The mountains have always been my favourite part of the Tour de France. And I love the POLKA DOT jersey!
Growing up as a kid, I was fascinated by the crowds, the noise, the expressions on the riders faces as they flew up the climb and even the sound of the car horn!
Here are 12 tips to help you cycle uphill easier, with less pain and more FUN!
Ride in a low gear
Pedal a high cadence
Stay seated
Pace yourself
Learn about the climb
Focus your mind
Change gears before the steep section
Break the climb into sections
Recover and drink when you can
Keep your hands on the hoods
Lose weight
Use lighter equipment
** PLUS A SPECIAL BONUS TIP FROM CHRIS FROOME!
I remember pretending to be Greg LeMond, Pedro Delgado and Laurent Fignon and trying to recapture the 1989 Tour! Me and a small group of friends even did a mini 3-stage "Tour de France" around our village!
I've picked up a few tricks to cycling uphill over the years from my own experience and from hours spent watching the pros.
In this post I'll share these tips with you! The tips are based on my own experience and as with all aspects of fitness and exercise, it's often a matter of preference and what works for one person may not work for another!
Allez, allez and allez!
Tip 1- Ride in a Low Gear
Using a low (easier) gear makes the pedals easier to push round. This will put less strain on your leg muscles and stop them from burning up too soon.
Use a low gear and high cadence. You're fighting gravity already - no need to fight the pedals as well!
Most bikes these days have 2 chainrings at the front, which could be called the big one/small one or inner/outer, and anywhere between 5-11 cogs on the rear "cassette".
The lowest and easiest gear means using the small inner chain at the front and the biggest cog at the back.
Example of the biggest "cog" on the rear cassette.
In "no pro" terms, the smaller the difference between the number of teeth on the front chain + bag cog you're using the easier the pedals are to turn.
If you want to explore the topic of bike gearing and ratios check out this post on yellowjersey.co.uk
You'll see a lot of the best mountain climbers, or "mountain goats", use quite a low gear, which in turn helps you pedal a higher cadence (see tip number 2).
An exception to this may be the powerful riders who can push a bigger gear when going uphill. Jan Ullrich was such a rider who was able to climb well with this style.
Using a higher gear (big chain at the front) will generate more power, but your legs will get tired quicker and you'll soon run out of energy.
Tip 2 - Pedal a High Cadence
In basic terms, cadence means how quickly you're turning the pedals.
A high cadence is generally referred to as around 90 revolutions per minute (RPM), while a lower cadence is around 60-75 rpm.
Using a lower gear will naturally lend itself to pedalling with a higher cadence.
Pro coach Chris Carmichael suggests "maintaining a nice smooth cadence, 80-85 rpm" is a good benchmark to aim for.
Coach Ric Stern explains why a higher cadence is easier on your legs, 'Using a higher cadence – for example, 80rpm vs 60rpm – results in a better "feel", plus it reduces the forces you have to apply to remain at a specific power output, therefore your pedalling is relying more on your muscular endurance and less on your strength.
This is an important thing to note. Riding with a higher cadence will make more use of your cardiovascular (fitness) system, whereas a lower cadence is going to use your muscle power more.
Chris Froome is one of the best climbers of recent and he regularly used a cadence over 100rpm going uphill, and while that might not be possible for the majority of us it certainly worked for him!
For more powerful riders, like Jan Ullrich, who have more strength in their legs and can produce more power, a lower cadence of somewhere between 60-70 may be more beneficial.
Tip 3 - Stay Seated
it may be tempting to get out of the saddle, and there are times when it's necessary. But you'll be far more efficient by staying seated as much as possible.
When I was a kid, I used think it looked cool! Out of the saddle, rolling from side to side and "dancing on the pedals" - look at me mum I'm like a pro! But I got tired super quick and sometimes couldn't make it to the top of the hill!
Climbing in the saddle is more aerodynamic and by staying seated, in theory, you will use less energy as you're only moving your legs.
It's also much easier and effective to maintain a higher cadence and lower gear when seated.
You can also move forwards and backwards in the saddle to shift the emphasis of the work to different muscle combinations
But there are times when it's an advantage to stand up.
Getting out of the saddle is the best way to give a short, powerful burst of speed when climbing. Watch the pros attack in the mountains, and you'll see them out of the saddle for anywhere up to a minute as they try to make a break.
Pedaling will also be easier out of the saddle when you reach some crazy steep sections.
And last but certainly not least, it's gonna give your rear end a break and help relieve some pressure on your back.
No Pro Tip!
If you are going to stand, shift one or two gears harder before you stand up because you'll be able to use your bodyweight to generate more power. Keep the same gear for standing as seating and your cadence will be too fast and you'll lose speed.
Advantages of Climbing in the Saddle
use fewer muscles and energy
use a higher power for longer
Advantages of Climbing Out of the Saddle
good for short bursts of speed
help maintain speed on steep sections
Tip 4 - Pace Yourself
This is super important when you tacking long climb and is similar to the strategy you need during a time trial or individual triathlon.
You're looking for a pace which is sustainable and not too hard.
Start off easy
A common mistake is to go out too hard at the start because you feel fresh. Don't be fooled! Get into a good rhythm and settle into an effort which is sustainable for the length of the climb.
Stick to your own pace
Try not to get caught up with racing and keeping up with the people in front of you if the effort is too hard on a long climb. Doing this can put you into the red and you'll probably end up losing more time than if you keep a steady pace.
On some Zwift group rides I've tried to keep up with other riders who have a much higher power-to-weight ratio and have paid for it later on.
For shorter climbs if you can hold the wheel in front of you and the power for the time it takes to reach then top, then get it done!!
You'll see this happen in the pro races as well. A rider may get dropped during an attack, but instead of attempting to keep and go into the red, they'll ride at their own pace and try to bridge the gap. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't!
Tip 5 - Learn About the Climb
Knowing about the climb you're taking will help with your pacing strategy.
Two things to learn about the climb that will help you prepare:
how long is the climb
how steep is the climb
A tool that I use to plan out my routes MapMyRun. When you create a route you will be able to see the length, average gradient and profile of each climb on your route.
This was the route for the bike leg of Ironman 70.3 Thailand from 2017 - a couple of pretty steep sections at the beginning!
Some apps have built in features such as Strava Live Segments can provide you with live data on how long the climb is and how far you have gone.
Tip 6 - Focus On the Road
When I'm cycling on the flat, my mind occasionally drifts off and I find myself thinking about what to have for dinner!
But going uphill requires a tad more focus and concentration.
It may sound a bit cheesy and a bit of a cliché, but "getting in the zone" will help a lot when you're climbing.
Focusing on the road ahead will allow you to see any changes in gradient (see the next tip). It keeps your mind occupied and and allows you to maintain a steady pace and cadence, which is key to a successful climb!
Tip 7 - Changing Gears
I talked earlier about riding in the right gear for the gradient.
Another tip is to change gear BEFORE you hit any steep sections.
Once the gradient cranks up it will be much harder to change gear.
I've witnessed the aftermath of failing to change gear a couple of times. First up, one of my best friends snapped a chain once whilst already on a steep section and his pace had dropped. There was just too much tension in the chain and SNAP!
And on one of the steep sections in the Ironman 70.3 Thailand, one guy almost ground to a halt because he couldn't turn the pedals anymore, didn't manage to get his foot unclipped in time and fell off.
Tip 8 - Recover & Drink
If you do have any flat sections, use them to recover and take in some much needed oxygen and fluids.
It's way harder to grab your water bottle when cycling uphill, so use ANY opportunity that you have.
Tip 9 - Break the Climb into Smaller Goals
I guess this tip is more applicable to the longer climbs.
I remember going up the Col de Joux Plane in the French Alps on my mountain bike thinking I've got another 12k of this to go.
Breaking the climb down into smaller goals helped take my mind off the huge challenge in front of me.
Tip 10 - Hand Position
When we're on the flat we want to be as aero as possible, and of course going uphill we still want to reduce our drag. Every little helps.
On the flat we may be using aero bars in a triathlon or time trial, or the drops for a normal road day, but uphill it's more comfortable to use the hoods or the tops of the bar.
Using the hoods is quite comfortable and opens up your chest a bit to allow more oxygen to come in. I also find that having my hands on the top bars is comfortable, easy and relaxed and gives a different riding position. Try to use a light grip with your upper body muscles relaxed and not stressed as this will expend more energy.
If you're on a long climb, moving your hand position occasionally to prevent numbness and shift the upper body position is a good way to relieve pressure and tension.
If you do have your hands on the tops, try to avoid "pulling" the bike towards you as you push the pedals,. Doing this will use a lot more energy and your upper body will get tired quickly.
Marco Pantani often used to use the drops when he would launch one of his blistering attacks - but more often than not even the pros will use the hoods.
Tip 11 - Lose Weight
Ok, this one requires a bit more time and willpower - but the lighter you are the easier it is to climb.
The results from a study by bicycling.com highlight the difference.
How about the time saved?
on the 6-mile climb the lighter rider would save 30 seconds
on the 2 mile climb the lighter rider would save 40 seconds.
In this book, The Secret Race, Tyler Hamilton stated that losing weight was the best way to gain time in preparation for the Tour de France - which if you know his story is quite a statement!
Tip 12 - Use Lighter Equipment
If you don't wanna give up the cake and beer and have a bit (or a lot) of spare cash, then investing in lighter equipment will also help.
Lighter frames and lighter wheels are two options, but even things like lighter bottles, what you pack in your saddle bag and how many bananas you take with you can all have an effect!
The UCI rule for professionals is 6.8kg. In comparison, my BTwin Triban 520 weighs 10.21 kg.
So there are your 12 tips, but we have one more....
A special bonus tip from the legend Chris Froome...
Bonus Tip - If all else fails, run!
Just like Chris did on Mont Ventoux in 2017! EPIC!
The Final Word
I hope these 12 tips have given you some extra confidence and motivation for the next time you take on a big climb!
For me, the two key things are maintaining a steady and sustainable pace and using a low gear to pedal with a high cadence. I'm naturally more fitter than stronger in my legs.
For you guys, think about how long the climb is and what pace you can hold for the time it takes to go up. If you blow a gasket going up a hill it going to be a long old ride!
How about you? Any other tips that you have? Let us know!
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