As a cyclist, being able to take on hills effectively and efficiently can be a “Race Winner” for you. This is because hill climbing is the most intimidating aspect of many cycling events. It is one of the key skills required of a good cyclist, as it makes cycling more enjoyable.
To compete favourably with your cycling peers or in a competition, you must understand the fact that you will need to put in a lot of hard work, dedication to training and discipline, coupled with getting the necessary expert advice and information on how to get fit and ready.
Hill climbing is an energy sapping form of uphill bike racing, an individual time trial that challenges you to prevail over gravity and gradient to win. As a matter of fact, the best way to acquire the necessary skills and challenge in a racing competition is through comprehensive and intensive practice. You can effectively improve your climbing by doing the right training and upgrading your technique. Hills are very important part of cycling, regardless of the type of riding you do. Races are often won on the climbs, so being a good hill climber is essential, whether you’re racing against other riders or the time.
There are several ways to practice. It could be Solo intervals or group rides that focus on hill climbs. You can ride uphill in style with more confidence, speed and strength by improving your ascending skills. It is certain that without these skills, you cannot be a better climber and it is impossible for you to win any racing competition. Hill climbing is just one skill of many — sprinting, bridging gaps and drafting, among many others — that a cyclist must master to become successful. Actually, a climber’s dream is to continually get better, if not the best, and to win in major racing competitions.
When you partake in these cycling events, you will have the opportunity of testing yourself against other professionals in the sport. This experience will enable you put your training and practice to work and know your position among them. For me, if as a cyclist, you have not featured in any competition or cycling events, you can’t be accorded any respect in the cycling world. In fact, that is your unavoidable path to become a seasoned professional climber.
Getting better at hill climbing and doing well at racing competitions is always the primary concern of every cyclist, as that is the only way to remain competitive and relevant. As a cyclist, getting yourself fit and ready to compete is the real deal. In this article, we will furnish you with some useful information below that could be helpful in getting you prepared for your next race.
Bike Hill Climbing Techniques
Practice And Planning
The best way to become a better climber is to frequently engage in climbing. You will agree with me that no two hills are the same — some are steep, some are gentle, some are long and some are short. The more hills you climb, the better you will get at them. if you avoid hills in your training, you will always struggle when the road kicks up. Whatever the form of the hill, a cyclist must set out to either hammer up the hill fast and strong with raw power, or drop a few gears and use smooth cadence and technique. This can’t be achieved without regular practice.
To plan for your next hill climb competition, get in the habit of doing a hill climb workout regularly. It should be done at a modest intensity to keep your heart rate steady and increase your endurance level. If you can achieve the right level of practice and planning, then you can have a good climb.
Research Well Before Setting Out
‘If you have a set target and know the types of climbs you will be riding, then, first of all, you need to work out what gear ratios you require,’ says Ben Simmons, a British Cycling club coach and former advisor to Team Wiggle. Without a good knowledge of the climbs, you won’t know how best to approach it. Research helps you to strategize on the best method to tackle the hills.
It is also good to have route notes taped to the stems or top tubes of your bike. These notes will often detail climbs, giving information on length, gradient, landmarks and where they occur within the ride. This allows the riders, especially if they haven’t been able to check out the route before, to pace the climbs and know when they should be taking on fuel or trying to save some energy.
Start Steady
‘When starting out, it’s a good idea to ride as steadily as possible on a light gear to focus on how your body reacts to different gradients. Keep your upper body controlled and just work on finding a rhythm. You’re looking to perfect your technique and manage your output too.
Be As Light As Possible
Successful climbing is all about the power-to-weight ratio, as weight easily trumps power. In other words, the lighter you are, the faster you will climb. As you get heavier, you must dramatically increase power to overcome the additional weight. If you want to climb better, you will need to approach your ideal performance weight, which is the confluence of your lowest possible weight at your highest level of athletic performance. Rider preference varies, and it’s largely to do with body composition. Usually, lighter riders find it easier to climb out the saddle whilst heavier riders would rather stay seated. As much as you want to lose weight, you have to be careful not to lose power in the process. In this case, it is good to find a balance.
Though worrying as it may sound, if you are carrying excess weight, you are starting every climb with a major setback. It is no coincidence that the Tour de France winning Sir Bradley Wiggins was significantly slimmer than when he dominated on the track. If you think you could do with shedding a bit of weight, follow this safe weight loss advice from the Great Britain Cycling Team nutritionists.
Pedal Well And Hard
This split in energy levels presents a perfect opportunity for strong climbers to surge, or even attack. Be ready to apply pressure to the pedals over the brow of the hill – or risk losing touch. If you’re struggling to turn the pedals on the climbs, changing your gear set up – going for a smaller chainset and wider ratio cassette – will help as you’ll be able to spin more quickly.
Get The Right Gear While Climbing
‘Gear selection on the hills can be dependent on where you live and ride,’ says Mill. ‘If you’re in London then riding local hills first gives you an introduction to riding with good technique and practising variable cadences to see improvement.’
Grinding up a climb in too big a gear is not only inefficient and draining on your energy reserves, but it is also slower. Even top professional riders use compact chain-sets on mountain stages, so there is certainly no shame in fitting one yourself along with a wide-ranging rear cassette.
Lighten Up Your Bike
Anything you can do to reduce the weight of your bike will help. To get the best results, try to reduce the weight of moving parts, notably the wheels, tires and pedals. However, reducing bodyweight is a far more effective approach than spending thousands of dollars to shave a few grams off a bicycle. Always remember the old adage: if your bike weighs less than 20 pounds and you still can’t climb, it’s not the bike!
Equip Your Bike With Large Sprockets And A Wide Range Of Gears
Riding a hilly route requires a wide range of gears. Large sprockets (e.g., 26, 27 and 29) produce a small gear development (the distance a bike travels in one pedal revolution in a particular gear combination) and are much easier to spin. A wide range of gears allows for appropriate gear selection over diverse terrain.
Keep a Steady And Consistent Cadence
‘Some riders find that their cardio system is the limiting factor for high cadence – in which case I would encourage them to focus on breathing and slowly increasing cadence over a period of time,’ says Mill.
Adding more regular sessions will not only improve your climbing but also instil some confidence as you start to see improvements.
‘A steady cadence is essential,’ he says. ‘I often see novices force a lower cadence too early in the climb. It is good training to climb while maintaining a higher cadence than normal – try to keep a target of around 80rpm. Climbing at a high cadence also gives you a bit more confidence should the gradient increase or you tire. There’s room for maneuver.’
A relatively short 5-8% gradient climb might be manageable on your current setup at home but, in the Alps or Pyrenees, where that gradient can continue for 20km plus, you might need something lower. If in doubt, always opt for lower gears than you think are necessary.
A steady cadence of about 90rpm is ideal. Don’t let a gear get too far ‘on top’ of you before you change into an easier one.
Enter A Hill Climb Competition
If you’re a racer, then you’ll know it’s often on the hills where a race is won or lost. If you want to put your climbing abilities to the test, why not enter a hill climb competition? Whether it’s a mass start or a time trial, it will push you to the maximum level of improvements.
Hill climb competitions are run in Britain as an end-of-season tradition with small cash prizes, and an extensive list can be found on the Cycling Time Trials website. For readers in other parts of the world, your local cycling club might have their own informal timed hill climb planned, or may know of one.
Exercises To improve Cycling Hill Climbing
With proper exercise and workouts, your overall ride will be more enjoyable, bring about solid improvements on your technique and train your muscles for the climbs. Let’s check them out below;
Long Hill Workouts
For long hill workouts, athletes are taken to a hill that will take two hours to climb, with a nice 30-minute warm-up ride to the base.
Climb for 15 minutes in your saddle, then shift down two gears (harder) and pedal for five minutes while standing. Repeat this pattern, which should total close to six rotations in two hours.
Short Hills Workout
When riding up hills in the big/hard gears, your heart rate doesn’t get as high and the work is a lot more muscular. These kinds of cycling interval workouts can supplement weight training in the gym and target more specific and relevant muscle groups. Find a steep hill that’s only a few miles long with a relatively steady incline the whole way up.
You can make your first ascent seated with your chain in the big front sprocket and a harder gear than you would normally want. (Your cadence should be slow, around 50-55 rpm.). Concentrate on keeping your upper body relaxed and working your legs through a steady, strong motion, applying constant pedal pressure throughout the whole revolution. When you are done, cruise back down the hill.
Questions And Answers That Will Clear Your Doubt
What Kind Of Bike Is Best For Climbing Hills?
The potency of a bike at climbing hills is the major test to determine how good the bike is. As a matter of fact, the bragging rights for any given ride are taken on the hills, and specifically when you’re going up them. Major trophies are awarded to the King/Queen of the Mountain after all, and the most important segments are climbs.
So, if you want to be the best climber, you’re going to need the best climbing bike, right? It all makes perfect sense.
With that firmly and irrefutably established, what are the most important things you should be looking for in a bike designed for climbing?
A good climbing bike must have less weight. So, if you want to ride up faster, get for yourself, a lightweight bike. You can pick from the carefully selected bikes below to earn you the climbing crown.
1. Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc Dura-Ace Di2
2. Focus Izalco Max 9.7 AXS
3. Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc
4. Orbea Orca OMX M10i LTD D
5. BMC Teammachine SLR 01 Two
6. Canyon Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 Aero
7. Giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 Disc
8. Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7
9. 2021 Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro
10. Vitus Vitesse EVO CRS Di2
11. Specialized S-Works Aethos
How Do You Climb Hills On A Bike?
Climbing on a road bike is a matter of getting the most power for the energy you spend. You must maintain a good seating position, keep your pedaling cadence high, ensure accurate and timely shifting, use appropriate gears, lean forward and keep your elbow flexed. Applying these techniques will help you climb a hill effortlessly.
What Gear Should You Go Up A Hill On A Bike?
The Low Gear; this is because it makes it easy for you to have a very efficient climbing. It is the smallest chain ring in the front of your bike and the largest cog on your cassette (rear gears).
Why Is Biking Uphill So Hard?
Climbing uphill is difficult because the rate at which you decelerate while going uphill is higher than when descending downhill due to the added effects of gravity on your speed. As you pedal up a grade, gravity tries to pull you back down. It actually me that the steeper the pitch, the more forceful gravity’s pull. Your speed decreases tremendously as you go higher up the hill. Your bike computer detect this change. You can surmount this by switching to an even lower gear (higher cadence).
How Can I Get Better At Hill Climb Cycling?
Getting better at hill climbing is the dream of every cyclist. To achieve this, you must not only rely on your physical prowess because it is not enough to make you a champion in hill climbing. You will also be needing much of Technique, mental preparation, constant and intensive training, familiarity with the hill and selecting the right gear. To be successful in this art – all have a key part to play in successfully and consistently ensuring you reach and overcome your peaks.
Is Cycling Uphill Good For You?
Cycling has so much benefit for your body, much more, cycling uphill, because it helps to improve your cardiovascular fitness, reduce stress level, gentle on your joints, burns fat and calories, helps fight depression, build stamina etc. It is another form of aerobic exercise that produces happy hormone, increases the presence of good cholesterol in the body, whose job is to transport fat away from arteries. Cycling uphill is also a real fun.
Does Hill Cycling Build Muscle?
Yes, it build your muscle by helping to increase demands on your blood delivery system. With this, your body responds by growing more capillaries into your muscles. This lets your muscle cells have all the blood they need to get sufficient amounts of oxygen and nutrients to generate energy.
It helps to build strength. That means you need to recruit more muscles to maintain forward momentum. Climbing hills—especially seated climbing—engages your glutes, quads and calves to a larger degree than when spinning along the flats. Climbing not only builds neuromuscular connections—so you have more muscle fibers turned on and at your disposal.
