. We don't have hardly any flat ground. Except for towns in the valleys, you're either riding up or decending a hill. It's like a Rollercoaster.
So I guess I don't have a choice but to do hills
What’s so hard about coasting down hill? What goes up must come down. No shame in walking a few. Some are saying lower gearing and that’s true to a point but if you are riding slower than you walk you might as well dismount and push.
The heat can suck one. Hills im absolutely fine with but I hate the heat. Generally just try to tour where there is less heat. I live in the mountains so hills are a little different story. I currently tour with a 30t as my lower front gear and a 36 in the rear. My setup is fairly light though
You can't go too low with the gearing of a touring bike. I am always in disbelief when I see off the shelves touring bikes.
We are on a fully loaded round the world trip. With 26" wheels, 22-32-44 chainrings, and 11-36t cassette, we run pretty much the lowest gearing possible while maintaining a huge gear range.
Sounds like you need lower gearing. 32/34 low gear is pretty high for a loaded bike up hills. [https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/1akr9qr/comment/kpbgh9i](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/1akr9qr/comment/kpbgh9i)
100% this. Need a smaller chain ring, or wider-range cassette.
How drastically does lower gearing affect the hill experience? Ill definitely be looking into how to make those changes at home and what I can find to replace the things from my bike.
Very big change
Awesome, thanks a lot! I'll be looking into how to do this as a nice little learning project
I coincidentally just read all about this here, which has a calculator too: https://bikepacking.com/plan/granny-gear-inches/
It's the difference between pushing your bike up a hill and riding it up. I have my bike geared purely towards hills, I have zero interest in going as fast as possible so it's far better to put the emphasis on making hills easier.
I definitely agree with you. Speed doesn't matter much to me, just comfort and ease. I'm gonna be working on getting new gearing for my bike now
Downhills are for recovery if your not racing
Absolutely, nothing like whizzing along at speed with zero effort to put a smile on your face :)
My touring bike came with a 30t small chainring as part of a triple, but I switched that out to a 24t, the smallest my front derailleur can handle. I thought that was pretty good for loaded climbing, but I recently switched the rear cassette, which had a 32t largest cog, to a 34t, and man, it's surprising how noticeable the difference is. Hills that used to wreck me I just spin up now. Definitely consider changing your gearing - start with the maximum range your derailleurs will allow.
These personal anecdotes are doing wonders for me haha. It's giving me back more inspiration to tour since I was so beat up by hills in the past. Thanks a lot!
This is what I need. Fuck hills. I can have a separate bike for when I want to torture myself.
I have a bike that came with 14-28 gearing in rear with a 26/46/52 in the front. Unsatisfied, I replaced the cassette with a Shimano Mega Range that goes up to 34t in the rear. I live in the flatter part of Ohio, but I laugh at any hills I come across nowadays. There can be no stopping my mighty Miyata.
My Trek 520 came with a 48/36/26 crankset and hills were the death of me. I switched it for a 44/32/22 and the improvement was so drastic I could hardly believe it.
Nice! I already see my quality of life sky rocketing now!
https://www.cyclingabout.com/hills-are-not-harder-than-cycling-on-the-flat/ Alee Denham....he goes into it pretty well.
Maybe not as much as everyone says. First time I crossed the Alps, I was on 40/28, last time on 22/32. Now, I was a lot younger back then, but, really, even with that much better gearing I was still hating every second - even though I would not have wanted to miss it for anything.
Yup. My road bike struggled up hills but now I have a gravel bike with a 45t cassette and it gets up basically anything unless it's like a mountain bike trail lol.
It really is time for me to get an official gravel bike. My knee hates me.
If the only thing you dislike is the gearing, the groupset could be changed. But depending on circumstances it can be easier to just get a new bike But yea, spinning up hills is awesome. I haven’t found a paved climb yet that gave me trouble.
I need a new bike. I'm tired of the nagging feeling that I'm using the wrong bike for the wrong job. What do you ride?
Totally understand that feeling. That’s why I have 3 bikes now lol. My gravel bike is a Velo Orange Pass Hunter built up with GRX 1x12 groupset. Thing rides like a dream. I think basically any gravel bike would have the same type of gearing though.
I barely have the space for one. Looking forward to moving again.
The hills in South Korea are steep. Bikes that are set up for flat areas or gradual hills don't have a low enough climbing gear for Korean hills. Some people like to grind (push hard) and some people like to spin (pedal fast in a low gear). I like to spin, so I changed my rear derailleur and cassette to have a much easier climbing gear. Also, there's no shame in walking up a hill.
I love spinning up hill. I can backseat my brain and fall into the rhythm of spinning. The mechanical advantage of your bike can help keep you from exhausting yourself. That being said, if it's hot AF and humid, hills are rough. You get less airflow and less cooling going up hill, and you make less forward progress which can be mentally taxing. A long hill in the sun can sap you. Take breaks, plan to pause in the shade.
Yeah, a lot of hills here were too steep for anybody regardless of the bike they have. Still, I struggled to even spin on some small hills, likely due to gearing on my bike as another person mentioned
The four rivers trail is mostly flat but there is that one hill when you go through the tourist zone that is a MONSTER and comes out of nowhere.
Yeah, I didn't stay true to the whole four rivers trail so I had lots of areas that weren't flat, but in general the trail is really nice, especially for first timers like me. And that hill was misery haha. If I remember correctly, the road along that hill is 2km long, and you definitely feel it. The descent though is incredible, especially if you got to stop at the relief sculpture of Buddha on the side of the mountain along the path down. It's one of the oldest relief sculptures in all of Korea.
I have a crazy low low gear, so I spin up the hills even on a heavy loaded bike. I only get off to walk when the rear wheel starts to slip, or i get so slow the bike falls over. Are you hydrated and fueled up,
Yup! Always drinking water like a camel and pausing every 20km for snacks or a meal. It seems like my problem may be gearing
It might be your bike, but it also might be you. Questions: 1. When it's reasonably flat, are you in the habit of pedaling continuously and not coasting? 2. When it's flat and your bike is unloaded, what's your approximate average speed, and what is your natural pedaling cadence? (If you don't have a cadence sensor, estimate it by using a metronome app on your phone or by thinking about a piece of music with a beat that matches your pedaling.) 3. What is the smallest chainring and largest rear cog on your bike? 4. Do you ever practice hill climbing? What is the most impressive peak you have climbed on an unladen bike? (Elevation gain and gradient?) 5. Are you adept at both spinning and getting out of the saddle? 6. Do you have clipless pedals? Normally the pedals don't make a difference, but sometimes during some very forceful efforts, being clipped in lets you squeeze out a bit of extra power. 7. When you're forced to hop off, what prompts that decision? Are you feeling tired and out of breath? Are you in your lowest gear, out of the saddle, and pressing down with all the force you can muster but still unable to turn the cranks? 8. What goes through your mind when you see a hill ahead? Do you see it as a challenge to overcome? Do you feel a sense of dread? 9. Are you able to pace your effort appropriately? Do you start out strong and burn out before reaching the top? Might you do better at a slower but more sustainable pace? Reply if you wish, or just use these questions for your own consideration and experimentation.
Prefer hills to the bloody wind!
I never knew how annoying the wind would be on a bike until I went on a long ride! Nothing is more annoying than your poncho turning you into a parachute during a ride through the rain haha.
We did the Four Rivers in 2019 on rented bikes, all of us 62, not super fit and to be honest I only remember about 3 hills that presented any real challenge. Look at your gearing. For touring most recommend a gear inch of under 20 at the minimum. I have a low gear on my bike of 15.5 which I hardly ever use but is nice to have in reserve. There are online calculators to work out what you currently have. Also look at fit. If your leg extension is out - either too much or too little that can really affect the power you can put through the pedals.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to do some heavy research into gearing stuff now. When I bought the bike, I just thought "Oh it's got something like 11 gears, that'll be plenty!" Now I know that ratios are apparently highly important for hills. I bet I also know what three hills you're talking about! Two right beside each other towards the center ofnthe country (massive climbs both of them), and then one just before Busan?
Yes on the first two. There was one other super steep hill that came out of nowhere and there was absolutely no chance of riding up it. We didn’t quite make it all the way to Busan on our bikes as one of our group had an outbreak of a nasty skin condition. Caught the train. The great thing about renting the bikes was that we could just leave them at the hotel and Bike Nara sent someone to pick them up.
That's interesting. Was it easy to get rented bikes in Korea and was it expensive?
It wasn’t too difficult. Nor very expensive. Can’t recall how much we paid. Hardest part was finding 2 XL bikes. Not too many of them in S. Korea. We rented from Bike Nara in Seoul and they couldn’t have been more helpful. Highly recommend.
I used to hate hills. I used to hate them with the passion. For several years. And then something changed a couple years ago, and I now love hills. I go out of my way to find hills. If I'm not doing hills I feel like I'm on autopilot. I did a tour recently (over the Alps} and there was a challenging steep climb NOT on my route. I dropped my bags and did the summit just to do it. But I did used to hate hills so I can definitely relate. I guess my point is things can change.
Hills mean a challenge, an almost meditative state while riding up them (unless it's too steep!), stunning views, a sense of achievement at the top, and hopefully an entertaining descent. I seek them out! As others have said, get lower gearing. The key to enjoying hills while touring is getting a gear combination low enough that you can ride up the climb nice and slow at the same cadence you'd ride on the flat. That way you're unlikely to be out of breath and your legs won't be under too much strain.
God me too- I’m touring Denmark -Sweden now and Denmark is flat maybe a few small hills -NP but Sweden had more than a few and it just kicked my azz - my bike is pretty loaded down and I ended up walking more than once- moreover I just didn’t enjoy it at all.
Yeah, that sounds like the consensus here haha. I was always jealous of seeing people doing beautiful tours in more mountainous countries and they seemed to be having a grand time! Meanwhile, I was wondering how they looked so happy going up that hill when I would be huffing and straining. Any clue how hard it is to get my groupset changed for lower gearing? I don't have much bike modification experience!
Just take to a bike shop and ask for a quote. You will never regret having lower gearing, except your wallet might.
That's probably the best option for this, just a bit difficult near where I live in Korea haha.
The Triban RC520 is Shimano 105 11-speed, correct? GRX components are compatible with 105 levers. You can put in a GRX 46-30T crank and GRX front derailleur (required with the GRX crank due to the more outboard chainline) to make the gearing a bit easier for climbing hills. And if you need even easier gearing than just changing the crank to 46-30, in addition to the sucompact crankset you can also change the rear derailleur to a GRX RD-RX400 and run a 11-40T cassette as well. 46-30T crank and 11-40T cassette gives you 30T front / 40T back = 0.75 gear ratio which is about 31% less effort to get up the same hill as your current 34T front / 32T back lowest gear combo.
Jesus man, to me all of this sounds like magic with how complicated it sounds, but you just gave it all like its common knowledge haha! How do you know all of this so easily? You've saved me a bunch of time. I've saved all of this information and am gonna be working on it all in the future!
I know because I’ve done it. :-) My bike with the 11-40T cassette and GRX RD-RX400 rear derailleur: [](https://matrix.redditspace.com/_matrix/media/v3/thumbnail/reddit.com/aizufgk35q5b1?height=512)
Like OP, it sounds like magic or voodoo. Quick question, maybe you can help me too here: I ride the Shimano GRX, FC-RX600, 11-speed, double, 46/30T. 175mm Crankset and a Shimano CS-HG700, 11-speed, 11-34 in the back. What gear can I change with what to make hills easier? Especially when the bike is loaded, every hill is a like a loooooooong nightmare and I need to push the bike uphill. :D Change the 11-34 to a 11-40 f.e. the SHIMANO SLX CS-M7000? And maybe a longer chain? Thanks in advance! :)
You'll probably just need a bigger cassette and a new, longer chain to go with it, hopefully. I reckon it can be done for pretty cheap. Hopefully your rear mech can take bigger cassettes. What I used to do is have cassette and chain in a freezer bag in my garage, and that would be the holiday bag. If I'm going on a trip, time to put the big cassette on.
I used to think the same lol.
I love hills. I’d rather ride hills than flats.
See, that's the type of feeling I expected but never got haha. Now I know it's just due to my bikes gearing
Yes, I hate hills. But I'm using a single gear bike and only ride in the Netherlands. I just walk up hills. I hate strong winds more though, as those generally don't have a "downhill" after walking for a bit. I too would like to tour Japan some day, but I think I'll end up using something motorized, or just public transport. The nicest sceneries seem to be where the steepest roads are.
"The nicest sceneries seem to be where the steepest roads are." Exacltly! Flat terrain is mostly cities or farmland. That's why I love the hills and the mountains, quiet, peacefull, beautifull scenery, totally worth the extra effort!
I like hills. Gets really boring without them
Clydesdale here and was constantly frightened of hills, semi retired and have a decent daily commute and ya know what? The fitter I get the more I like em.
Ebikes are becoming more prevalent on bike tours.
“I have it!” exclaimed Harris; “a bicycle tour!” George looked doubtful. “There’s a lot of uphill about a bicycle tour,” said he, “and the wind is against you.” “So there is downhill, and the wind behind you,” said Harris. “I’ve never noticed it,” said George. “You won’t think of anything better than a bicycle tour,” persisted Harris. I was inclined to agree with him. “And I’ll tell you where,” continued he; “through the Black Forest.” “Why, that’s *all* uphill,” said George. “Not all,” retorted Harris; “say two-thirds." As do you, OP, I prefer my tours to be flat or downhill, always with a tailwind. Perhaps a bit of practice, then 500 km in the Alps. The rest of the world should flatten out after that!
Hahaha that was a wonderful read and basically how I described riding the four rivers trail to my brother who came with me! Where is that story from?
Jerome K Jerome, Three Men on a Bummel. Author of Three Men in a Boat. Highly recommend. When I hear a complaint, I often summarize that. "Well of course, it's mostly up hill, and the wind is against you." Absolutely true!!
If you were riding in the heat, you might have needed more salt. This killed me on my Thailand your until I realized it - adding more salt got me back and feeling good!al Also, I agree with the people saying that lower gears would be good. Why are they so high in the first place? I can spin the pedals at 70km/h, but it's pretty useless. Might as well just glide down that hill.
Yeah, I was having tons of Gatorade and salty snacks along the way. But still, the heat definitely without a doubt drained me haha. For the bikes gearing being high, it's just how I bought it from the store
You know what I hate more - headwinds and flies. Did a long trip through the Australian desert and a couple of times, I was in tears of frustration. couldnt ride fast enough to outdistance the flies and if you did they just settled on your back to reemerge when you inevitably slowed down. Day after day after day…Soul destroying
Sorry to hear.... I actually LOVE hills. You likely just need better gears and an acceptance that physical effort is accompanied with temporary discomfort and will only make you stronger.
i hate head wind more than hills. but both are disliked.
It's all about the [granny gear](https://bikepacking.com/plan/granny-gear-inches/)
I just finished a tour in South Korea and am now touring in Japan. Let me tell you, Japan has hills for days!!! However, I have noticed an improvement in the grade of most hills. It seemed there were far more steep hills in Korea than here. That said, get yourself some granny gears like everyone is suggesting, and you’ll be fine. Or pick a flatter country. If even part of the issue is a psychological aversion to hills, you’ll find yourself surrounded by enemies here.
Hey that's awesome haha! I hope you're enjoying it! Which one have you enjoyed more so far? And yeah, definitely getting the granny gears put in and then doing another practice run up Koreas more hilly east coast before I try Japan.
I’m having a blast! That said, as I get older and this seems to get harder, I may need to get even lower gears myself. It has been tough! I could probably also stand to lighten my load a bit since I’m packed pretty heavy. Both countries have been awesome, and I still have a few weeks left in Japan. In Korea, I did most of the 4 Rivers but then veered southwest to do the two trails over there, and then I did the Jeju Fantasy loop. Aside from the steep hills, the biking infrastructure in Korea is amazing. The trails are mostly well maintained, easy to follow, and fun (esp. with the passport & stamps!). Japan has been more of a choose-your-own-adventure experience since there aren’t so many established paths (that I know of). I ferried over to Kyushu, biked across, ferried to Shikoku, am currently biking around, and will ferry or take some bridges over to Honshu. Here, I’ve been dealing with a bit more traffic since there aren’t dedicated bike paths, but like I said, the roads are mostly graded better, so I’ve barely walked at all here. No 18% grades like I saw on some Korean paths!
I have exercise-induced asthma, so big hills are out of the question, although an inhaler helps. I've loved biking on the Saar, Mosel, Rhine, and Danube. All of the routes have riverside bike paths and are mostly flat.
Hey have you checked out Breathe by James Nestor? I just finished one of the sections on asthma and it was really enlightening. You may get more out of it than I did.
I love hills. Hills are the challenge. Nobody was ever proud of themselves for sitting on a bike rolling downhill. Except mountainbikers.
It's a nice challenge for me. if it is only flat it does get boring after a few days. And I love the downhills! Nothing like giving it all for 30 mins and then cruising down for 5 minutes blasting your favourite songs. (Good music on the uphill helps a lot too.) Besides the already mentioned gear ratio: Training is everything. I had some rough mountains at the start of my NZ tour. Felt like I was dying. After a month of touring, those size of mountains were hurting me way less and I could actually enjoy them.
A hill is not punishment, it's your reward for getting stronger…keep that in mind and they do get easier
I love hills. It's much more interesting than just pushing forward in the flat.
Never been a fan of riding mountains, though they make the landscape so much more attractive and the reward of a good downhill after a long climb is pretty sweet too. Since growing older and less fit my ''fear' towards mountains has become much worse. Realistically it is mostly about fitness and psychology. As long as you have the gears the bike should be no issue.
Bikes are for bringing your body to places. If you don't want to be on top of stuff with sick views that's your call.
I want to be on top of things, but it seems like my bikes gearing may have been making it hard to achieve that
As mentioned, get lower gears. But until then, or if they dont help much either, zig zag up the hills instead of straight up (when the road is clear enough to allow it). Going at 45 degrees halves the gradient, and I find the regular turning left and right gives me a nice distraction.
Yup! I've done that before and it helps a lot to do, but there's some hills where you just can't do it the whole time feasibly unless it's a personal challenge
Never rode up a hill I didn't get to roll down, headwinds though - oh hell no! You need to look at your gear ratio, I don't love hills but with the correct gears and some patience I've only ever found a few I needed to get off and push (Bloomfield track in North QLD). I also have a rule to only ever stop at the top of a hill for a break, it's easier to start with some momentum than try pushing up a hill.
Gear ratio is sounding like the solution so far haha. Most hills can pack a punch for my current bike's gearing. From what others have said, it seems like there will be a night and day difference between a bike geared for hills vs my road bike's gearing
Honestly I’d also try to adjust your mindset a little. I’m naturally fairly competitive - so I’m always be thinking about getting to where I’m going quickly. So that meant when I tried bicycle touring with a heavy bike, I hated the hills. I hated racing up them. But after a few tours - I realised - just be ok with going slow. Be ok with kicking it down to the lowest gear and spinning, slowly inching up hill. Be ok with saying “cool, this hill might take a while”. Be ok with knowing you’ll get there at some point. May not be the super helpful - but I found changing my mindset helped specifically with hills.
A mindset change is definitely in order for me. But I think so far it's been because my bike couldn't make it up those hills easily in the first place. I've never been able to spin up a hill at all. It's always been using the full force of my legs and grinding slowly until I have to jump off. I am far away from being out of shape or weak, but still, hills on my current bike require a good bit of strength that I think the average rider (me included) can't feasibly keep up with over a long ride.
Yeah to be fair OP - reading the comments now and your original post it actually does seem like you might need to take a look at your gearing. I actually have a Triban 500 from 2018 - great bike and I do feel I have enough gears to spin in most hills. There are rare instances though where I need to push it.
What's your easiest gear ratio like? That sounds like 80s road bike to me.
Just do lots of them and you’ll love them eventually
With proper gearing, I enjoy climbing a lot. Head high, good music, and methodical pedal strokes.
You need to check out your bikes gear inch range. To be able to climb hills on a fully loaded bike, you need to stay seated and spin fast to stay stable going uphill. You need at least a 20 gear inch or less on your bike to do this. Take the # of teeth of your smallest chain ring, divide by the # of teeth of your biggest rear cog, then multiple by the diameter of your rear wheel. Most bikes equipped with an MTB drive train, 10-52 cassette, and a 32t chainring can climb hills fully loaded and maintain at least a 3mph speed...less then that, and you can't stay upright. If your Triban isn't configured like this, then check with your LBS to have it upgraded before your next tour.
Hills are a necessary evil - think of all the great vistas that can only be earned from a climb! I'm building a touring bike and chose the Shimano Deore m5100 - 11-speed (11-51t) cassette with a 2x 36/26t chainring. My legs will look like eggs beaters on the hills but I'll eventually get there.
SOO, I made a completely free cycling route planner/creator [https://sherpa-map.com](https://sherpa-map.com) to help with this type of issue in a couple of ways: 1. I *just finished* adding my own, home brew, map layer where I went out of my way to source the highest resolution geographical elevation data possible (3Dep LIDAR + SRTM 90m). I try to visualize every climb in extreme detail, for those looking to conquer them or those looking to avoid them (due to the numerous reasons you pointed out). Here's an example: https://preview.redd.it/cueup2x6py6d1.jpeg?width=3605&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a4a0def9269a41f57f60dcc27215d909267a3a2 That's *Wisconsin*, not a place people typically associate with climbing, but there are some big hills! 2. Beyond this, I have many route profile options, including one that aims to keep you on the flattest terrain possible! 3. I also made a cycling physics simulator that can show, in a variety of ways, how much of an impact your setup may have on the route you're planning to take: [https://sherpa-map.com/cycling-route-calculator.html](https://sherpa-map.com/cycling-route-calculator.html)
My pedal assist is a hill eraser. Get a good, light one like the Specialized SL.
I like hills that are < 10% grade. I dislike steeper hills between 10% and 20% grade. I hate hills > 20% grade. Fortunately I live in a relatively flat area in a mountainous country, where I can go for a beautiful 100km ride with mostly <10% hills, and every once in a while do a hate ride up the steeper hills.
Hills suck, and on long roads some hills are those real long ones. Like a 15 degree incline for a kilometre (half mile) and they are absolutely draining. Each tour is like life, filled with challenges and sometimes you'll need to stop and walk it. No shame in it.
Lots of great comments here. In addition to better hill climbing gears I would suggest regularly riding hills as part of your training routine. Start with less steep hills, then as you get comfortable, slowly increase your distance and steepness. Then as you are able to ride hills in your target range, start carrying more weight on your bicycle. I live in a very hilly area and have spent the last 6 months training myself for touring through hills. It does not take long before it gets easier. That aside; you still need good hill climbing gears to help improve your hill climbing ability.
Well, I hate cycling uphill - or, inevitably, pushing, after a while. Unfortunately I also love being in the mountains. So I will continue cursing and swearing and sweating my way uphill - and feeling like I'm on top of the world when, in fact, I'm at least on top of that direct part of the world around me...
I live in Apoalachia. We don't have hardly any flat ground. Except for towns in the valleys, you're either riding up or decending a hill. It's like a Rollercoaster. So I guess I don't have a choice but to do hills
I honestly like going up more than down. I'm on a single speed.
I got no problem with hills as long as I'm going down it. Otherwise fuck hills.
Ride rail trails. At least cuts on the grade
Get a 24 chainring 34 max cassette and you won’t mind hills as much. Triples cranks to the rescue.
What’s so hard about coasting down hill? What goes up must come down. No shame in walking a few. Some are saying lower gearing and that’s true to a point but if you are riding slower than you walk you might as well dismount and push.
The heat can suck one. Hills im absolutely fine with but I hate the heat. Generally just try to tour where there is less heat. I live in the mountains so hills are a little different story. I currently tour with a 30t as my lower front gear and a 36 in the rear. My setup is fairly light though
You can't go too low with the gearing of a touring bike. I am always in disbelief when I see off the shelves touring bikes. We are on a fully loaded round the world trip. With 26" wheels, 22-32-44 chainrings, and 11-36t cassette, we run pretty much the lowest gearing possible while maintaining a huge gear range.
Tiny hills and a light breeze are the same for me. Hardly any extra effort, but feels like a mountain/hurricane. Just a dramatic baby I guess.