A few years ago when I was training for my first Ironman, a friend who was a much faster cyclist took me on a training ride on a route I wasn’t familiar with. At one point, as we came to the top of a fairly steep hill and I was struggling to keep up, he turned to me and said, “You know, that was the last hill, until the next one.”
I’m pretty sure he was TRYING to be annoying (it worked), but over the years, it’s become one of the things I tell myself as I’m climbing a tough hill on my bike, knowing there are more to come on my route that day. Mental tools are just a part of knowing how to effectively incorporate and conquer hill climbing into your bike workouts. Let’s take a look at a few other components.
GEARING: It’s important to be in the right gear at the start of a climb to set yourself up well and also pace yourself appropriately. As you’re approaching a hill of any size or grade, make sure you’re already pedaling at your typical comfortable flat road cadence, rather than coasting into the hill. Maintain this cadence as you start to ascend, shifting into easier gears as you need to as the incline steepens. This avoids starting to pedal at the bottom and finding yourself A) in way too hard of a gear and suddenly having to grind a low cadence or even stand, or B) in way too easy of a gear and spinning your legs wildly – both of which disrupt your momentum and make it more difficult to ride smoothly up the hill.
SIT OR STAND? My personal preference is to remain seated during climbs, especially long, steady ones. Your cadence may drop from that initial flat road number, but keeping it relatively high and maintaining a rhythm while staying in the saddle is a very manageable way to conquer a long, steady uphill road while also saving energy. If the hill you’re climbing is fairly short, or you’re in a race looking to pass another cyclist, or you’re going for a Strava segment PR, you can come out of the saddle briefly and power your way to the top. Or, if the hill is so steep that you’re in your lowest gear and your cadence is dropping so low you’re afraid you might just straight up fall over (Mt. Archer, anyone?), you can come out of the saddle and perhaps alternate sitting and standing for several pedal strokes each until you get to the top.
Speaking of super steep hills, you may find yourself weaving a bit and struggling to ride straight, especially if you’re standing. This can be a concern if there’s traffic passing by and you need to stay as close to the side of the road as possible. Here, it’s important to practice good technique. Keep your upper body as relaxed as possible, with low shoulders and a light grip on the bars, while you focus on a smooth pedal stroke all the way around. Constant shifts in your upper body will dictate how the bike moves, pulling you out of that straight line.
MENTAL TIPS: As with most areas of training, exercise, and life, staying mentally focused can help you conquer a hill just as much as any of the technical aspects. A consistent breathing pattern, emphasizing full breaths and maybe corresponding them with your pedal strokes, can establish a rhythm to focus on to take your mind off how much of the hill is left. Noting landmarks, such as a side road or telephone poles, can help your mind break the hill into smaller chunks. Mantras or words of encouragement, whether in your head or muttered out loud, can urge you to keep going – a simple “you got this,” “you’re halfway done,” or even, “this is your last hill…until the next one!”
BONUS ADVICE: When you get to the top, don’t stop! Keep pedaling and shift gears to return to your flat road cadence as soon as you can, and let your legs ride off the burn and continue to work through it as your heart rate drops back down. In the words of the training platform TrainerRoad, “the burn is your friend!”
HOW TO GET BETTER? Practice! Ride up hills! Hill repeats are an excellent way to improve any of the above – finding the right gear, your preference for sitting or standing, and good technique and posture. If you dread or fear hill climbing right now, that’s a clear sign to get out there and do it! Not only will you become a stronger cyclist, your confidence will grow and, like me, you’ll begin to actually look forward to incorporating hills into your training.
Do you enjoy hill climbing? What’s the hardest hill you’ve ever ridden? What other questions do you have?
Happy riding and hammer the hills!