Very useful tips. Thanks guys. Just 2 weeks ago I suceeded in a climb which I had been avoiding because it was 5 nil up (ie 5 attempts 5 fails). It was from Tintern up past the Fountain Inn and up through Parkhouse. There is one bit near the top that goes real steep. Last week I managed a 15% out of Tryleg towards the Narth (score now me 2 hill 1) 25 Years ago I managed the 17% hill above St Arvans and the 17% Star hill (I walk that now as too steep). The Lydarts is 3 - 2 up so far. The worst that happenned to me was 20 years ago riding my recumbent up a steep bit and changing gear to the big sprocket it over changed and jambed. I fell of right on my coccyx. Sitting was painfull for over a month after.
@@Andy_ATB Who said anything about an open road and traffic? Sticking to the inside radius of your lane results in a steeper gradient than if you rode on the outer radius of your lane - not onto the other side of the road into oncoming traffic (though if the road is closed (eg. during a gran fondo), going all the way over to the other side of the road is the best solution.
Great video guys! As a former bodybuilder, I discovered those who try and train to impress go nowhere! If you have to walk a bit, who cares. You're biking to get and stay healthy. Stay well guys!
Best way to train climbs, live in a hilly area :D. I live in a superflat area in northern east-flanders, when going on a holiday in Germany me and my brother were on a climb fully out of breath, gasping for air, when this schoolgirl happely crossed us on her schoolbike with no issues at al :D
I wouldn’t disagree as climbing is the best way to get better at climbing but there’s a reason why there are many great climbers from flat places: wind. Look at Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault (northern France). Fighting against headwinds increases your power which improves your climbing ability. You can also try and find a shorter incline and just go up it and down it to approximately simulate a longer hill.
Bonus tip: for the 25%+ climbs, try to place your center of gravity over your bottom bracket. This helps to prevent your front wheel raising off the ground whilst minimising rear wheel spin (loss of traction).
@@alamogiftshop Think you have got your maths a little wrong here fella. You divide the elevation gain (“rise”) by the horizontal distance covered (“run”), then multiply by 100 to get a percentage. Example: If you climb 50 meters vertically over a 1,000 meter stretch, the grade is (50/1000) × 100 = 5%. A road that climbs 10 m over 100 m has a 10% grade, and so on. By this same logic, a 10% grade would be a 45° slope (rising one unit for every one unit forward). A 14% gradient would be very steep (not '"only 14%" to ANYONE!!). But if you are a 'racer' then clearly not likely to be average! *** And this: Alto de l'Angliru (Spain): A climb so steep it’s become mythical in pro cycling, the Angliru averages around 10% over 12.5 km and maxes out at an unbelievable 23-24% gradient in sections. Used in the Vuelta a España, it is considered one of the most demanding road climbs in the world.
One part of me enjoys climbing. It’s a great way to clear your mind of anything else you may be thinking about at the time. Any stresses in life seem to go away when your only goal is to get to the top. I also have no option as I live in the South Wales Valleys, which are called that for a good reason.
One trick I use for steep climbs sometimes is, I use a slightly heavier gear and I do an odd number of hard downstrokes (usually 3 or 5) out of the saddle, then stop pedaling until the bike almost comes to a stop, which usually takes 1-3 seconds, depending on the gradient. Then I restart the same process. I find that those few seconds are enough to give my muscles some relief, and odd number is important to alternate between each leg to rest/resume.
Just bought an new 11-42T rear sprocket along with rear derailleur for the hills. Whilst I can get up the hills in Cornwall there are just so many of them. This way I should be able to enjoy longer rides as they won't sap so much energy.
@@gcn That was an absolute nightmare. I have 10 speed Tiagra 4700 shifters. Just my luck to find out they use an 11 speed shift pattern. I spent 2 days on and off scratching my head trying to figure out why I couldn't index the gears properly to find some n*tjob at Shimano had an alleged bright idea. If anyone else has the misfortune of the Tiagra 4700 system and wants to slap an 11-42T sprocket on then the Shimano GRX-RX400 derailleur works. Really pleased with the outcome though. I cycled up a mile long hill and my heart rate was 118 rather than 155 from previous attempts so it was worth the grief.
For really steep short sections 25% or so (when you have no more gears), you can do the "out of the saddle, weave at every stroke" climbing. I.e. At one out of the saddle stroke you tilt the front wheel to the left and for the next to the right. It is like the weave, without needing all the road, actually you will not need much more space as when going straight up. You will not make as much vertical distance for every stroke, which eases the gradient you experience. For me this is good for about 2 chainrings in gearing.
My tip... (we ride tandem) try to persuade your other half not to pack 30kg of food and spare clothing for a simple 60km ride around the Dales.... Not achieved yet but I'm applying scientific theory!
Aiming for the smooth tarmac can make a big difference. Especially in countries with shoddy road surfaces. If you can find a vein of smooth tarmac going up a hill and follow it it helps to keep you rolling at pace. Also find it takes my mind off the effort.
What works mentally for me on short punchy climbs is that the pedal power phase from 2-4 o clock (0%) is shifted clockwise slightly as the gradient ramps up, so its 3-5 o clock (+6-9%) where i find you can hit hard on those pedals as well as out of the saddle efforts for faster times. Bulgarian squats made a huge impact also whereas I only did deadlifts before. Now I'm setting PBs on climbs every other week.
I've found it best, when getting out of the saddle, to do it before my legs fill with lactate. If my legs are already burning, it makes it all the more painful to stand up. At that point, I just resign myself to taking my sweet time to get to the top, lol.
I just did the London to Brighton road last weekend and Ditchling Beacon is a KILLER! I managed to cycle up it but it was a slog and I simply kept looking a few m's ahead and aiming at that point. I struggle to stand (with a dodgy knee) so did it sitting in the saddle, that probably won't have helped. I then did another 61 miles two days ago and tried to get up Bury Hill (in West Sussex, I think it's DB's big brother and I didn't make that one!) I am now looking at changing to an 11-34 from the 11-32 on my 105's to help with steep climbs a bit! Some good tips here , thanks.
@@gcn I managed that but as mentioned, Bury Hill (A29) is 2.4km long and bridges 162 vertical meters with an average gradient of 6.6% - it's 30m higher than DB and killed me to the point I fell off my bike!
Dr. Oliver aka the legendary green-red-white-black power ranger is exactly on point on setting up the pace on climbing. Because it will definitely determine how much the body (position, rhythm, breathing, heart beat) physically and mentally can keep up on short and long steep climbs so that we will not be able to run out on gas. In addition, comfortable cadence in climbing where the cassette and chainring should have a nice higher gear ratio (the ideal setup would be probably at least a 1x 30T chaining in front and 10-52T cassette on the back) and a bit higher stem and comfy saddle like brooks for comfort. I had a brutal short-long varying easy to steep climbs (around 10-25% elevation on almost the entire route) during my epic 700km east coast bikepacking trip here in South Korea and I’m really fortunate to have a 28-36T front chainring and 11-42T rear cassette which keeps me from sitting comfortably with my bikepacking gears on my gravel fat bike with me and yet I somehow manage to survive because I was surrounded by epic views on the mountains and beaches which adds to my motivation to tackle all of these difficult short-long climbs! Thanks GCN for this great tips on how to tackle steep climbs! In response to Doctor O’s signature “love you, bye!” I can say “we love you too, cheers!” ❤️
I've ridden scanuppia, poza san glisente in the past and zoncolan multiple times. I did Colle delle finestre a few days ago which was relentless, however I think you guys should consider a GCN trip to Iceland (country, not supermarket). Skalafells Glacier - just under 1000m of large stone gravel track. peaks of up to 18% - seems quite enclosed at the start with the huge rock formations then suddenly you are in barren wilderness wiith this sheet of ice and snow surrounding you
Your timing is magnificent, I just moved house a couple of weeks ago and my commute has added a 300m long stretch of road at 15% that I do 4 times a day. Oof my legs are not happy about it.
I remember when I was about 14 catching up to an old boy on a Raleigh three speed, he clearly did not enjoy climbs and he would on seeing a hill approaching accelerate on the flat and then as he reached the hill he would change down and freewheel the bottom of the hill then only start peddling when he reached his happy cadence. Only person I have ever seen that took a breather on the first part of every hill he came to.
I do most of my hill climbing out of the saddle. Makes it easier to also use my body weight to put power into the pedals (and yes, I have done Hardknott, Wrynose and the Struggle many, many times)
When running out of gears on longer climbs, you MUST lower your cadence. It feels more efficient to keep the high cadence with lower force, but when the gears run out it's very easy to just completely blow up 2km into a 10km climb. In this video I feel Si shows better how a struggling cyclist would pedal, whereas Ollie proves once more he's not really being tested here ;)
My best peace of equipment that makes the envy of many on top of mountains: If you plan on walking after half an hour or more in the saddle, to enjoy a view, a café shop stop, or chear up fellows, Bring light flip-flops in the backpocket, or under the jersey, like paper under the jersey at descent they also can block cold wind. 😺
As a hobbyist cyclist and also a serial pedant, re the opening tip, surely how you ride up it governs how long it takes to get to the top? 😜 I bikepack a lot and I've zig zagged many a climb, great tip. As for clipless, I use flats with pins and fairly soft soled trainers, this also allows the push/pull motion but with none of the fear associated with being fixed to the pedal, something i could not get used to and killed my enjoyment.
I wish I was strong enough to sprint up a short climb. Staying seated and spinning at an effort level saves me more energy and I eventually catch the boys down the road who past me because they all burnt their matches 😅
Thanks Si Dr O and the crew . Do the white shoes matter ? Love the "Paperboy"technique . AND , on really really steep stuff, you have to stay seated , or the rear tire breaks loose . Does Mr Feather climb out of the saddle only ?
For the past two years (since changing jobs), I actually have a hill to climb during my commute back home in the evening. It's a very short 4-minute climb. I carry a backpack with the work laptop and a few other things, so maybe about 5kg of extra weight. I've found that helped improve my climbing ability significantly, to the point I've actually noticed my calves have gotten much bigger. I used to have really skinny legs with barely any muscular calf definition, but now I'm not embarrassed to wear shorts any more! So my tip is to carry extra weight when you are training climbs (maybe a backpack with books in it). I know this tip doesn't technically help you in a one-off situation, but with any physical activities, the more frequently you do it, the better you get. But the extra weight will accelerate that training process.
Not many big hills where I live (thankfully!) but those constant 25-50m ups and downs on country roads really take their toll on a long ride. Doing the Chris Hoy Tour de 4 in September and there's a nasty looking 5km climb in that though along with loads of smaller ups and downs, so need to get some hill training in.
I still remember a climbing video from around 9 or 10 years ago with matt and contador. I still remember alberto telling matt that he liked to treat the climbs like a dance
Pizza, high mountains so... you were in Italy right? 😁😁😁 I'm from Cuneo (Colle Fauniera, Lombarda, Agnello, Sampeyre...) And these days am just following step by step the French Riviera Cols As Ollie shows them in a Weekly video that's now history!! (May I recommend him the Authion circuit climb for his next time here!!) And Si you're legend, period 😅 See you somewhere around 2500 above sea level mates!!
The most important is to have the correct gearing, mainly on road bikes that have big chainrings. I'm changing mine to a 50-34 from a 52-39. If it's not low enough, I'll change to a 46-30.
I focus on hills with my training rides 2 of my 4 days riding a week because i don't have a lot of time to spare and that makes me work hard. My Sunday ride is a quick warmup then i tackle a steep climb that's has a nice recovery section on top and then a series of different climbs around town. My second climb day is not as hard but a series of hills to work my legs as much as i can. I live at the bottom of a valley so the descents are fun and are at the end when i am tired. Strava let's me know that i am improving and i can tell i have to stop less now then when i started. Don't avoid hill climbs they will make you better.
My hill training: a smart trainer and a workout that keeps me on the pedal without breaks for 60-120 min. Because I live in an area where constant cars are unavoidable. The rest of hill climbing is mentality and strategy.
Presentation request: Can you inform newbies on how to prep and complete summer rides? Tire pressure, for example. (I double-heated "popped" tires on my last ride. ) Rule of thumb on liquids: Unsafe temperatures, both body and ambient. Summer is coming.
Another tip is gear efficiency - try not shift under load (could lead to slippage and chain stress). Try your best to unload your pedals before shifting
I rode the BHF London to Brighton for my third time last weekend, but for the first time I actually looked forward to Ditchling Beacon. What have I become?? 🤣
I rode it last weekend as well for the first time, was dreading Ditchling Beacon having watched all the videos and stories but in the end was a bit disappointed. Whilst it was hard due to me being tired (I stopped once for 13 mins break just before the Ditchling beacon climb) but not unsurmountable as I was expecting - settled into a pace with my easiest gear and 11 mins later was at the top (out of breath but no walking). The gradients on Ditchling were not that steep but not easing up - pretty much 8-10% all the time with very slight variation so the approach Olly talks about works fine on such climbs.
@@alexeydanilchenko434 It's true that if you're an experienced rider and/or live in a hilly area, Ditchling is not too tough. But that's not really the point... L2B is a mass participation event that almost anybody can take on with moderate training. In that context, Ditchling is a significant challenge.
I put a 28-51 on my climbing machine and it works well, going down the valley, one lacks a gear there, but thats a problem of having only one chainring at some point anyway.
I’ve got an old aluminium bike and a newer high spec carbon framed bike. The carbon bike allows me to ride out of the saddle far better than the aluminium bike. Is this the increased stiffness or could it be geometry as well? My fatigue is far less for each climb. The carbon bike is lighter by quite a few kilos, but the system weight total is not much different as I’m a 90kg chunk! I love going up hills despite my less than featherweight stature. I was a saddle sitter for almost all climbs (I still am on the Aluminium bike), but now in and out of saddle on the Look bike
Congrats to Dr. Ollie for his fab result on the 8th in the SS. Given the considerable difference in our times I guess I need to take the advice onboard. In my defence, Top Tip #739 - don't keep stopping to take photos!
This has always been a matter of pride for me. In 50 years, I've NEVER walked a working bike up a hill (I lost a chain once... no other choice). But this is PRIDE... For me, that's a priority. As the man said, knowing you rode all the way to the top can be a huge sense of accomplishment that will make you stringer for next time: "I did it once... I can do it again!"
Regarding seated vs standing climbing it is not always one versus the other, rather complementing each other. I once read a recommendation to try to ride seated on every climb for training benefit. I have followed through for over a decade and it sure makes your legs stronger. However; It need not be a must for every climb on every ride because we tire out and depending on how fatigued one is and how late and how hard the hill is you would do well to give the main muscles a break every now and then especially when you hit the steepest portion and are in danger of going to knee killing grinding rpm. Whicever way you prefer a little variation can give your hard pressed muscles a mini break when you switch to the other method. Do not under estimate how good it feels and how much it helps. If you were on a climb that you could not finish for the distance switching up things will get you farther up. I have experienced situations where I would have had to dismount had I not stood up from primarily seated position.
I always ride seated, because I cant pedal standing for some weird reason, but Froome did seated too, its about cadence ultimately not stamping on the pedals, Ive overtaken people out of the saddle whilst seated, just because they were trying to turn too big a gear
this topic is in time because I just moved to a hilly area😅 today I rode 37km but with 777m total elevation. As I conclude, if the total average slope larger than 1.5%, it is challenging. As for tips I would say keep riding, get familiar with the route so you can distribute energy better. When you get used to it, you will find 10%+ needs efforts, but 6% basically is relaxing time😂. Fortunately, really hard section is not that long, so prepare youself physically and more importantly, mentally, you can conquer any steep routes. You have to keep this in mind: these roads are designed for public use, not redbull stunt. Even cars can not climb a crazy steep slope, so they can be finished with proper strategy.
I have another tip, given that I struggled recently with two hard climbs (both steep, average 10-12% with long sections above 16% and hitting even 25% for couple of hundreds meters): do the same workouts (the ones at least at threshold, so threshold, VO2max) at low cadence, under 60RPM. I developed my aerobic engine quite good, I practiced a lot high-powers at relatively high RPMs, but I almost found impossible to conquer these steep and long climbs. Why? My average power, for about 1hr, was around my tempo zone, though I couldn't spin the legs anymore to the last steep section. Garmin rekconed my workputs not as VO2max or threshold, but as anaerobic. And yes, given the very low RPM (I had 34/32 ratio, so it was impossible for me to grind faster, unless putting down above 350W for several minutes), even though the average is low, the force in the legs is quite high and put a totally different stress on the muscles. Therefore, when I came back home and I did the same VO2max at low RPM, I experienced the same kind of fatigue as on those climbs. Nothing changed, same workout, same interval power, same duration, just putting the bike on the trainer in big ring/small sprocket and letting ERG mode do the job, spinning under 60RPM. I knew that for a complete cycling training plan, training at low RPM in tempo, sweet-spot or even threshold helps clearing lactate and raising tolerance to it, but nowhere I read before that this is also good for steep climbs (if you don't have MTB/gravel transmission). But reading specifically in this context and asking chatGPT, it seems this is a known cure for hard climbs.
Summary: if you do have a trainer, practice the threshold, sweet spot and VO2max intervals at very low cadence (under 60 RPM). If you practice only outside, get to your closest climb, turn to smallest sprocket possible and do the climb in low RPM. If you don't practice at all, then this GCN movie is not for you 😆.
Luckily (or unluckily) my only climbs around where I live consist of bridges. Steepest one is probably 6-7% so I can usually power up and over pretty quickly if I'm feeling good. I actually just bought a replacement for my worn out cassette and and moving from 34 down to 28 so I can have closer ranges for the majority of flat riding I do. It will make my short climbs a little harder but that won't be a bad thing.
Interesting video. But one thing: If you’re approaching a climb from flat terrain and increase your speed beforehand to carry momentum into the hill, isn’t that essentially a zero-sum game in terms of energy, since the extra speed required more effort upfront? There is no free energy? Also, when is the Unbound-video coming out?
I guess you spread out the effort a bit more this way? And also you don’t run out of gears as quickly? 😄 Actually, from physics perspective, if you maintain the same speed throughout the climb, you’re only counteracting the gravity and traction. Which means it should require the same power at all speeds, but if you come in quicker then you have to hold it for shorter. I might be wrong obviously, I would even be interested to find out why my argument might be wrong :)
It's a question of how much you increase your effort to increase your speed. Effort is going to go up on the hill anyway. I try to pick a point lower than I can sustain on the hill but up the tempo and effort enough to get the legs spinning faster and a gear or two higher. Then as I hit the hill I had the high cadence down shifting to keep the effort 5-10% less than the flat acceleration. But the time I get to the top of short climbs there is no lactate yet. Medium short don't start burning until near the top and then I can get out of the saddle to spread the muscle load. The hill length this works depends on the run in to the bottom whether it is flat or I can take momentum from a preceding down hill. Then I use less effort to start and can hold a higher speed with less effort all the way up. Takes practice to know what feels good for you
You're using fewer watts if you sprint the flat section and carry that momentum up the climb, when compared to more watts spent sprinting up the climb without the momentum to help you maintain the same speed.
I miss my glory days when I used to shred through my city’s steep hills like it was butter. Gear grinding ok the highest cog sets on my 2017 $400 aluminum frame w/ a steel fork diamondback bike 🚲 now I can’t even go up a short hill on my full carbon road bike without wheezing and my back aching, screaming in pain 😂
My tips: Use a heart rate monitor to keep you from going to hard too early and to gauge your effort. Grab the bars on the bottom of the drops while dancing on the pedals so as to be able to use your body weight to turn the pedal. Engage core and use hip adductors to lift leg. On a hilly course, slide saddle forwards a few mm if possible. (Pantani is known to have done this.)
I think with standing or sitting for climbing, a lot of it comes down to the rider's height and leg length. For me, 185cm/6'1" with an inner leg length of about 88cm/34", standing is far more efficient, particularly when the climb steepens. I guess it's to do with leverage and being able to get more bodyweight onto the downstroke. @GCN, how does Connor take hills? Any other taller riders find this?
After watching Conor's video the other week where he took two inexperienced ladies on their first 50 mile ride, I thought: "if they can cycle up Bannerdown so can I". Turns out I can't, I had to stop at least 15 times.
Im gonna return to a big climb by me, Winter Hill, i was on 36-34 and reckon i needed a 34 so im going back with that and i will get it and not walk it, tho when it did do me, id kept the pace high all day as its mostly uphill to there...
I'm TERRIFIED of long climbs. I live in a pretty flat area so finding baby hills to repeat and get better at hills is difficult. Ps I'm a scientist too 🤓
What's the steepest climb you've ever conquered? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
Großer Oscheniksee Climb in Austria, If you think Zoncolan IS crazy than you never Heard from this Climb
Very useful tips. Thanks guys.
Just 2 weeks ago I suceeded in a climb which I had been avoiding because it was 5 nil up (ie 5 attempts 5 fails). It was from Tintern up past the Fountain Inn and up through Parkhouse. There is one bit near the top that goes real steep.
Last week I managed a 15% out of Tryleg towards the Narth (score now me 2 hill 1)
25 Years ago I managed the 17% hill above St Arvans and the 17% Star hill (I walk that now as too steep). The Lydarts is 3 - 2 up so far.
The worst that happenned to me was 20 years ago riding my recumbent up a steep bit and changing gear to the big sprocket it over changed and jambed. I fell of right on my coccyx. Sitting was painfull for over a month after.
Hirschbichl - I live in the Bavarian Mountains, Berchtesgaden 😀💪
A Bridge with 3% gradient 12 meters elevation gain
Fell Foot Brow in the Lake District, utterly brutal but wonderful views
Quick tip - if going around a steep hairpin, move to the outer lane as the gradient of the outer lane will be less than that of the inner lane.
Really? On an open road with traffic around.......??? I don't think so
@@Andy_ATB its good advice, it works
@@Andy_ATB I love whataboutism 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 bro just go as far out as you deem safe, depending on how traffic-heavy the road is, it's good advice.
@@Andy_ATB Who said anything about an open road and traffic? Sticking to the inside radius of your lane results in a steeper gradient than if you rode on the outer radius of your lane - not onto the other side of the road into oncoming traffic (though if the road is closed (eg. during a gran fondo), going all the way over to the other side of the road is the best solution.
nice tip! as long as you are safe to do it, do it!
Great video guys! As a former bodybuilder, I discovered those who try and train to impress go nowhere! If you have to walk a bit, who cares. You're biking to get and stay healthy. Stay well guys!
Off bike training , weighted squats, calf raises and wall sits make a massive difference in how you feel at the top
good tips!
Lunges too!
Best way to train climbs, live in a hilly area :D.
I live in a superflat area in northern east-flanders, when going on a holiday in Germany me and my brother were on a climb fully out of breath, gasping for air, when this schoolgirl happely crossed us on her schoolbike with no issues at al :D
That does help. The steep climb in the first stage of the Tour de Suisse this week is five minutes ride from my house!
I wouldn’t disagree as climbing is the best way to get better at climbing but there’s a reason why there are many great climbers from flat places: wind. Look at Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault (northern France). Fighting against headwinds increases your power which improves your climbing ability. You can also try and find a shorter incline and just go up it and down it to approximately simulate a longer hill.
So jealous! 😂@@Prisma591
So does chasing schoolgirls make you faster?
It's not impossible to train for hills living in flat places. Do intervals with lower cadence and heavier gear.
Also don't be ashamed to stop and take a drink/ have a breather is required. When setting off again roll across the gradient to get going.
Had to do that the other day-- apparently I can't sustain 16% on the first hot day of the year.
@@renegadetenor What a weenie. I can sustain 16% for at least 3 seconds.
I just love Ollie’s nerd salute 🤓
Bonus tip: for the 25%+ climbs, try to place your center of gravity over your bottom bracket. This helps to prevent your front wheel raising off the ground whilst minimising rear wheel spin (loss of traction).
…but nobody can really ride up 25% gradient if measured properly. It’s nonsense. I have been on 16% and thought of even 20% is crazy.
Or get off and walk
@@alamogiftshop Think you have got your maths a little wrong here fella. You divide the elevation gain (“rise”) by the horizontal distance covered (“run”), then multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
Example: If you climb 50 meters vertically over a 1,000 meter stretch, the grade is (50/1000) × 100 = 5%. A road that climbs 10 m over 100 m has a 10% grade, and so on.
By this same logic, a 10% grade would be a 45° slope (rising one unit for every one unit forward). A 14% gradient would be very steep (not '"only 14%" to ANYONE!!).
But if you are a 'racer' then clearly not likely to be average!
*** And this:
Alto de l'Angliru (Spain): A climb so steep it’s become mythical in pro cycling, the Angliru averages around 10% over 12.5 km and maxes out at an unbelievable 23-24% gradient in sections. Used in the Vuelta a España, it is considered one of the most demanding road climbs in the world.
One part of me enjoys climbing. It’s a great way to clear your mind of anything else you may be thinking about at the time. Any stresses in life seem to go away when your only goal is to get to the top. I also have no option as I live in the South Wales Valleys, which are called that for a good reason.
I've tried the "weaving" approach a couple of times and it did help me get a bit of relief, but obviously with the big caveat about doing so safely.
100% always make sure it is safe!
It's called tacking.
@@jhidley1Makes sense - I think that's the term in sailing when going into the wind
You guys have the best job in the world , cheers 🇺🇸💪🏻🇬🇧
Doing the Mont Ventoux this summer (first 'real' mountain besides MyWhoosh training).
Perfect timing! Appreciate you!
One trick I use for steep climbs sometimes is, I use a slightly heavier gear and I do an odd number of hard downstrokes (usually 3 or 5) out of the saddle, then stop pedaling until the bike almost comes to a stop, which usually takes 1-3 seconds, depending on the gradient. Then I restart the same process.
I find that those few seconds are enough to give my muscles some relief, and odd number is important to alternate between each leg to rest/resume.
Just bought an new 11-42T rear sprocket along with rear derailleur for the hills. Whilst I can get up the hills in Cornwall there are just so many of them. This way I should be able to enjoy longer rides as they won't sap so much energy.
oh nice! Let us know how you get on
I put an 11-40 on.. huge improvement. Did an hour long climb a few weeks ago between 6-13% the whole way. What great satisfying ride.
@@gcn That was an absolute nightmare.
I have 10 speed Tiagra 4700 shifters. Just my luck to find out they use an 11 speed shift pattern. I spent 2 days on and off scratching my head trying to figure out why I couldn't index the gears properly to find some n*tjob at Shimano had an alleged bright idea.
If anyone else has the misfortune of the Tiagra 4700 system and wants to slap an 11-42T sprocket on then the Shimano GRX-RX400 derailleur works.
Really pleased with the outcome though. I cycled up a mile long hill and my heart rate was 118 rather than 155 from previous attempts so it was worth the grief.
For really steep short sections 25% or so (when you have no more gears), you can do the "out of the saddle, weave at every stroke" climbing. I.e. At one out of the saddle stroke you tilt the front wheel to the left and for the next to the right. It is like the weave, without needing all the road, actually you will not need much more space as when going straight up. You will not make as much vertical distance for every stroke, which eases the gradient you experience. For me this is good for about 2 chainrings in gearing.
My tip... (we ride tandem) try to persuade your other half not to pack 30kg of food and spare clothing for a simple 60km ride around the Dales.... Not achieved yet but I'm applying scientific theory!
😂😂
you should try riding with Conor. His 10min commute to work has enough gubbins attached to his bike to survive a year
😂
I've heard of one couple where the lady behind didn't put much effort in, when she found out she could (should) , they suddenly went much faster.
😂@@gcn
If I may also add, this video takes me back to the good old GCN days almost a decade ago! Nice! 🔥🔥🔥
Aiming for the smooth tarmac can make a big difference. Especially in countries with shoddy road surfaces. If you can find a vein of smooth tarmac going up a hill and follow it it helps to keep you rolling at pace. Also find it takes my mind off the effort.
Love this! Great tips! I did my first Tri yesterday n had to get off my bike 🙈
What works mentally for me on short punchy climbs is that the pedal power phase from 2-4 o clock (0%) is shifted clockwise slightly as the gradient ramps up, so its 3-5 o clock (+6-9%) where i find you can hit hard on those pedals as well as out of the saddle efforts for faster times. Bulgarian squats made a huge impact also whereas I only did deadlifts before. Now I'm setting PBs on climbs every other week.
nice tips! Cheers for sharing
I've found it best, when getting out of the saddle, to do it before my legs fill with lactate. If my legs are already burning, it makes it all the more painful to stand up. At that point, I just resign myself to taking my sweet time to get to the top, lol.
PCW Alta's are the hands down the "Best at what they made them for" wheel set I've ever ridden. Very underrated.
love them
Great advises, i know them all now but it took me few years to learn them hard way 😂
we live and learn!
Si talking about how hard climbing is and we should use bigger gears while sitting on the big chainring the entire time is a pretty big flex 🤣🤣
Done several 1in3 hills in Yorkshire. Rosedale is on my bucket list and hope to do it soon
Mytholm Steeps FTW. :)
Rosedale is a savage!
I just did the London to Brighton road last weekend and Ditchling Beacon is a KILLER!
I managed to cycle up it but it was a slog and I simply kept looking a few m's ahead and aiming at that point. I struggle to stand (with a dodgy knee) so did it sitting in the saddle, that probably won't have helped. I then did another 61 miles two days ago and tried to get up Bury Hill (in West Sussex, I think it's DB's big brother and I didn't make that one!) I am now looking at changing to an 11-34 from the 11-32 on my 105's to help with steep climbs a bit!
Some good tips here , thanks.
cheers for the comment, you are right about Ditchling Beacon, a real sting in the tail
@@gcn I managed that but as mentioned, Bury Hill (A29) is 2.4km long and bridges 162 vertical meters with an average gradient of 6.6% - it's 30m higher than DB and killed me to the point I fell off my bike!
As a weak power rider, I often resort to the last resort, snaking the road uphill.
This is both illegal and very dangerous and doesn't help that much anyway
@@nemure illegal where?
Dr. Oliver aka the legendary green-red-white-black power ranger is exactly on point on setting up the pace on climbing. Because it will definitely determine how much the body (position, rhythm, breathing, heart beat) physically and mentally can keep up on short and long steep climbs so that we will not be able to run out on gas.
In addition, comfortable cadence in climbing where the cassette and chainring should have a nice higher gear ratio (the ideal setup would be probably at least a 1x 30T chaining in front and 10-52T cassette on the back) and a bit higher stem and comfy saddle like brooks for comfort.
I had a brutal short-long varying easy to steep climbs (around 10-25% elevation on almost the entire route) during my epic 700km east coast bikepacking trip here in South Korea and I’m really fortunate to have a 28-36T front chainring and 11-42T rear cassette which keeps me from sitting comfortably with my bikepacking gears on my gravel fat bike with me and yet I somehow manage to survive because I was surrounded by epic views on the mountains and beaches which adds to my motivation to tackle all of these difficult short-long climbs!
Thanks GCN for this great tips on how to tackle steep climbs! In response to Doctor O’s signature “love you, bye!” I can say “we love you too, cheers!” ❤️
I've ridden scanuppia, poza san glisente in the past and zoncolan multiple times. I did Colle delle finestre a few days ago which was relentless, however I think you guys should consider a GCN trip to Iceland (country, not supermarket). Skalafells Glacier - just under 1000m of large stone gravel track. peaks of up to 18% - seems quite enclosed at the start with the huge rock formations then suddenly you are in barren wilderness wiith this sheet of ice and snow surrounding you
Great tips thank you Ollie and Simon. All sensible stuff, there is shame in walking though, else why do we try to cycle up these beasts!
Your timing is magnificent, I just moved house a couple of weeks ago and my commute has added a 300m long stretch of road at 15% that I do 4 times a day. Oof my legs are not happy about it.
That may be true but your legs are slowly going to adapt and then you'll be an absolute beast! 💪
Simon paper-boying up the climb is relatable. Think the Mortirolo, 19 percent. Oh yeah. There was no shame in this old guy zig-zagging up that one.
I remember when I was about 14 catching up to an old boy on a Raleigh three speed, he clearly did not enjoy climbs and he would on seeing a hill approaching accelerate on the flat and then as he reached the hill he would change down and freewheel the bottom of the hill then only start peddling when he reached his happy cadence. Only person I have ever seen that took a breather on the first part of every hill he came to.
I do most of my hill climbing out
of the saddle. Makes it easier to also use my body weight to put power into the pedals (and yes, I have done Hardknott, Wrynose and the Struggle many, many times)
When running out of gears on longer climbs, you MUST lower your cadence. It feels more efficient to keep the high cadence with lower force, but when the gears run out it's very easy to just completely blow up 2km into a 10km climb. In this video I feel Si shows better how a struggling cyclist would pedal, whereas Ollie proves once more he's not really being tested here ;)
My best peace of equipment that makes the envy of many on top of mountains:
If you plan on walking after half an hour or more in the saddle, to enjoy a view, a café shop stop, or chear up fellows,
Bring light flip-flops in the backpocket, or under the jersey, like paper under the jersey at descent they also can block cold wind. 😺
concentration along with some super focus on how your body is feeling when climbing being as you will need to in order to reserve your energy levels
You could also mention shorter cranks for better cadence and less muscle fatigue, having lighter wheels/tyres also helps
As a hobbyist cyclist and also a serial pedant, re the opening tip, surely how you ride up it governs how long it takes to get to the top? 😜
I bikepack a lot and I've zig zagged many a climb, great tip. As for clipless, I use flats with pins and fairly soft soled trainers, this also allows the push/pull motion but with none of the fear associated with being fixed to the pedal, something i could not get used to and killed my enjoyment.
I wish I was strong enough to sprint up a short climb. Staying seated and spinning at an effort level saves me more energy and I eventually catch the boys down the road who past me because they all burnt their matches 😅
Thank You 😊
Thanks Si Dr O and the crew . Do the white shoes matter ? Love the "Paperboy"technique . AND , on really really steep stuff, you have to stay seated , or the rear tire breaks loose . Does Mr Feather climb out of the saddle only ?
He does, the monster
Secret - while climbing extremely steep hills bend in the angle of the climb in the similar sense when you walk we incline forward
Best advice: stay in your saddle and do 7,2watt/kg for 20mins..
easier said than done!
Thank you I will try in my next Cat D Zwift race
jeez theyre making us wait for the unbound video aren't they
yep!
@@gcn gta vi before unbound video? :D
Si’s aeroad is my dream bike 😍
Well done. I often find myself in too low a gear and waist power. Go up a cog or two to see if you feel the same with more speed.
For the past two years (since changing jobs), I actually have a hill to climb during my commute back home in the evening. It's a very short 4-minute climb. I carry a backpack with the work laptop and a few other things, so maybe about 5kg of extra weight. I've found that helped improve my climbing ability significantly, to the point I've actually noticed my calves have gotten much bigger.
I used to have really skinny legs with barely any muscular calf definition, but now I'm not embarrassed to wear shorts any more!
So my tip is to carry extra weight when you are training climbs (maybe a backpack with books in it). I know this tip doesn't technically help you in a one-off situation, but with any physical activities, the more frequently you do it, the better you get. But the extra weight will accelerate that training process.
I‘m already carrying extra weight…and it ain‘t the laptop
Not many big hills where I live (thankfully!) but those constant 25-50m ups and downs on country roads really take their toll on a long ride. Doing the Chris Hoy Tour de 4 in September and there's a nasty looking 5km climb in that though along with loads of smaller ups and downs, so need to get some hill training in.
I still remember a climbing video from around 9 or 10 years ago with matt and contador. I still remember alberto telling matt that he liked to treat the climbs like a dance
Pizza, high mountains so... you were in Italy right? 😁😁😁
I'm from Cuneo (Colle Fauniera, Lombarda, Agnello, Sampeyre...)
And these days am just following step by step the French Riviera Cols
As Ollie shows them in a Weekly video that's now history!!
(May I recommend him the Authion circuit climb for his next time here!!)
And Si you're legend, period 😅
See you somewhere around 2500 above sea level mates!!
The most important is to have the correct gearing, mainly on road bikes that have big chainrings. I'm changing mine to a 50-34 from a 52-39. If it's not low enough, I'll change to a 46-30.
I focus on hills with my training rides 2 of my 4 days riding a week because i don't have a lot of time to spare and that makes me work hard. My Sunday ride is a quick warmup then i tackle a steep climb that's has a nice recovery section on top and then a series of different climbs around town. My second climb day is not as hard but a series of hills to work my legs as much as i can. I live at the bottom of a valley so the descents are fun and are at the end when i am tired. Strava let's me know that i am improving and i can tell i have to stop less now then when i started. Don't avoid hill climbs they will make you better.
I loved to practice standing cadences on some hills I rode.
My hill training: a smart trainer and a workout that keeps me on the pedal without breaks for 60-120 min.
Because I live in an area where constant cars are unavoidable.
The rest of hill climbing is mentality and strategy.
Presentation request: Can you inform newbies on how to prep and complete summer rides? Tire pressure, for example. (I double-heated "popped" tires on my last ride. ) Rule of thumb on liquids: Unsafe temperatures, both body and ambient.
Summer is coming.
Another tip is gear efficiency - try not shift under load (could lead to slippage and chain stress). Try your best to unload your pedals before shifting
I rode the BHF London to Brighton for my third time last weekend, but for the first time I actually looked forward to Ditchling Beacon. What have I become?? 🤣
I rode it last weekend as well for the first time, was dreading Ditchling Beacon having watched all the videos and stories but in the end was a bit disappointed. Whilst it was hard due to me being tired (I stopped once for 13 mins break just before the Ditchling beacon climb) but not unsurmountable as I was expecting - settled into a pace with my easiest gear and 11 mins later was at the top (out of breath but no walking). The gradients on Ditchling were not that steep but not easing up - pretty much 8-10% all the time with very slight variation so the approach Olly talks about works fine on such climbs.
I rode BHF London to Brighton too last weekend first time. No shame ditching beacon beat me 😆
you've become strong!
@@alexeydanilchenko434 It's true that if you're an experienced rider and/or live in a hilly area, Ditchling is not too tough. But that's not really the point... L2B is a mass participation event that almost anybody can take on with moderate training. In that context, Ditchling is a significant challenge.
One thing that helped me the most with climbing:
32T-51 gear
I'm always getting to the top. Eventually 🤣
I put a 28-51 on my climbing machine and it works well, going down the valley, one lacks a gear there, but thats a problem of having only one chainring at some point anyway.
24-43 for me.
I'd love to see you guys do a reverse race to see who can get up a hill the slowest hehe
1. Lose 25 pounds.
2. Lose 25 years.
3. Lose 2.5 grams of atherosclerosis.
4. Ride @ 2.5 mph.
5. Take another route.
I’ve got an old aluminium bike and a newer high spec carbon framed bike. The carbon bike allows me to ride out of the saddle far better than the aluminium bike. Is this the increased stiffness or could it be geometry as well? My fatigue is far less for each climb. The carbon bike is lighter by quite a few kilos, but the system weight total is not much different as I’m a 90kg chunk! I love going up hills despite my less than featherweight stature.
I was a saddle sitter for almost all climbs (I still am on the Aluminium bike), but now in and out of saddle on the Look bike
Congrats to Dr. Ollie for his fab result on the 8th in the SS. Given the considerable difference in our times I guess I need to take the advice onboard. In my defence, Top Tip #739 - don't keep stopping to take photos!
I often find it helpful to hold top of the handle bar, for easier breathing.
easier breathing and improved upper body stability to minimise energy wasted there and get the power down better as well.
Even harder are cobblestoned pass roads, like the Tremola and a few other in the Alps 😉
WTF! never walk, never! Put your foot down if you must but always carry on!
It'll feel better and mmake you fitter 👍
That’s my rule…I don’t walk. So far I haven’t broken it but I know the day is coming.😢
This has always been a matter of pride for me. In 50 years, I've NEVER walked a working bike up a hill (I lost a chain once... no other choice). But this is PRIDE... For me, that's a priority. As the man said, knowing you rode all the way to the top can be a huge sense of accomplishment that will make you stringer for next time: "I did it once... I can do it again!"
Never walk! If I've made it this far I can climb to the top. Walking is for cowards 😂😂😂
Until you break a crank or chain
I’ve walked down hills that were a bit scary.
Weave and walk always wins for me. 😄
Ollie doing a complete 180* with preferring to climb out of the saddle compared to being aero and seated.
Regarding seated vs standing climbing it is not always one versus the other, rather complementing each other. I once read a recommendation to try to ride seated on every climb for training benefit. I have followed through for over a decade and it sure makes your legs stronger. However; It need not be a must for every climb on every ride because we tire out and depending on how fatigued one is and how late and how hard the hill is you would do well to give the main muscles a break every now and then especially when you hit the steepest portion and are in danger of going to knee killing grinding rpm. Whicever way you prefer a little variation can give your hard pressed muscles a mini break when you switch to the other method. Do not under estimate how good it feels and how much it helps. If you were on a climb that you could not finish for the distance switching up things will get you farther up. I have experienced situations where I would have had to dismount had I not stood up from primarily seated position.
Hardknott Pass, but ran out of steam and had to walk the switchbacks at the top. Grrrr. I'll be back! Training for Fred Whitton 2026 (hopefully).
A question to Ollie. How did you go from dropped to dropper? I would like to get that strong out of the saddle. Some special training?
Out of a saddle while climbing is vintage but today's modern cycling like Pogacar. He always seated even on stiff climbs.
I always ride seated, because I cant pedal standing for some weird reason, but Froome did seated too, its about cadence ultimately not stamping on the pedals, Ive overtaken people out of the saddle whilst seated, just because they were trying to turn too big a gear
this topic is in time because I just moved to a hilly area😅 today I rode 37km but with 777m total elevation. As I conclude, if the total average slope larger than 1.5%, it is challenging.
As for tips I would say keep riding, get familiar with the route so you can distribute energy better. When you get used to it, you will find 10%+ needs efforts, but 6% basically is relaxing time😂. Fortunately, really hard section is not that long, so prepare youself physically and more importantly, mentally, you can conquer any steep routes. You have to keep this in mind: these roads are designed for public use, not redbull stunt. Even cars can not climb a crazy steep slope, so they can be finished with proper strategy.
yep
I have another tip, given that I struggled recently with two hard climbs (both steep, average 10-12% with long sections above 16% and hitting even 25% for couple of hundreds meters): do the same workouts (the ones at least at threshold, so threshold, VO2max) at low cadence, under 60RPM. I developed my aerobic engine quite good, I practiced a lot high-powers at relatively high RPMs, but I almost found impossible to conquer these steep and long climbs. Why? My average power, for about 1hr, was around my tempo zone, though I couldn't spin the legs anymore to the last steep section. Garmin rekconed my workputs not as VO2max or threshold, but as anaerobic. And yes, given the very low RPM (I had 34/32 ratio, so it was impossible for me to grind faster, unless putting down above 350W for several minutes), even though the average is low, the force in the legs is quite high and put a totally different stress on the muscles. Therefore, when I came back home and I did the same VO2max at low RPM, I experienced the same kind of fatigue as on those climbs. Nothing changed, same workout, same interval power, same duration, just putting the bike on the trainer in big ring/small sprocket and letting ERG mode do the job, spinning under 60RPM. I knew that for a complete cycling training plan, training at low RPM in tempo, sweet-spot or even threshold helps clearing lactate and raising tolerance to it, but nowhere I read before that this is also good for steep climbs (if you don't have MTB/gravel transmission). But reading specifically in this context and asking chatGPT, it seems this is a known cure for hard climbs.
I am just getting into cycling as a midlife crisis which I am enjoying greatly but I'm afraid I understood about 10% of this statement 😂
@@bodsmith8168I've been cycling for 50 years and I understood less than you!🤣
Summary: if you do have a trainer, practice the threshold, sweet spot and VO2max intervals at very low cadence (under 60 RPM). If you practice only outside, get to your closest climb, turn to smallest sprocket possible and do the climb in low RPM.
If you don't practice at all, then this GCN movie is not for you 😆.
I did weave on the Zoncolan but on the Muro di Sormano I just had to limp along one pedal stroke at a time
Luckily (or unluckily) my only climbs around where I live consist of bridges. Steepest one is probably 6-7% so I can usually power up and over pretty quickly if I'm feeling good. I actually just bought a replacement for my worn out cassette and and moving from 34 down to 28 so I can have closer ranges for the majority of flat riding I do. It will make my short climbs a little harder but that won't be a bad thing.
4:59 I live at the top of a 12.8 grade hill so leaving every day for work is fun. But after commuting home I find myself zigzagging by the end 😂
I own a single speed bicycle which has no gear change. What would you recommend in such cases?
Train more or get a new bike😊
Tip 1 get a motor
Tip 2 get bigger gears
Tip 3 avoid them
Tip 4 use a car
Tip 5 repeat 😂
well, they are options!
Interesting video. But one thing: If you’re approaching a climb from flat terrain and increase your speed beforehand to carry momentum into the hill, isn’t that essentially a zero-sum game in terms of energy, since the extra speed required more effort upfront? There is no free energy?
Also, when is the Unbound-video coming out?
When it's ready.
I guess you spread out the effort a bit more this way? And also you don’t run out of gears as quickly? 😄
Actually, from physics perspective, if you maintain the same speed throughout the climb, you’re only counteracting the gravity and traction. Which means it should require the same power at all speeds, but if you come in quicker then you have to hold it for shorter. I might be wrong obviously, I would even be interested to find out why my argument might be wrong :)
It's a question of how much you increase your effort to increase your speed.
Effort is going to go up on the hill anyway. I try to pick a point lower than I can sustain on the hill but up the tempo and effort enough to get the legs spinning faster and a gear or two higher. Then as I hit the hill I had the high cadence down shifting to keep the effort 5-10% less than the flat acceleration. But the time I get to the top of short climbs there is no lactate yet. Medium short don't start burning until near the top and then I can get out of the saddle to spread the muscle load.
The hill length this works depends on the run in to the bottom whether it is flat or I can take momentum from a preceding down hill. Then I use less effort to start and can hold a higher speed with less effort all the way up.
Takes practice to know what feels good for you
You're using fewer watts if you sprint the flat section and carry that momentum up the climb, when compared to more watts spent sprinting up the climb without the momentum to help you maintain the same speed.
@@brotherfranciz So there is free energy?
I miss my glory days when I used to shred through my city’s steep hills like it was butter. Gear grinding ok the highest cog sets on my 2017 $400 aluminum frame w/ a steel fork diamondback bike 🚲 now I can’t even go up a short hill on my full carbon road bike without wheezing and my back aching, screaming in pain 😂
Pro Tip, Train Hills
My tips: Use a heart rate monitor to keep you from going to hard too early and to gauge your effort. Grab the bars on the bottom of the drops while dancing on the pedals so as to be able to use your body weight to turn the pedal. Engage core and use hip adductors to lift leg. On a hilly course, slide saddle forwards a few mm if possible. (Pantani is known to have done this.)
One of my local hills is only 400m long but I get an average HR of 170bpm. Any lower and I’d fall off the bike!
24% Col de la Loze going up the Meribel side.
I think with standing or sitting for climbing, a lot of it comes down to the rider's height and leg length. For me, 185cm/6'1" with an inner leg length of about 88cm/34", standing is far more efficient, particularly when the climb steepens. I guess it's to do with leverage and being able to get more bodyweight onto the downstroke.
@GCN, how does Connor take hills?
Any other taller riders find this?
but if it was leverage on the down stroke, and the most efficient pedal stroke is equal up and down, what does that mean the up stroke has to fight ?
17% in flanders a few week ago
After watching Conor's video the other week where he took two inexperienced ladies on their first 50 mile ride, I thought: "if they can cycle up Bannerdown so can I". Turns out I can't, I had to stop at least 15 times.
No mentioned of Andrew Feather in the list of great out of the saddle riders?! Has he not returned your calls as of late?
Im gonna return to a big climb by me, Winter Hill, i was on 36-34 and reckon i needed a 34 so im going back with that and i will get it and not walk it, tho when it did do me, id kept the pace high all day as its mostly uphill to there...
Live in Switzerland.
Don't walk, pull over a rest for a minute, then resume. You can hide the rest as "needed some water".
I think for me, really focusing on breathing through my nose out through my mouth, nose breathing delivers a lot more oxygen
I'm TERRIFIED of long climbs. I live in a pretty flat area so finding baby hills to repeat and get better at hills is difficult. Ps I'm a scientist too 🤓
any tips about tire pressure? i weigh 65kg and about to ride the mont ventoux tomorrow
10TH COMMENT! WATCHING FROM PHILIPPINES!
thank for the comment!
I've convinced myself that walking up steep climbs is just cross training!
You are also allowed to stop and "admire the view" for as long as appropriate part way up.
So walk up. Got it. 😂
A wise man once said: "just pedal harder and faster".
a wise man indeed!
Climbing rules.