Ways To Develop Your Bike Climbing Proficiency

Some ascents during bicycle tours are smooth and effortless, while others make you feel as if you're wrestling a 1000-pound Walrus. The key, always, is rhythm. Here's how to find yours on any slope – from gentle rise to Alpe d'Huez.

Short & Steep

Sharp inclines are best tackled aggressively.

• Start in the same gear as on the flats, but be prepared to shift quickly and often to maintain cadence.
• Depending upon the climb length, you'll either stand the whole time or alternate seated and standing. Stand when the gradient pitches up and sit when it backs off a notch, but keep the cadence consistent.
• Go hard and conquer these pitches as quickly as possible.
• Maintain a lower than normal cadence of 60 to 70 rpm. Spinning will cost you momentum on the steps. You want to hammer the pedals.
• Stand in the attack position, hands on hoods, body couched. If seated, put your hands on the bar tops to open your chest and slide back slightly in the seat for maximum pedaling leverage during bicycle tours.

Rollers

You'll go fast on rolling terrain if you maintain gearing and cadence as much as possible.

• Keep your hands on the hoods just as you would on the flats. Remain seated until your cadence drops by about 5 rpm, then stand. Don't sit until your standing cadence drops another 5 rpm.
• Attack the bottom of the roller at the same intensity as on the flats, but gradually increase the effort as you ascend. The ensuring descent allows you recover while maintaining speed.
• Try to spin at 70 to 90 rpm. You'll certainly get bogged down if you drop too low, however, you'll unnecessarily lose momentum if you go too high.
• Stay in the gear in which you began climbing for as long as possible. Shift down only to keep your cadence steady. Make sure you shift up a gear to power over the top when you can see over the crest.

Keep in mind that you make use of rollers as unstructured intervals during bicycle tours. Pushing to the limit on one roller only to have to recover quickly for another will give you the ability to respond to attacks or put in your own double kick.