You usually do your solo training on flat terrain but have begun riding with a group and the route often includes climbs. You decide to train more frequently on hills so you can keep up — and maybe even put the hurt on these guys. What is the correct balance of flat and hilly training?

Assuming you have a choice of hilly rides and flat ones in your area, this is a tough decision. Too much climbing can deaden your legs and make you slower on flatter terrain. But always spinning on flat roads reduces the strength and power you need for climbs.

Decide what your goals are. If you want to do well in hilly group rides or races, you need to include more climbing than if you specialize in flat events. Generally, 2 days a week on hilly courses should be sufficient to help your climbing.

But riders who live in areas so hilly that they can’t do their easy days on flat roads have a trick to limit their effort on climbs — they use a very low gear and “walk” the bike uphill.

The key is to know yourself. To decide how much to train on climbs, you need to determine what cycling coach Joe Friel calls your "limiters." If you climb badly, you either need to spend more training time on climbs to improve this weakness, or you need to decide you'll never be a good climber (for genetic reasons) and stick to flatter events where you have a greater chance of success.

If you’re looking for early-season workouts, check out the 12 spring and summer season eBooks, eArticles and DVDs in our Seasonal Training section.

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Adapted from Coach Fred's Solutions to 150 Road Cycling Challenges, a helpful eBook especially for cycling newcomers. Coach Fred Matheny has decades of experience as a competitive racer and cycling coach. He is the author of 13 RBR eBooks and eArticles.