Whether you want to claim the bragging rights on your local 'cols', boost you chances of finishing your next big ride in the hills, or simply get to the summit without feeling ill, here are five pieces of essential advice from Paul Knott - Cycling Weekly contributor and author of the Official Tour de France Road Cycling Training Guide - that'll help you nail every climb. Let us know your top climbing tips in the comments.
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00:00Steep climbs are something cyclists come across on every single ride and it's
00:03something that every cyclist should look to improve on. They may only be a few
00:07hundred meters long but whether it's your preparation, your gearing or your
00:11bike handling, it's certainly some area that we can definitely improve. So here's
00:15Cycling Weekly's guide to conquering those devilish little kickers.
00:30One tip that you may well see in the pro races such as the Tour de France and
00:36especially on climbs such as Alpe d'Huez and it's 21 hairpin bends, is something
00:41you can replicate on the corners when you're on a steep climb yourself. So as
00:44you can see with this one, the inside line is really really steep and even
00:49though on a flat road this may be the quickest option to get around the bend
00:52but on this road in particular it's definitely the steepest gradient. Whereas
00:56if you can move slightly out without crossing the line into the oncoming
00:59traffic in the lane, it's a slightly lessened gradient. This means you can
01:03maintain your momentum and your speed and get to the top of that climb the
01:07hell of a lot faster.
01:13When it comes to climbing, the gearing plays a crucial part in two ways. Firstly
01:19ensuring you have chosen the right selection of gears for the ride ahead. If
01:22you know you're going to be taking on multiple short steep ascents then having
01:25the correct gear ratios will be really beneficial. There are three types of
01:29setup which typically come in the following chainring sizes. A standard
01:33setup which is a 53 by 39 tooth chainring, a compact which is a 50 by 34
01:39and a semi-compact which is a blend of the two at 52 by 36. The chances are that
01:45unless you are a pro level rider, a compact or a semi-compact setup will
01:49most likely prove beneficial to you in the long run for the types of road
01:52riding you will be doing. But a lot of this is based on personal preferences
01:56and ability. Making sure your bike is not only set for the terrain but also your
02:01ability itself is key. You may be able to ride up a steep climb once, if you know
02:06your ride consists of multiple ascents then it may not prove quite as useful.
02:10Remember there isn't a cyclist alive who complained about having an extra gear on
02:14their bike, so don't feel like you're wimping out if you go for a compact
02:18chainset or a large rear cassette.
02:25It's all well and good having the gears on your bike but make sure you use them
02:29efficiently is another matter entirely. When you're coming up to a climb make
02:34sure you prepare for it by changing down the gears before you reach the climb
02:37itself, otherwise you could be caught out when the road ramps up. If you can try
02:42and time this gear change so you get as much speed and momentum before hitting
02:46the climb itself as well. Changing gears on the climb itself is less efficient
02:50and also puts a huge strain on your bike components. You never want to crunch
02:55through the gears on the climb itself as this puts a massive strain on your bike
02:58and is highly inefficient on your speed and your momentum.
03:07We all have a preferred style of climbing, whether it be in the saddle or
03:12out of it and one of the main issues this brings on steep climbs is how you
03:15distribute your weight. When standing up in the pedals you can easily see your
03:19back wheels lose traction with the road and therefore speed, especially if the
03:23road is wet. Whereas if you sit too far back you may cause the front wheel to
03:28lift. Doing a wheelie up a 20% climb is never ideal at the best of times.
03:32Therefore knowledge on what technique works best for you and practicing this
03:36is vital. It is more likely that riding in the saddle will avoid any mishaps but
03:41working on your weight distribution for whatever method works best for you is
03:44key.
03:50We've all been there and even though it may be a massive hit on your morale,
03:53unclipping on a steep climb doesn't have to mean the end of your climb in the
03:58sense. Even though it could be the toughest thing you do that day but there
04:03are a few tips you can take on board to try and get started again. So clip in and
04:09just face your bike slightly against the gradient, make sure you're not going too
04:13far wide and just try and get a bit of momentum up and then bring your foot in.
04:18You don't have to clip in straight away, just keep the momentum going, keep going
04:23side to side, lessen the gradient. Eventually you'll clip in, there you go
04:28and then away you go.
04:32Those are our top five tips for conquering steep climbs. Let us know in
04:44the comment section below what tips you use to conquer them yourself and if you
04:47enjoy this video give it a like and don't forget to subscribe to the
04:51Cycling Weekly YouTube channel. Until next time, we'll see you then.