3.7 CLIMBING HILLS:
Use a lower gear and spin! If your pedaling speed drops below
60 rpm, then your power also drops off. Pulling on the handlebars
does not help any. One trick to try on long and/or steep hills for
relief or extra power is this: Steer with one hand and push on your
knee with your other hand as you pedal. As one arm gets tired,
trade off and use the other one.
This "arm power" can add 10% more speed for short period. If
you want to do extra training in order to climb hills better, then
weight lifting (both upper and lower body), and one legged
pedaling on the flats (to develop your backstroke muscles) help
significantly
NOTE:
The derailleur does not normally have sufficient take-up
capacity to allow use of the small chainring-small rear
sprockets.
3.8 MUSCLE CONDITIONING:
A) DO NOT immediately ride your bike for long distances as it
takes some time for your muscles to become accustomed to
the recumbent position. Ride 5-10 miles on the first day, then
increase by 5-10 miles per day thereafter. Your quadriceps
and rear end muscles may be mildly sore while you are getting
used to the bike. This is normal and should disappear once the
daily miles you ride stabilize.
B) If your knees hurt constantly, this could be caused by improper
crank adjustment. Try adjusting the cranks in or out slightly
and see if the condition improves. Also, low rpm gear mashing
can cause your knees to hurt.
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