Global Cycling Network I like to internally sing, "Just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling" a la Dory (Finding Nemo) or I pep talk my way up, "You got this. Keep going" or talk down 😉, "Is this all? You're better than this. Come on."
If Simon had presented this video he would have also given the advice to clean your bike. The dirt on your bike is extra weight that makes climbing harder.
I prefer sitting on the saddle actually. Also, pacing yourself really is a good point. I usually start climbing slower and speed up by time. I can watch your videos whole day but I need to go for a ridee 😁 Good day everyone
My 2 cents particularly for short steep climbs. Lean forward to move your center of gravity forwards when climbing. This redistributes weight from rear wheel. Don't pedal fast (raises heart rate) but carefully select lower resistance gear . Emphasis on strength and low cadence when climbing. If you are descending before climbing or on fairly level road speedup up before climbing. This generates momentum that will propel you uphill for some time. So bigger guys will generate a greater momentum given similar speeds with other riders. While going up the short climb with the momentum generated continue pedaling but gradually adjust gears to lower resistance. These techniques have worked for me and would help folks that feel they are they are big.
Riding as many hills as possible is key, and on big climbs I use my HR monitor to stop myself over cooking my effort. Where possible I try not to go over 85% of my maximum HR, I find I can lower my HR by backing off slightly and concentrating on breathing deeply and steadily. Obviously there are always steeper sections where you have to put in a bigger effort, but that makes it even more vital to recover when you can. It's served me well, I've done Ventoux in 1 hour 58, Sa Calobra in 47 minutes and the Fred Whitton route in 7 hours 30.
You can push your limits way harder than you think. I can hold an average heartrate of 195bpm for 20min on a climb(whilst I'm building up lactate from 175bpm), but I need to get their slowly, if you go slowly to around your max heartrate, you can stay they a very long time. If however you sprint to around your max heartrate, you can hold it for 1min if you are lucky... So if you want to climb faster, don't think that you need to have a lower heartrate, you can perfectly do it at a high heartrate, just get their slowly, and give your body time to adapt to the climb, and you'll see you can do way more then you think
Jarne De Prins Yeah, interesting to see my avg heart rate shoot up to 187 for 40min on a steady climb where as I would be knackered within 8minutes if I hold that hr in a crit.
Jro G, yes, it does depend on the hill, on a steady climb it works, when it is constantly changing from 12% to 3% to 15% to whatever, it isn't going to work, but still, going slowly to a higher heartrate, will make it able for you to stay longer on that heartrate, then when you sprint to that heartrate
+許嘉宇 yeah indeed, on a flat it is way harder to sustain high heartrates than on a climb, I think that also is because you don't sustain the same effort as well as on a steady climb, on a flat you have what more difference in the effort, corners you need to brake for, wind that changes and has more influence... Often on a flat you also sprint more to a high HR...
Brilliant. Thank you. I am on the wrong side of 40 years old and the wrong side of 80kg so hills are my nemesis. I will put some of this advice into practice sessions before the London 100. Leith Hill is a killer.
Did a small climb of 130 mtrs to try out your tips ( never climbed this before) , made it with moderate effort with a cheap cycle ( btwin riverside 120).Thanks 😁👍
Ou I know where you filmed that episode: It was the road to the cap de formentor on mallorca :) I love that tour, especially because of the nice climbs and downhills :D
Living in Yorkshire we are arguably blessed with some of the greatest hills in the country. Hill reps from standing starts are what I consider the best way to get used to hill climbs. X3 standing starts at Bulmer Bank, X 4 at Terrington Bigger hills like White horse, Sutton, and Rosedale chimney are always good to do but, only as single climbs with gradients being 25 and 30 plus % I started doing hill work on the Mountain bike being heavier and its worked for me when I change to my training bike or road bike its certainly been much easier so, heavy mountain bike has been the best way to get really good and fitter on hillsI also use roads across rail lines/ bridges to do X 10 maximal efforts. One near me is a minute in duration from base to top and after ten you know you have done some work
I’m an older cyclist. I need to pace myself regardless of the speed. Like Simon says to get out of the saddle to stretch your legs a bit. I stay on the saddle for most of the climb. I even stop and stretch and relieves some of the tightening.
I find the first 100m of a climb are the most painful when you transition from spin to power. I find a few rotations out of the saddle calms the legs down.
Tried to climb Mount Teidie last week so this video would of been useful. That is if I wasn't old over weight and undertrained. Still at least I tried.
Yep, I've gone from about 270# to about 215# and it is amazing how much easier it is to climb. I'll never compete in the world tour, but if I can be the first to the coffee shop, that's a win for me.
1. Go up a steep hill in your lowest gear, say 34-28. 2. Rest for a day 3. Repeat steps 1& 2 a few times 4. Go up in the next gear, say 34-25 ... and so on.
Finally the snow and ice melted and stopped raining, so I went out and was TOTALLY dead on the first hill, well, it was not even hill, it's 3 minute long almost flat hillock and when I decided to go up the saddle I immediately fell on the saddle again. :-)
This video was filmed on the route from Puerto Pollença to Cap de Formentor. Probably my favourite climb in the world, even more so than Sa Calobra to the top of the Coll dels Reis.
One thing I find helps me get up climbs is to know the climb, to know where it will hurt, to know where any potholes are and most importantly, to know when it's over. It doesn't change the climb, but it changes my mindset and things just seem easier.
Wear a cap under your helmet, with the peak down obviously!, so you can't see the top of the climb. This means you aren't fixating on how far it is to the top and can just enjoy the experience.
I would agree that they are geared too high for most people on solo rides. But I find that I use the bottom half of the cassette quite a bit on fast group rides. And I'm no powerhouse.
ShameTactics: Good point. most road bikes are over geared for the average rider. I climb regularly up a 8% average gradient. 34-28 is not low enough for my 200 or so watts. I am just about comfortable on a 30-28 or 34-32. Sometimes I am even down to 30-32 on a bad day.
They did it already! Forgot the title of the video but they compared the climbing cadences of Nairo Quintana (smasher) and Froom (spinner) in back to back tests
Well...... Quintana won the Vuelta with his 70rpm's up the climbs... and outclimbed Froom in several stages there even though Froom is a big time spinner..... sooooooooooo yeah, i think it does depend on the rider. I cannot, for the sake of me, climb smashing, i have to spin, otherwise i am dead before the climb even gets interesting
Again, every single person will have a different opinion on it. I do not think there is a one-size fits all. I literally just gave 2 examples of rider who are at the top of the pro peloton and use 2 completely different techniques... goes to show it really depends on the rider. I trash my legs pretty quickly when i try to smash uphills, so for me smashing is not an option. Plus, if you are on a 4-5 mile climb that will take you 20-30 minutes, Do you really want to smash a heavy gear at 60rpm for that long? I think that'd blow my knees out of my legs
When i first got on a road bike i used to mash just because my legs were used to that, the next year i improved cadence (on flat also) and now i prefer to spin. My legs felt stronger when i mashed but i was actually a lot slower for the whole course.
I never have a problem with gear selection. After the road ramps up anything above 5% I`m in the smallest gear possible. I can also pace myself exceedingly well as I only have one pace - sloooooooooow
I see some comments of a bigger cassettes up to 40 teeth. I know mountain bikes can have a 10-40, but then that only works for single chainset. Is it possible to have a 52/36 chainset at the front and 10/40 cassette at the back? It would mean greater power on the flat and descents as 52F/10R is more powerful than 53F/11R, and a great way for heavier riders to do the tough mountains at the lower gears.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the technique of riding no hands and pushing on your thighs, though if the hill's too steep you may wobble and fall over. It's good for 5-10% hills - the happy medium between wind resistance and falling over.
Let us know your tips for making climbing easier 👇
Global Cycling Network separate the climb into checkpoints
Global Cycling Network I like to internally sing, "Just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling" a la Dory (Finding Nemo) or I pep talk my way up, "You got this. Keep going" or talk down 😉, "Is this all? You're better than this. Come on."
I do "just 100 more pedal revs" and count them down, then when I'm done, start the cycle all over again.
Global Cycling Network Watching the training with GCN videos
The only way to make climbing easier is to climb regularly. "Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades."-Eddy Merckx
If Simon had presented this video he would have also given the advice to clean your bike. The dirt on your bike is extra weight that makes climbing harder.
Here's my comment of the week nomination
geryon comment of the week right here
geryon and the important of wd-40
LOL..
That look of astonishment on Dan's face when Matt says "Your ass will follow". Priceless
Dan must not be familiar. Gotta love the Funkadelics.
I am honestly absolutely sickened by how easy you make climbing look.
Me too, it looks realy easy for them!!!
just remember they can give their all while on camera but I bet they collapse just around the corner or when out of shot ;)
if they gave their all they would not really be able to talk as easy as they do.
well if you are a world class cyclist then why not?
the4horseman they can edit the voice tho
As "it never gets easier, you just go faster", shouldn't this the video be called "Climbing Made Marginally Less Slow"?
Tips:
1. Dont stop
2. Cycle slowly
3. Try to accelerate when you're going further
I prefer sitting on the saddle actually. Also, pacing yourself really is a good point. I usually start climbing slower and speed up by time. I can watch your videos whole day but I need to go for a ridee 😁 Good day everyone
My 2 cents particularly for short steep climbs. Lean forward to move your center of gravity forwards when climbing. This redistributes weight from rear wheel. Don't pedal fast (raises heart rate) but carefully select lower resistance gear . Emphasis on strength and low cadence when climbing. If you are descending before climbing or on fairly level road speedup up before climbing. This generates momentum that will propel you uphill for some time. So bigger guys will generate a greater momentum given similar speeds with other riders. While going up the short climb with the momentum generated continue pedaling but gradually adjust gears to lower resistance. These techniques have worked for me and would help folks that feel they are they are big.
4:02 Matt: 'Free your mind, and your ass will follow.'
Dan with his facial expression: 'What the hell is this guy talking about.'
Riding as many hills as possible is key, and on big climbs I use my HR monitor to stop myself over cooking my effort. Where possible I try not to go over 85% of my maximum HR, I find I can lower my HR by backing off slightly and concentrating on breathing deeply and steadily. Obviously there are always steeper sections where you have to put in a bigger effort, but that makes it even more vital to recover when you can. It's served me well, I've done Ventoux in 1 hour 58, Sa Calobra in 47 minutes and the Fred Whitton route in 7 hours 30.
Did Matt really reference Funkadelic? What a legend!
Did not see that coming. Briliant
You can push your limits way harder than you think. I can hold an average heartrate of 195bpm for 20min on a climb(whilst I'm building up lactate from 175bpm), but I need to get their slowly, if you go slowly to around your max heartrate, you can stay they a very long time. If however you sprint to around your max heartrate, you can hold it for 1min if you are lucky...
So if you want to climb faster, don't think that you need to have a lower heartrate, you can perfectly do it at a high heartrate, just get their slowly, and give your body time to adapt to the climb, and you'll see you can do way more then you think
Jarne De Prins Yeah, interesting to see my avg heart rate shoot up to 187 for 40min on a steady climb where as I would be knackered within 8minutes if I hold that hr in a crit.
Jarne De Prins I think it depends on the hill...
Jro G, yes, it does depend on the hill, on a steady climb it works, when it is constantly changing from 12% to 3% to 15% to whatever, it isn't going to work, but still, going slowly to a higher heartrate, will make it able for you to stay longer on that heartrate, then when you sprint to that heartrate
+許嘉宇 yeah indeed, on a flat it is way harder to sustain high heartrates than on a climb, I think that also is because you don't sustain the same effort as well as on a steady climb, on a flat you have what more difference in the effort, corners you need to brake for, wind that changes and has more influence... Often on a flat you also sprint more to a high HR...
yeah, my heart doesn't do 195bpm
0:38 to 0:53--viewer note: No slow motion used, that's Dan in real time.
Brilliant. Thank you. I am on the wrong side of 40 years old and the wrong side of 80kg so hills are my nemesis. I will put some of this advice into practice sessions before the London 100. Leith Hill is a killer.
Did a small climb of 130 mtrs to try out your tips ( never climbed this before) , made it with moderate effort with a cheap cycle ( btwin riverside 120).Thanks 😁👍
Cap de Formentor - i love this route a lot
3.41 Creak, creak, creak.
FSA
3:41
Im mainly a sprinter but this video helps cause i have a race with a 15 km climb this video really helps and great video
Ou I know where you filmed that episode: It was the road to the cap de formentor on mallorca :) I love that tour, especially because of the nice climbs and downhills :D
Thumbs up for the funkadelic !!!!!
GCN videos from years ago are much better and informative than what they have nowadays
Turn the pedals and you will reach the top :)
Excellent Fundadelic reference. *Raises hoof in salute*
Living in Yorkshire we are arguably blessed with some of the greatest hills in the country. Hill reps from standing starts are what I consider the best way to get used to hill climbs. X3 standing starts at Bulmer Bank, X 4 at Terrington Bigger hills like White horse, Sutton, and Rosedale chimney are always good to do but, only as single climbs with gradients being 25 and 30 plus % I started doing hill work on the Mountain bike being heavier and its worked for me when I change to my training bike or road bike its certainly been much easier so, heavy mountain bike has been the best way to get really good and fitter on hillsI also use roads across rail lines/ bridges to do X 10 maximal efforts. One near me is a minute in duration from base to top and after ten you know you have done some work
The quoting of Funkadelic has made me an even bigger fan!!
I’m an older cyclist. I need to pace myself regardless of the speed. Like Simon says to get out of the saddle to stretch your legs a bit. I stay on the saddle for most of the climb. I even stop and stretch and relieves some of the tightening.
I find the first 100m of a climb are the most painful when you transition from spin to power. I find a few rotations out of the saddle calms the legs down.
Where I live all I ever get to do is climb most of the time. I sure wish I had a flat place to ride for once.
Love the Funkadelic reference!
Surely hand position should feature on this. Moving hands from the Hoods to the Tops makes a massive difference for me!
Dan's reaction at 4:01 is priceless.
Nice!!! Really dig the Funkadelic quote! a clone of Dr. Funkenstein right there!
Tried to climb Mount Teidie last week so this video would of been useful. That is if I wasn't old over weight and undertrained. Still at least I tried.
You make it look so easy. Thank you for all the tips. I watch you guys all the time.
I love the climbs more than descends because it's kinda scary when it's too steep and it's dangerous
Drop 50 lbs, and your friends.
So weigh significantly less than 100 lbs, skeletal perhaps?
Yep, I've gone from about 270# to about 215# and it is amazing how much easier it is to climb.
I'll never compete in the world tour, but if I can be the first to the coffee shop, that's a win for me.
New to biking this really helped!!
Nothing is better than the vintage videos!
1. Go up a steep hill in your lowest gear, say 34-28.
2. Rest for a day
3. Repeat steps 1& 2 a few times
4. Go up in the next gear, say 34-25 ... and so on.
get a bigger cassette 34-40teeth.
Get an ebike zipp up hills all day long
I humbly climb off my bike & walk it, I don't have stamina nor power yet 😂👍
the one who did the Film editing
he/she did a great job!!!
Finally the snow and ice melted and stopped raining, so I went out and was TOTALLY dead on the first hill, well, it was not even hill, it's 3 minute long almost flat hillock and when I decided to go up the saddle I immediately fell on the saddle again. :-)
Subbed for the funkadelic shoutout. I really need to work on climbing
Dan, love your Trek bike with all the hidden cables. Nice clean lines!
Bit of a tangent but I think that ride to Formentor is my favourite ride anywhere (that I've been)
Love the P Funk! Does Matt bring the hipness or what!
That Trek bike is the Best ever, i love my Madone Trek Factory bike, and so beatyful 🇩🇰❤️👍
And the Road to the CAP is awesome
Even though the tips are kinda repetitive, improving on the quality and flow of the video is well appreciated!
This video was filmed on the route from Puerto Pollença to Cap de Formentor. Probably my favourite climb in the world, even more so than Sa Calobra to the top of the Coll dels Reis.
Must be so packed now, I won't even try to imagine that.
How about making a video on tricks for climbing, such as, where to position your weight and breathing technique
One thing I find helps me get up climbs is to know the climb, to know where it will hurt, to know where any potholes are and most importantly, to know when it's over. It doesn't change the climb, but it changes my mindset and things just seem easier.
Wow, these tips are really helpful, I loved cycling today, I could climb for longer and faster, thank you very much for these tips😄👊😄😄👍👍
Thanks team for the excellent tips. Love the channel. Regards from Australia 🇦🇺
I love cap formentor... 😊
Visual quality of the videos has really improved 👏🏼
You mentioned "Funkadelic'"! That's good enough or me to go find some hills!
Wear a cap under your helmet, with the peak down obviously!, so you can't see the top of the climb. This means you aren't fixating on how far it is to the top and can just enjoy the experience.
You have to love the sound of those first 7 seconds of the video
Woww awesome will do it today
use a powermeter to pace - carb the fuck up - spin to win - smash your mates up any climb
Durianrider is going to be triggered by the cadence part
me too... "spin to win!"... lol :D
"Cadence is king!"
let's stop mentioning that guy all the time.
I would agree that they are geared too high for most people on solo rides. But I find that I use the bottom half of the cassette quite a bit on fast group rides. And I'm no powerhouse.
ShameTactics: Good point. most road bikes are over geared for the average rider. I climb regularly up a 8% average gradient. 34-28 is not low enough for my 200 or so watts. I am just about comfortable on a 30-28 or 34-32. Sometimes I am even down to 30-32 on a bad day.
Is this the ride to cap formentor from pollensa?
the gcn kit looks pretty bling in this video
While climbing is it better to just spin or mash? Maybe a video comparing the 2 is in order?
They did it already! Forgot the title of the video but they compared the climbing cadences of Nairo Quintana (smasher) and Froom (spinner) in back to back tests
and they found in that test that it depends on the rider, but i say, spinners are winners :P
Well...... Quintana won the Vuelta with his 70rpm's up the climbs... and outclimbed Froom in several stages there even though Froom is a big time spinner..... sooooooooooo yeah, i think it does depend on the rider. I cannot, for the sake of me, climb smashing, i have to spin, otherwise i am dead before the climb even gets interesting
Again, every single person will have a different opinion on it. I do not think there is a one-size fits all. I literally just gave 2 examples of rider who are at the top of the pro peloton and use 2 completely different techniques... goes to show it really depends on the rider. I trash my legs pretty quickly when i try to smash uphills, so for me smashing is not an option. Plus, if you are on a 4-5 mile climb that will take you 20-30 minutes, Do you really want to smash a heavy gear at 60rpm for that long? I think that'd blow my knees out of my legs
When i first got on a road bike i used to mash just because my legs were used to that, the next year i improved cadence (on flat also) and now i prefer to spin. My legs felt stronger when i mashed but i was actually a lot slower for the whole course.
I flipping love those red shoes,I want them and I want them now!
95 cadence in the saddle. Spinning=Winning A Funkadelic reference too! Yes! 😀
I pedal at an average cadence of 90rpm. Select gears to suit and dont try and strain.
Loving Matt's 'I'm a little teapot...' stance at 1:01
Another great video. Thumbs up lads 👍
3:56 his reaction
What works for me is alternating my routes to avoid climbing at all costs. I have been getting much faster this way.
Thanks good points.....
after watching Lasty's videos and enjoyed the expressions on his face I couldn't wait to go find some climbing pain
“Free your mind and your ass will follow”😄. Weird saying. I certainly practiced. Thanks. Bc honestly I never knew up until now
Staring at road in front of wheel and cotroliing breath really helps
Wouldn't rather than a straight uphill route, taking a switchback zigzag help? Or an ebike.
I need to continue training. My mind is free, but my ass keeps bonking and getting dropped!
Can you guys make a video on wheel balancing and its benefits?
I don't understand why they said that it doesn't matter if you are in or out of the saddle? Isn't it true that standing is anaerobic?
Matt: 10 out of 10 for your matching skills.
Great tips as always GCN
An awful lot of creaking at the end of the video. Did you guys peddle so hard up that climb that you blew out your bottom brackets?
Whats with the noisy bike Dan? End of shoot (3:45) creak,creak,creak, looked to match your cadence rather than Matt's knees!
Pollensa -> Cap Formentor for sure! 👌
what is the best way to climb with a beach Cruisier and a seven speed ?
I’d like to know what items are essential for a hill climbing bike. No pace / stand up etc. Want a bike instructional on WHY this bike works better!
That quote was En Vogue and you know it! ... ' Free your mind and the rest will follow ' (^_^) ... much thanks for the vid!
Dan's face when Matt misquoted that song LOL
I never have a problem with gear selection. After the road ramps up anything above 5% I`m in the smallest gear possible. I can also pace myself exceedingly well as I only have one pace - sloooooooooow
Matt, did you get that Funkadelic quote from your 8-track tape collection?
Nice tips
I find standing up can sometimes make you go faster...
Depends on the hill
Sounds like a BB or crank arm/axel interface on Matts 🚲 needs attention........ 👍
I'm in good cardiovascular I like to climb my bike also
Are those the new Pro aero bars where the cables are routed through the inside of the bars? Wasn't seeing any cables on the cockpit.
I see some comments of a bigger cassettes up to 40 teeth. I know mountain bikes can have a 10-40, but then that only works for single chainset. Is it possible to have a 52/36 chainset at the front and 10/40 cassette at the back? It would mean greater power on the flat and descents as 52F/10R is more powerful than 53F/11R, and a great way for heavier riders to do the tough mountains at the lower gears.
Thank you for all the tips my climbing is much faster now
im pretty much out of saddle 24/7 on long climbs on fixed
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the technique of riding no hands and pushing on your thighs, though if the hill's too steep you may wobble and fall over. It's good for 5-10% hills - the happy medium between wind resistance and falling over.
Back when traditional rim brakes existed. Oh how I miss those days