A hypothetical question was posed among some of my cycling buddies, “What’s The One Aspect of Cycling Do You Dread Working on The Most?” Their collective response was unanimous, they all pointed towards climbing hills. Like my cycling buddies, many dread just the mere mention of climbing a hill on a bike. However, it really is not that big of a deal. Climbing can be broken down into three simple phases: Mentally Prepare for the Climb, Shifting & Gearing, and Breathing.
“Mentally Preparing for the Climb” starts with you the cyclist accepting the fact that there is a hill coming up ahead and I am going to successfully climb it. As a previous collegiate athlete, my Coach usually utters “Being a Great Sprinter is 90% Mental.” In other words, in all that we do, a large portion of our success is locked up in our psychological disposition or strength.
A sound belief in yourself and your abilities is paramount to your success. As a result, thinking positive, staying positive, and surrounding yourself with positive energy is of the essence. Any hill can be conquered, it all depends if you the cyclist will unlock the mental fortitude to get over it.
“Shifting & Gearing” is your ability to accurately combine reading the terrain and getting your bike in the right gear base on your cadence or wattage output. For example, we all have a comfort zone in which we would like to spin. That comfort zone has been established through our fitness level and your ability to evenly distribute your oxygen. As a result, when approaching a hill, physically your body would like to maintain this cadence level, but due to gravitational resistance, it will become difficult. It is at this point that shifting should start taking place. Focus on maintaining your cadence level and make the adjustment in your gearing. As you get stronger as a cyclist, you will find that you will be climbing with smaller gears if you follow this process.
Let me caution you to premature/early shifting. Premature shifting is the cyclist that goes to the highest gear as soon as they spot a hill. Whether the hill is a mile or half a mile away, just the site of the hill sends some cyclists into a shifting frenzy. You can recognize premature shifting when one’s cadence is way too fast for the terrain. Don’t be afraid to try smaller gears. However, if you are in doubt, follow your cadence comfort level.
As basic as it may seem, many cyclists forget to breathe. Remember, cycling is an endurance sport where effectively managing your energy output is your biggest asset. By not breathing, you are cutting off oxygen stimuli from vital organs and muscles. Hence, causing an oxygen deprivation chain reaction that will leave you feeling exhausted on a climb.
Personally, I use my breathing as a rhythm to climbing and I adjust my cycling stroke
to the sound of my breathing. This works great for me, but it may not be so for others.
Many cyclists ride along with their music and that works for them as well. However,
be cautious about riding with ear-
