# Indoor hill training to climb Mt. Haleakala



## thedistance (Jul 10, 2014)

I will be in Maui this March and am considering riding up Mt. Haleakala. This is an intense climb and will require intense training.
I figure the only way for me to train for it over winter is to purchase an indoor trainer and do some sort of virtual training program that ultimately mimics the climb of the mountain. 
Since I'll be doing the climb alone, it would help to join in on a virtual community on Strava or with the training app or something with other people who are training for a big climb. I have no idea where to start, so I came here first. This would be all new territory for me. 
If I invest in a trainer/online/app training program I would want to get the best one for virtually training with a hill climbing community (or better yet others who are training to climb Mt. Haleakala).
Thoughts?


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Get yourself a smart trainer that simulates 5-7% grades.
Use the Bkool simulator. Bkool - Cycling Simulator ? Virtual cycling for turbo trainers
Convert your favorite routes into 3D
Upload the data from your favorite routes and we'll turn them into 3D so you can enjoy them at any time, by yourself or competing with other riders​
If Haleakala isn't already in BKOOL, Get the GPS route from someone who's done the ride.
https://www.strava.com/segments/search?utf8=✓&keywords=Haleakala&gsf=1

Start riding.


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

Get a cyclops indoor bike with their virtual training and climb Mt. Haleakala. I'll look but I'm positive that it is one of their climbs and it will have the visuals that will help you know where you are and what lies ahead when you actually get there. It will mimic the actual difficulty. You will digitally put in the actual cogs and chain rind that you use on your real bike. It'll cost you about $2600 but will last you many years and prepare you for both your regular summer climbs and any famous climbs/rides anywhere in the world.

The thing that will be missing is the thin air that you will experience on climb about 5000'. I don't know if they have done anything to approximate the additional effort that an average rider experiences as they ascend above 5000'


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

Is it a pretty steady gradient climb? If so, one option is to just figure out what kind of power you need for that gradient, set your smart trainer to erg mode and grind it out.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

money will get you the fancy equipment. But for the purposes of training, all you really need is any trainer and a fan. Go 1hr at subthreshold, then extend it to 1.5 hrs, and eventually to 2 hrs (if you can). You don't even need a power meter, a heart rate monitor will do in this case since you're just doing mostly steady state at subthreshold. So the only big investment in this case is just a trainer, and you could probably get a good price on a used one on craigslist or fleabay. I would not invest in fancy equipment if you think you're not going to have any use for them after this.

you don't have much time left to train, so time to get going


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

aclinjury said:


> money will get you the fancy equipment. But for the purposes of training, all you really need is any trainer and a fan. Go 1hr at subthreshold, then extend it to 1.5 hrs, and eventually to 2 hrs (if you can). You don't even need a power meter, a heart rate monitor will do in this case since you're just doing mostly steady state at subthreshold. So the only big investment in this case is just a trainer, and you could probably get a good price on a used one on craigslist or fleabay. I would not invest in fancy equipment if you think you're not going to have any use for them after this.
> 
> you don't have much time left to train, so time to get going


I agree and to kind of more apply that to the OP more specifically: It's all about power to weight ratio. Just develop power and or drop weight. You don't need spend a lot of money to help you pretend you're going up hill to do that.
Guys who have never climbed a day in their life will be good climbers if they have good power/weight. And by the same token all the climbing (or climbing simulation) in the world won't help one bit if it's not improving power/weight.


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## Chader09 (Jun 10, 2014)

No need to spend huge cash for this effort. Get the CycleOps Virtual Training subscription (especially if they have the climb video), some ANT+ or BT sensors (if you don't have them already) and run any trainer you have already.

https://www.cycleops.com/virtualtraining/apps-pricing
They have a 2-week free trial so you can see if they have the climb all set for you.

Electronic trainer are great, but not at all necessary. A dumb trainer and the right gearing will prepare you just fine. Hit the power and heart rate zones you need for the effort and time you expect. Crank it away to prep and you will do just fine.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> This is an intense climb and will require intense training.


I guess it depends what you intend to accomplish, or how you approach things. I did it about 15 years ago, when I was in my early 50s, in February. I didn't do any special training; I just rode it. I didn't break any speed records, but I rode up it, and down.

It's an awesome ride. Have fun.


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## Flexnuphill (May 20, 2013)

I did it two years ago. I used a trainer and a subscription to trainerroad from Dec to April. It's a steady climb most of the way until the last 2 or 3 miles. The altitude didn't start messing with my head/body until about 8000ft. It was a fantastic ride, the biggest problem I ran into was driving rain on the way down. Hypothermia can set in really quickly if you're not dressed properly.


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## pedalbiker (Nov 23, 2014)

Climbing up a mountain can be trained sans mountain. Power/Weight/Cadence.

Increase the first, decrease the second, and have appropriate gearing for the last. Tempo (pushing upwards of two hours) and sweetspot/ftp intervals (building up to 30-45 mins of work in intervals) would be the things I'd focus on.


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

Don't know where you live, but winter does not usually mean a total lack of outdoor riding. in the north east there are many clear days that are rideable. in my opinion no substitute for actually outdoor rides. I'd find a local hill and do repeats or if possible design rides along the hilliest sections of your area.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Trek_5200 said:


> Don't know where you live, but winter does not usually mean a total lack of outdoor riding. in the north east there are many clear days that are rideable. in my opinion no substitute for actually outdoor rides. I'd find a local hill and do repeats or if possible design rides along the hilliest sections of your area.


Nice thing about riding hills is it's real easy to stay warm.


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

tlg said:


> Nice thing about riding hills is it's real easy to stay warm.


 only on the ascent! Riding down Bear MOuntain NY in December I learned the descent is cold.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Trek_5200 said:


> only on the ascent! Riding down Bear MOuntain NY in December I learned the descent is cold.


True. Short hill repeats are better.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Trek_5200 said:


> in my opinion no substitute for actually outdoor rides.


I always want to believe that and have done a pretty good job convincing myself it's true because outdoor riding is fun and indoor is like getting a root canal......but if I'm honest with myself I'd have to say it's not true. In fact indoor is actually better than outdoor if the conditions are such that you can't quite do what you want to do (like for example worrying about avoiding ice patches and snow banks pushing you into traffic rather than focusing on pedaling)


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

a trainer can have advantages, you can't coast, it can be precise, there are no traffic lights or potholes to deal with etc, but if i'm training for an actual climb i want to get some real world climbs outdoors in. trainer is there to fill the gaps on bad weather days or to help get a session in when an outdoor ride isn't possible or practical. that's simply my opinion. i know others may differ here. that said what ever i've done hasn't turned me into a cat-2 racer, not even close.


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## bikeguy0 (Sep 23, 2007)

I've done it in early April. 
#1!!!!!! Bring a good water proof jacket that has insulation and gloves ...... As stated I froze my butt off for 30 minutes until I descended far enough that the temperatures warmed up and the rain stopped. I had climbed above the storm and had no idea it was raining below and was not prepared for it. You won't need it while climbing up most likely but as soon as you turn around, if it is raining you'll be hosed if you don't have it. It was f'ing terrible....but memorable.

#2 It is a steady 5-7% climb that never lets up. I think I remember one section of the whole climb that had like a 5 second descent on a roller. The rest of the time is just pedaling the whole way.

#3 Take it easy on the lower slopes. Once you get higher the altitude will have more of an affect, especially if you're not from altitude. I'm from Colorado and felt like a superstar for the lower portion because of the oxygen available. Once you get up higher it is more difficult and if you've blown your wad already you're screwed.

Related to training.... get outside and climb as much as you can. On the trainer, work on increasing your FTP with targeted SST and Tempo work. Actually using the trainer is a good way to do this as you have to pedal the whole time vs riding outside where you get rollers and small descents. 

Good luck, it was fun. I stopped at a few stores on the way up to get more food, water, etc.


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## zender (Jun 20, 2009)

What kind of shape are you in and what is your goal for the ride?

If you currently ride at least 6 hrs a week and have done a century in 2016, you'll be fine as long as you're not in a hurry. In fact, the first time up, don't be in a hurry! Enjoy the changing scenery, bring a good amount of food and stop for breaks. Have a picnic, take pictures. You'll be fine! Make a day of it. If you have a significant other in Maui, you can have them drive up to the summit to meet you and take you down if the weather sucks. The descent is fun, but not so much if it's raining and visibility is low. Stop for refreshments at the Kula lodge ~3,000' and refill water at Hosmer Grove campground at ~7,000'

The second time you do it, well, now you can start looking at Strava times, carrying less gear, and setting PRs.

Have fun!

-edit: Stop your Garmin before descending a bit into Hosmer Grove or else you won't get the full 10,000' climb as a single segment on Strava


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