EVERY cyclist, whether they’re road racers, time trailist, hill climb specialist, mountain bikers or recreational riders all want to be able to do one thing – climb more easily.
When you sit in front of a TV and watch the great climbers in action, it really is humbling. It's so difficult to even comprehend how such scrawny little guys can suddenly turn on superhuman powers and fly up mountains as if on a motorbike, at speeds most of us mere mortals struggle to manage on the flat.
Each and every one of us knows what it's like to ride a bike uphill and many of us will know what it's like to ride up a serious mountain pass, so it's easy to relate to the constant speeds these guys ride at in the mountains, even if it remains a staggering thought.
Sure enough, climbers are a breed apart in relation to most cyclists, a little insane maybe, for starters; to suffer like that day in day out and then go back for more. But it's not just diminutive climbers who get to ride up mountains fast, just look at guys like Armstrong and Indurain who aren't exactly small men.
So there must be more to the art of climbing than natural insanity and talent? There must be things that any cyclist can do to climb mountains faster and easier? Climbs require a great deal of fitness, composure, technique and a strong mental approach to conquer, as opposed to the short sharp lactic efforts.
Races are often won in the hills, both on and off road. You can dramatically improve your climbing by doing the right specific training. There are several ways you can improve your speed on hills by using the following training exercises:
Hill repeats
Find a hill that isn't too steep and is split into three distinct phases. The ideal is one that starts reasonably steep, say 8-10 per cent, and then the middle third it flattens slightly and then the final third rears up to its steepest, say 10-12 per cent.
The length of the climb should be about two to three minutes. Start with eight hill repeats and have a landmark at the bottom of the hill to start your computer and another at the top to stop your computer. Sprint at the start of the hill, sit down and change down on the flatter part and then have an all-out sprint out of the saddle to the top.
Recover from the effort until you can breathe normally again and repeat. Try to get all eight repeats out at the same times. If you fade badly, stop the exercise, warm down and try again the next week. Record the times for each climb and make a note of the weather and wind direction, so you can compare sessions.
Change of pace
On longer hills that are reasonably steep, practise change of pace exercises. Start the hill at a moderate pace and then pick out a landmark about 250 metres ahead and sprint for it out of the saddle as hard as you can.
Go back to a moderate pace and repeat as many times on each hill as the distance will allow. If you can do this, it is a wonderful way to crack the opposition in a race as the 'stop go' of the pace wrecks their rhythm and breaks their morale quicker than any other attack.
This is also a useful technique in mountain bike racing. Cross-country legend Juliana Furtado was a famous advocate of this technique and used it to devastating effect.
Brow sprints
How many times have people seen riders get to the top of a climb and stop pedalling to freewheel before they change into the big chainring? What a waste of time. To conquer the hills, any serious cyclists needs to practise brow sprints. This is where, on reaching the summit of the hill, you immediately get into your big ring and sprint over the brow into full speed for the descent.
This is a great place to attack in a race because you will notice that most riders will do this freewheeling lull after a tough climb and you can create a gap really quickly. You can also be sure that others will hesitate to take up the chase and you can be away.
Even in time trials some riders will freewheel over brows; that's valuable seconds lost. Don't hesitate – get into that big ring and sprint. You will have time to recover on the descent and can still be moving away from the others with the initial increase in momentum.
Positioning on a climb
Positioning on a climb is really important. If you aren't a strong climber (that's before you become one by following the above) make sure you start every hill at the front of the group.
You then have plenty of wheels to hold if you start to go backwards. Always stay close to the rear wheel of the rider in front, but not directly on the wheel, this gives you an 'escape route' should he/she brake or 'come back' at you.
Be aware of the wind direction and tuck into the lee side of the rider. Stay really close to the wheel and take as much shelter as you possibly can. If there is a lull on the climb, make an effort to move up again, preferably on the sheltered side of the bunch.
Use your head and think about saving energy. If you are a strong climber, try to split the bunch up by using the change of pace or attack on the brow when they inevitably sit up.
Find your pace and rhythm
Practice and experience are important here; if you can learn to put out a lot of power in the saddle at high cadence this will really help you. And practise anchoring your upper body. Each time you push on the pedals, your arms pull on the bars. Core strength is key, so plenty of crunches and an exercise ball will also help.
Finding the right pace and rhythm comes with experience, knowing your body and how it reacts, what you are capable of sustaining. But ultimately, the lactate in your legs will tell you.
Choose the right gear
Enter the climb in the right gear and then shift down accordingly. Always underestimate slightly, because on power climbs you often can't shift down easily – especially off the bigger chainring. Never let the gear get on top of you.
On shorter climbs you will nearly always use larger gears to maintain speed before, during and after the climb. This may mean a faster approach, but be sure not to find yourself stuck in a huge gear that you cannot react to.
Stay seated as much as possible
Although you develop more power while standing (you are taking advantage of all your upper body weight pushing down on the pedals), you also use 10 to 12 per cent more energy as your pelvis isn't in contact with the saddle, which means more work for your core and back muscles as you pull up on the unweighted pedal. The net effect is more energy used (less efficient) to climb standing versus to climb seated.
On short climbs, the length of a football field or less, it makes little difference. But on longer climbs, stay in the saddle and spin at 80-85 RPM. This is particularly so if you are heavier as standing puts just that much more weight on your leg muscles, while sitting uses the seat to help take the extra upper body weight off your legs.
That having been said, on long, fairly steep climbs, it may provide a break to alternate sitting and standing to employ different muscle groups. Just before you stand, shift to the next smaller cog, then shift back when you sit. These gear changes will help you maintain a steady pace during cadence changes.
And if you are going to stand, let the bike rock side to side under you – an arc of maybe six inches side-to-side. And don't lean too far forward. Stay back so that your weight is directly over the crank.
Body and hand position
Being bent over in the drops is the most efficient position on level ground, but hills are different as there is much less aerodynamic resistance. You actually get the most power sitting up as high as you can.
Hand position comfort overrides these comments, but for seated climbing, most riders prefer to keep their hands on top of the bars, perhaps two or three inches from the centre stem.
A wide grip on the top of the handlebar reduces breathing restriction. And remember to drop your elbows and relax your upper body.
For out of the saddle climbing or aggressive climbs (where you are accelerating or attacking on the saddle) put your thumbs on the hoods and rest one or two fingers on the levers or wrapped around underneath.
And when you get to that descent, most riders will go to the drops (keeping your wrists straight) for the aerodynamic advantages – although others prefer the hoods for the feeling of control, but not the top of the bars as your hands will be too far from the brakes.
Keep your upper body still and chest open. Keep your upper body quiet – the bike should rock under you (try pulling up on the handlebar opposite of the leg on a down stroke). Too much movement wastes energy.
And your shoulders should be back and "open". If not, you are constricting your chest and cannot breathe efficiently. When you slide back on your seat, you gain a leverage advantage on the pedals. The only time you would want to slide forward is for a short sprint on a small rise.
Pedalling while standing
If you must stand, remember it's hard to pull up because you aren't in contact with the saddle. There's nothing to brace your hips to pull against and you will to power into both the down and up strokes (12 to 5 o'clock on the down stroke and 7 to 10 o'clock on the upstroke).
You should use your body weight to help you push down. Let the bike move fluidly under you. Don’t force it. The bike should rock rhythmically side to side in an arc of about six inches (judged by the movement of the handlebar stem).
This gives each leg a direct push against its pedal and makes the best use of your weight. This will help to maintain a smooth stroke and your momentum. Don't lean too far forward. If the nose of your saddle is brushing the back of your thighs, you are just right.
Farther forward and you will press the front tire into the pavement and lose power. Stay back a bit and find the front-to-back sweet spot. This helps centre your weight over the crank to drive the pedals as described. And remember to shift up a gear or two just before you stand to take advantage of the extra power you gain from standing (but which you can’t maintain for any length of time).
Remember that if you are in a group, you need to consciously protect those behind you when you stand to climb. How you stand on a hill is very important – do it wrong and the guy behind might suddenly be on the pavement.
The issue is the brief deceleration that can occur as you change from sitting to standing incorrectly, which, relative to other riders has the effect of sending your bike backwards and can cause the following rider's front wheel to hit your rear wheel.
On short, rolling hills, the trick is to click to the next higher gear (smaller cog), then stand and pedal over the top with a slightly slower cadence. This keeps quads from loading up with lactate because it helps you pedal with body weight. In fact, it can actually feel like you're stretching and refreshing your legs.
Off season weight training
Cycling-specific weight exercises in the off-season are a great way to improve your climbing power. Two or three sets of 15-25 reps, twice a week is a good general program. The emphasis should be on the legs and back (step-ups, lunges, squats or leg presses.
Focus on higher reps and medium weight to develop muscular endurance and minimise the risk of injury – and adding sets of "standing jumps" (standing in place and jumping as high as one can for 20 or more times) after your weight workout will give you the explosiveness to catch your buddy off guard in the spring. And don’t forget to stretch to maintain flexibility.
Watch that weight
We all know that lighter riders climb faster that heavy ones. So remember to watch the weight – both your own and the weight you are carrying on the bike. It costs a lot to reduce the weight of your bike by a pound, but that extra water bottle easily adds up to a pound and really add up on a ride over hilly terrain.
Eat and drink
For those long climbs, don't forget the basics for nutrition and hydration. A long climb inexorably drains your body of glycogen and liquid. Take two big gulps of water or a sports drink every 15 minutes. And eat (or drink) the equivalent of a sports bar (250 calories) every hour.
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