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10 top tips for cyclists to get faster up hills

Races are won and lost on hills, and there's a reason Strava has King and Queen of the Mountains segments

How do I become a better climber? It’s a question we hear a lot so here are some top tips to help you become a better climber. 

Climbs, unless you live in a very flat part of the country, are hard to avoid and an integral part of cycling. Some people embrace climbs and can ride up them with all the grace and ease of a professional, but some people fear them and can struggle with the gradient and fitness required to get up them.

If you're looking to go a bit faster up the local hill or you just want to make them a bit easier, we've got some brilliant advice from cycling coach Liam Holohan. He's got plenty of experience coaching riders of all levels so you should find his advice easy to apply to your riding.

Pace yourself

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We’ve all done it; hit the bottom of a climb really fast and then struggled to maintain the pace all the way to the top, and grovelled over the summit. Liam says that the smart approach is to pace yourself up a climb, starting at a steady pace to allow your body to settle into the effort. 

This can be difficult in a group situation we admit, but it’s a smart move to adopt your own pacing strategy. Once you’ve settled into the climb, Liam says that it's time to start listening to your body. If you feel like you can go a bit faster, then increase your effort a little at a time. Small increases in effort can hurt a lot!

That all very well for longer climbs, but Liam suggests that shorter, steeper climbs be taken with more of a 'smash it' attitude. 

It can really help to consult some data at this point. Heart rate numbers are good, but power data is best. Just don't be staring at your computer like Chris Froome does! If you haven't got access to these metrics, then learning to judge how your body is feeling is key to good pacing. 

Know the climb

When you don’t know how long or steep a climb is, it’s exceptionally difficult to pace yourself. If you are riding a climb blind, it’s wise to find a comfortable pace and conserve some energy for if the climb becomes steeper or longer than expected. Another strategy, and it's useful if you're doing a sportive, is to make use of modern technology. Strava and Komoot, to name two examples, allow you to research climbs and get a good idea of what to expect. This way you can know exactly what is in store and be mentally prepared when you arrive at the climb.

> How to plan a cycling route on Komoot

Lose some weight

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Unfortunately, one of the enemies of fast climbing is how much weight you have to propel up the climbs. You can lose weight on the bike, and you can read some good advice on how to do that, but while it’s easy to throw money at weight savings on the bike, there’s only so much scope for improvement. 

> Eat yourself fit: the best cycling nutrition for weight loss

No, it’s your body weight that could be the limiting factor to climbing speed and it’s all about the power to weight ratio: lower your weight and/or increase your power. It’s not just fat that will slow you down, muscle is more dense than fat and a lot of upper body muscle doesn’t contribute a whole lot when you’re on the bike. Big biceps, shoulders, pecs… you’re essentially carrying them uphill. 

Losing fat mass safely and steadily is Liam's advice and, contrary to the traditional approach, he suggests losing weight in the off-season between October and March. This is because running the daily calorie deficit of between 250-500kCal needed for steady fat mass loss is best done when the rider isn't also trying to build their power.

Liam suggests that the autumn and winter months when many riders switch to steady rides is great for this as focusing on just one thing puts less stress on the immune system. This leaves the spring for riders to build up their power, with the hard graft mostly behind you.

> How to trim bike weight on the cheap

Lower your gearing

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If you’re struggling because the gears on your bike are just too hard, consider adjusting or changing your drivetrain setup to accommodate lower gears. There’s a lot more choice these days with compact chainsets now very popular on many road bikes, and newer subcompact chainsets offering even lower gears. Add in the increasingly wide-range cassettes now available and you can have some very low gears indeed., ideal if you’re riding a hilly sportive in the Lakes or Alps.

Beginner's guide: understanding gears

John has written a really detailed guide above to understanding gears and in it, he explains some typical gear set-ups and the lowest gear it’s possible to get. Most of the drivetrain manufacturers, namely Shimano and SRAM, have really started offering a lot more choice these days and you can get some very low gears. Now 11-28 cassettes have become common, and 11-32 and 11-36 are also popular. Combine them with a 50/34 compact chainset, or even a new 46/30 subcompact and you have a huge range of gears. SRAM even makes a 10-42 cassette for its increasingly popular 1x11 Force and Rival offerings. Options aplenty. 

Get in the wheel

If you're riding in a group, or you find yourself climbing with another rider of similar ability, getting on their wheel will save you a few watts when the gradient is around 7% or below. You're still using quite a bit of energy to push yourself through the air, so this can be a bigger help than you might think.

Liam points out that there is also a significant psychological advantage to climbing in the wheel of another rider. Clinging to the wheel might take all of your mental and physical strength, but you'll likely set a new personal record on that climb.

To stand or to sit in the saddle?

La Passione climbing

Most people have a personal preference when it comes to climbing in or out of the saddle, but generally the most effective and aerobically efficient way to climb is seated in the saddle and use the gearing and cadence to get you up the hill. That’s for gradients up to 10% according to professor Ernst Hansen. Out-of-saddle pedalling can boost your power output and helps you to produce the required power to tackle very steep gradients in excess of 10%. 

The extra power produced from standing up on the pedals can also be useful to increase your speed on a climb, whether attacking or riding after a friend. The downside to getting out of the saddle is increased oxygen consumption, so save these efforts for short bursts and very steep climbs. Most people have a personal preference, watch any pro race and you'll see that some people never get out of the saddle, and some never seem to sit down on the climbs, so perhaps experiment with both approaches and see what feels more comfortable and effective for you. 

Increase your cadence

wahoo cadence sensor 1

Instead of grinding a really high gear up a climb, copy the pros and switch to an easier gear and increase your cadence. Pushing a bigger gear can feel more comfortable, but studies have shown that spinning a lower gear leads to a better performance. 

> Cycling cadence: how fast should you pedal?

A study by Spanish researcher Alejandro Lucia in 2004 revealed that efficiency is significantly higher at higher cadences. The “economy decreases at slow cadences  (60 rpm) compared with higher pedalling rates (100 rpm)” and that the decreases are also accompanied by higher levels of blood lactate and fatigue. 

So a higher cadence pedalling is more effective because you’re reducing the tension and load on the leg muscles and this reduces the fatigue and early onset of lactic acid that can inhibit climbing performance. If you’re used to pushing quite high gears it can take some training to adjust to spinning a lower gear, so allow some time to adapt and perhaps add short periods of higher cadence pedalling. A cadence sensor is a useful tool for measuring this.

Hill reps - train your weakness

Holohan coaching climbing

If climbing is your weakness, don’t try to avoid them, instead, make it your goal to ride more climbs. The more you ride climbs the more comfortable you’ll get on them and the better you’ll become. Through practice, you'll learn how to pace different types of climbs and you can even figure out where on your local hill to rest or even attack.

Although they can be really painful, hill reps are a great way to develop fitness and that fitness will translate onto the flatlands too. Liam has got a very simple hill reps session for you to try:

  1. Warm up for 20-30 minutes, working towards your threshold power or heart rate
  2. 4x5minutes at V02 max. Recover between efforts on the way back down for 5mins.
  3. Have at least 20minutes of easy riding to get home.
  4. Add stimulus to this session by increasing your cadence by 10-20rpm.

 

A power meter is best for these efforts, but you can use a heart rate monitor or simply use RPE (rate of perceived exertion). Liam suggests using a hill of similar gradient to your target climb if you're preparing for a trip to the big climbs in the Alps.

Use heart rate or a power meter

Urban Hill Climb 2017 - 05.jpeg

While you can pace yourself just by listening to your body and feeling the pain in your legs, you can get a lot more scientific if you want. A heart rate monitor is an excellent way to help you control your pace throughout a climb and can prevent you from going into the red. A power meter is an expensive upgrade but allows even more precise pacing control than heart rate because it’s showing you your direct effort. 

Buyer’s guide to heart rate monitors

While data is great, Liam says that we shouldn't fixate on one metric, or be held back by the numbers. Power and heart rate data complement each other and can vary from day to day, so keep an eye on both and compare them to how you're actually feeling. If you want to push on, do it.

Another thing that Liam stressed is that the power figures which you can churn out during a 20-minute test will likely differ from those that you can do at the end of a long ride. Similarly, you may find it easier to dig deep on a real hill vs the indoor trainer. It's all about learning how your body reacts to various situations.

Pedal harder

Okay, so we’re only half-serious here, but pushing harder on the pedals is one way to get up climbs more quickly. Yes, it’ll hurt more, but the pain is only temporary and all that. 

What goes up must come down

And remember, while you’re toiling away up a leg-bending climb, there’s the reward of the descent on the other side of the hill to look forward to.

Cafe Wisdom

Transcontinental 2017 - Coffee and Bun.jpg

Our readers are a knowledgeable bunch. Here are some of the best bits of advice from the comments section.

CXR94Di2 says: "Having just returned from the Alps, I'm faster than my previous attempts at climbing, but not as fast as the smaller lighter riders.This was due to weight loss and a bit fitter.

I had very low gearing which allowed me to spin at 80+rpm for multi hour climbs like the Telegraphe/Galibier and Glandon. Happy 94KG rider."

Mungecrundle says: "Not many hills near me that are even worth changing down to the granny ring. Most of the steep bits are under 30 seconds of effort so you can hit them full bore and go way into the red zone of lactic acid debt, push over the top and recover whilst freewheeling down the other side all nice and aero whilst everyone else struggles in your wake.

At least that is how it always plays out in my head until about 1/2 way up..."

Mingmong has some advice that we're yet to try: "Don't drink 4 pints of Guinness on a Friday... lunch."

And finally, Kil0ran has some comforting advice for bigger riders - "Being around 18st I'm epic at downhills. I've usually got the power to punch over short hills (e.g. Wimbledon Hill on RL I flew up, but Leith would kill me)

Recently rode my tourer on my usual route (disc brakes, 4kg heavier than best bike) and lo and behold set a Strava PB for a long downhill section (only around 2%, over half a mile or so). Isn't gravity great?"

Got any tips of your own you want to share?

holohancoaching.com

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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28 comments

Avatar
Cycloid | 3 years ago
1 like

Press harder on the pedals

Avatar
kil0ran | 5 years ago
5 likes

Being around 18st I'm epic at downhills. I've usually got the power to punch over short hills (e.g. Wimbledon Hill on RL I flew up, but Leith would kill me)

Recently rode my tourer on my usual route (disc brakes, 4kg heavier than best bike) and lo and behold set a Strava PB for a long downhill section (only around 2%, over half a mile or so). Isn't gravity great?

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet | 5 years ago
1 like

It's quite funny watching the differences play out with other riders. My main riding partner is at least 15kg heavier and more powerful, faster on the flat sections and downhill. Amazing how quickly it all gets eaten into once you go past about 5 or 6%.  Past 10% I can really gap him. Once it's downhill again he'll be past at some point and I'm waiting for the next hill to get some pride back.

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 5 years ago
3 likes

Having just returned from the Alps, I'm faster than my previous attempts at climbing, but not as fast as the smaller lighter riders.This was due to weight loss and a bit fitter.

  I had very low gearig which allowed me to spin at 80+rpm for multi hour climbs like the Telegraphe/Galibier and Glandon.  

Happy 94KG rider

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
3 likes

Simple physics, lose weight.  Only downside is large/tall frame riders are never going to overcome physics eve  with weight loss compared to a small rider.  

Big riders good at flat and short hills, small riders good for hills going up.

The only thing I've learnt to do to make hills slightly easier is spin.  I used to ride at 80rpm but have trained this winter and now ride at 95-100rpm.  Ive also altered my gearing down on my bike to encourage me to spin 

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to CXR94Di2 | 2 years ago
0 likes

CXR94Di2 wrote:

 Only downside is large/tall frame riders are never going to overcome physics eve  with weight loss compared to a small rider.  

Big riders good at flat and short hills, small riders good for hills going up.

Like the 1.87m 78kg Wout van Aert, winner of the double Ventoux tour stage?

Avatar
yerbs | 7 years ago
1 like

I find a lot comes down to psychology, dont look to the top of the hill, look down at the road, stuff closer (as prauga says) - nothing more depressing than being half way up a climb, turn a corner and just see it stretch out in front of you.  Also years ago I took the attitude of only stop at the top of the hill and never half way, once you get to the top you don't want to stop anyway.

Of course theres nothing more satisfying that overtaking others going up a hill.. it's the push you need sometimes. 

Itching to get back on the hills, but icy roads, wet leaves and debris makes the decents scary at the moment !

Avatar
FrankH replied to yerbs | 2 years ago
1 like

yerbs wrote:

Of course theres nothing more satisfying that overtaking others going up a hill.. it's the push you need sometimes.

Us slow riders make faster riders look good.

You're welcome.  3

Avatar
drosco | 7 years ago
2 likes

Agree with barbarus, I'm just useless in a chaingang, but put me on a slope and it all just comes together. Since I was a boy it's always been the case. Why so slow on the flat I'm still searching for the answer to.

Avatar
HalfWheeler replied to drosco | 7 years ago
3 likes

drosco wrote:

Agree with barbarus, I'm just useless in a chaingang, but put me on a slope and it all just comes together. Since I was a boy it's always been the case. Why so slow on the flat I'm still searching for the answer to.

I'm pretty similar. I'm just under 10 stone at 5ft 11 so I'm built to be faster up hill than on the flat or downhill. During midsummer chaingangs I'm hanging on for grim death for the first ten miles. I'm puce with effort, breathing like Fred West, if you could see and hear me you'd think I was about to die.

It's torture.

But as soon as we hit the mile long hill I recover then jump them. Every time. And it feels great. Don't get me wrong, I get caught just as the descent evens out then it's back to square one. But I wouldn't change a thing.

Avatar
Beecho replied to HalfWheeler | 6 years ago
3 likes

HalfWheeler wrote:

I'm just under 10 stone at 5ft 11

laugh

Unless you are in your 20s, I think I might hate you.

Avatar
PRSboy replied to Beecho | 5 years ago
0 likes

Beecho wrote:

HalfWheeler wrote:

I'm just under 10 stone at 5ft 11

laugh

Unless you are in your 20s, I think I might hate you.

Indeed... I'm a relatively shortass 5' 9 and if I get below 10st I start to look a bit gaunt and my wife tells me off.

Avatar
oxford_guy replied to PRSboy | 4 years ago
0 likes

PRSboy wrote:

Beecho wrote:

HalfWheeler wrote:

I'm just under 10 stone at 5ft 11

laugh

Unless you are in your 20s, I think I might hate you.

Indeed... I'm a relatively shortass 5' 9 and if I get below 10st I start to look a bit gaunt and my wife tells me off.

I'm 5'8" and thought I was doing well to get under 11 stone for the first time in years recently (I am almost 50, though...)

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Rendel Harris replied to HalfWheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

HalfWheeler wrote:

 ...breathing like Fred West...

Not in the best of taste, chap.

Avatar
. . replied to drosco | 7 years ago
2 likes

drosco wrote:

Why so slow on the flat I'm still searching for the answer to.

It's because speed on the flat is limited by air resistance, speed up hills is limited by overcoming gravity.  Air resistance is roughly proportional to your frontal area (square of your size), but power is proportional to your muscle volume (cube of your size), which gives big guys an advantage on the flat.

Avatar
Rider X replied to drosco | 7 years ago
0 likes

drosco wrote:

Agree with barbarus, I'm just useless in a chaingang, but put me on a slope and it all just comes together. Since I was a boy it's always been the case. Why so slow on the flat I'm still searching for the answer to.

The reason you may be so slow is the difference in crank inertial loading.  Riding on the flat vs riding up hills have different kinetic energy (i.e., it takes longer to slow down on the flat - high kinetic energy; you slow faster on hills - low kinetic energy). Each require different muscle recruitment patterns (on the flat its short duration / fast firing; on hills its longer duration/ slower firing).

Your body and genetics may be more efficient at a slower, longer duration firing pattern.

Cycling tips had a good overview:

https://cyclingtips.com/2013/09/climbing-and-time-trialling-how-power-ou...

Avatar
barbarus | 7 years ago
3 likes

I think physiology plays a bigger part in this than we might want to admit. I'm built like a climber and rarely practice climbs (although living in the West country they can't really be avoided) yet on a group ride I know I'm always pretty quick on the climbs.

What I DO practice, and don't seem to get any better at, is keeping up with the bigger guys on the fast flat or slightly downhill sections.

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 7 years ago
7 likes

Not many hills near me that are even worth changing down to the granny ring. Most of the steep bits are under 30 seconds of effort so you can hit them full bore and go way into the red zone of lactic acid debt, push over the top and recover whilst freewheeling down the other side all nice and aero whilst everyone else struggles in your wake.

At least that is how it always plays out in my head until about 1/2 way up.

Avatar
pruaga | 7 years ago
6 likes

On really steep hills don't plan too far ahead.  Just look to keep going until the next tree, and then the next tree after that, and then until you go past the guy pushing.

Gets me up Whitedown Lane everytime.

Avatar
SingleSpeed | 7 years ago
2 likes

"Got any tips of your own you want to share?"

Ride a single speed.

 

Was it Mercxx who said Train Big Race Small? or ride a bigger gear in training and spin a smaller gear in races? 

Avatar
Sadoldsamurai replied to SingleSpeed | 7 years ago
0 likes

SingleSpeed wrote:

"Got any tips of your own you want to share?"

Ride a single speed.

 

Was it Mercxx who said Train Big Race Small? or ride a bigger gear in training and spin a smaller gear in races? 

 

Ride a single speed FIXED 

Avatar
Richard1982 replied to Sadoldsamurai | 7 years ago
0 likes

Sadoldsamurai wrote:

Ride a single speed FIXED 

 

 Not sure about that, I find fixed is easier going up hill than single speed - although I suppose riding fixed does give you chance to practice your spinning on the way back down!

Avatar
barbarus replied to Richard1982 | 7 years ago
0 likes
Richard1982 wrote:

Sadoldsamurai wrote:

Ride a single speed FIXED 

 

 Not sure about that, I find fixed is easier going up hill than single speed - although I suppose riding fixed does give you chance to practice your spinning on the way back down!

Riding fixed downhill scares the crap out of me! I like it for climbs though.

Avatar
bassjunkieuk replied to barbarus | 6 years ago
0 likes

barbarus wrote:
Richard1982 wrote:

Sadoldsamurai wrote:

Ride a single speed FIXED 

 

 Not sure about that, I find fixed is easier going up hill than single speed - although I suppose riding fixed does give you chance to practice your spinning on the way back down!

Riding fixed downhill scares the crap out of me! I like it for climbs though.

 

I had a wonderful experience after coming down Wimbledon Hill once towards the town centre - 34mph on 48x16 meant I peaked around 130rpm IIRC, lights at bottom went red so I pulled up and immediately BOTH calves cramp up! Queue some odd looks from crossing peds as I just about unclip in time to avoid falling sideways and swear a bit!

 

Have since upped gearing to 48x14 so I'm not *quite* as spinny on the occasional descents I need to do but does mean more effort on way up  1

Avatar
mingmong | 7 years ago
7 likes

I've got this.

Don't drink 4 pints of Guinness on a Friday... lunch

Avatar
Sevenfold | 7 years ago
1 like

Got to say the Cipollini http://www.mcipollini.com/en/biciclette/mcm2 would be my choice for becoming a better climber

Avatar
tritecommentbot replied to Sevenfold | 7 years ago
5 likes

Sevenfold wrote:

Got to say the Cipollini http://www.mcipollini.com/en/biciclette/mcm2 would be my choice for becoming a better climber

 

That is a ridiculously good looking electric bike. I find that bike analogous to a beautiful ladyboy 

 

 

Avatar
bobbinogs replied to tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
2 likes
unconstituted wrote:

Sevenfold wrote:

Got to say the Cipollini http://www.mcipollini.com/en/biciclette/mcm2 would be my choice for becoming a better climber

 

That is a ridiculously good looking electric bike. I find that bike analogous to a beautiful ladyboy 

 

 

Best comment of the week  1

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