Tips For Uphill Cycling

Basic fitness

Basic fitness

As with any sport, you won't get very far without a basic level of fitness, so start with shallow inclines to increase your fitness and stamina before considering a serious hill climb. Bear in mind the less you weigh, the less weight you have to carry up a hill.

Position

Forget aerodynamics, sit up high in the saddle to generate more power, attempt not to move your torso too much, relax your shoulders and open up the chest to allow for easier breathing. Your hands should rest fairly lightly on the handlebars, elbows should be wider than your hips and you should only need to use power of your whole arms when doing sharp climbs.

Know your hills

Do some research before you go out, use a map to plan the route and measure the hills you intend to climb, make sure you dont peak too early youll need all the energy you can muster.

Also consider that there are 3 different types of hill: convex, steep near the bottom; concave, steep at the top and even-grade, which usually features a uniform slope.

Size matters

Again careful planning is needed, on a convex hill, build up speed and power on the flat before reaching the incline, letting the momentum will carry you further.

Concave hills require a more steady climb to conserve energy levels, moving into a lower gear as the steep incline approaches..

Even-grade hills can be climbed in the same gear, you just need to reach a steady, sustainable speed.

Back in the saddle

The more firmly planted in the saddle you are, the more efficient you will be. It feels more powerful when standing on the pedals, due to the advantage of upper body weight on the pedals, bear in mind that you use up to 12 per cent more energy through the extra work required of your core and back muscles. Sitting allows the saddle to take upper body weight off your legs.

Experts say that for long, shallow climbs, cyclists should stay seated, start in a low gear and try to maintain 80-85 revolutions per minute. It's best to stay seated for as long as you can, though standing can break up a long climb.

Ultimately, the main points that most experts seem to agree on are to practice, build fitness up your fitness level and make sure you conserve energy. It does not matter if you need to stop half way up, each try will get your further toward the top until you can get all the way to the top in one go. So, whats the best thing about getting to the top of a challenging hill? The ride back down the other side of course!

by: Bruno Blackstone

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