Climbing mountains is
one of the most beautiful parts of the sport of cycling. Hard, but immensely
rewarding. But it's always nice to go a little bit faster, isn't it? So, with
that in mind, here are five tips to let you go faster, without the need to
get any fitter uphill.
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1.GET YOUR HEAD ON GEAR :
First up, many elements of cycling are simply a mental
thing. None more so, in fact, than climbing mountains. It's going to hurt. You
might as well just accept that. As the old saying goes, it doesn't get any
easier, you just get faster. - Yeah, it's mind over matter, really. And, just
as important as getting in the right gear is getting your head in gear. And
once you accept that it's gonna hurt, it'll actually hurt far less. Embrace the
pain, embrace the lactic, and you'll soon be one step ahead of your previous
self.
2.USE RIGHT GEAR :
Your gearing is still very important. The pain you're
experiencing shouldn't be knee tendon it is because you're pedaling at 40
revolutions per minute. Even the professionals are fitting easier gears these
days. You're more likely to be able to ride to your optimal power if you're at
your optimal cadence. So get yourself a compact chain set, combined with a 32
at the rear, and you'll almost always have the optimal gear to use. No matter
what the gradient, no more grinding away.
3.VARY YOUR POSITION :
What's better for climbing: in the saddle or out of the
saddle? It's an impossible question to answer because what works for some,
doesn't for others. However, what we would suggest, is spending around 95% of
your time in the saddle, but deliberately getting out of the saddle every so
often. Just use slightly different muscle groups and give your other muscles a
break. Yeah, so try knocking it down a
gear or two, getting out of the saddle for around 10 seconds. You don't
actually need to put any extra power through the bike at all. Once the 10
seconds are up, sit back down in the saddle and get back into your rhythm. You
may actually find this gives you an extra mental break, as well as a physical
one. It certainly works for lots of people.
4.LOSE SOME WEIGHT :
Losing weight often
comes as a result of training really hard and, therefore, getting fitter. But
you can also lose weight without getting fitter at all. And that is well worth
it. If you're somebody with a little bit
of weight to lose, you could be quite literally sitting on some potential speed
gains. So, lose those extra pounds or kilos and go faster uphill with the same
power.
5.DON'T START OFF TOO FAST :
Pacing yourself up a big mountain is crucial if you really
want to get to the top as fast as you possibly can. The trouble is, it's always
so tempting to really hit the start of the climb very hard, because you're so
excited about getting there. But make sure you don't do that because if you go
into the zone, you will pay for it the rest of the way up. Start steady and
make sure you leave plenty of reserve for the last half. Also, you need to make
sure you pay attention to how much you do even before you get to the climb because
the more energy you can save, the more power you'll have on the climb itself.
So, take things nice and steady, or just sit in the wheels.
So these are the five
tips for getting faster on climbs without actually getting any fitter: number
one, get your head in gear. Number two, use the right gears, number three, lose
some weight. - Number four; vary your position, and number five, don't start
off on the climb too fast, i.e. pace yourself.
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