Hill Climbing Tips Anyone?

[Popcan92]

I've been riding roughly 3-4 times a week this year and my single track and DH skills have never been better, however, my climbing is as slow, painful and lack luster as the movie "Ya-Ya-Sisterhood"(Sorry, it was the girlfriends turn to pick the movie, and I'm still ticked I had to sit through the whole thing.)

Anyhow, back to the climbing thing, I've been doing everything possible to speed and improve my climbing technique. I've tried sitting, standing or both during long climbs. I've tried low gears and keeping my cadence at 80-100RPM, but find that pace tires my legs quickly. I've tried grinding it in the mid-ring, but that too burns me out.

What can I do? Is this just a case of more practice or could I be missing a key technique to strong hill climbing?

Thanks in advance,

Chris:rolleyes:

[leapfrog]

dude, i got it. when you hit that point where you can't go any further and your bike begins to fall over. jump off! leave the bike where it is, and take off running up the hill! walla!

[striker]

Frog, It's answers like that which make this board suck.

As for climbing, I have similar issues and have noticed since I started riding a single speed that my climbing is a little better. One key is trying to maintain as much momentum as possible and use it towards the next climb.

Someone also suggested to me to work on my pedal rotation by unclipping one foot and pedaling with the other. Try to make a smooth stroke. I was amazed at how poor my stroke this exercize illustrated.

and lastly, I have gotten off my bike and went back down the hill to try it again, looking for a slightly different line. Practice makes perfect.

[stumpy]

Climbing:

Choose your gear before you start the climb. As you have experimented with in the past, not too high of a gear but not too small either. Too high a gear may cause you to stand which as you know will make you burn out, too low a gear can make you burn out too fast too. You will have to practice to get comfortable with gear selection. It will be different for different people.

On the long climbs, stay in the saddle as much as possible. Slide forward on your seal a little; this will keep your front wheel on the ground. If you have bar ends, use them on the climbs; it helps with your body position. As you peddle, keep your hands on the handle bars (or barends) and kind of pull your elbows towards your stomach in rythmic motions to your peddle strokes. (It is kind of hard to explain this without demonstrations)

Peddling effeciency: When you peddle, think circles instead of pushing down. On the down peddle stroke, think about scraping mud off of the bottom of your shoe. On the up peddle stroke, think about brining your knees to the handle bar. Using clipless pedals will help with pedaling effeciency. Practice this off the trail. Ride around on flat ground and pedal with one foot at a time. Unclip one foot, hold it off the peddle and peddle with the other foot. You will immediately understand what I am referring to when I talk about peddling in circles.

My exercise physiologist friend says doing squats and building those quads helps too since mountain biking is a lot of anaerobic activity. I know she is right but I am just too lazy to do it. However, she can kick my but in the short quick climbs. :)

Work on technical skills too. This will help with getting over obstacles. (But I'll save technical advice for some other post)

One more important thing to remember when climbing a hill is to keep telling yourself how much you love hills and how much you love to climb and how you can't wait for the next hill. I am serious too. In my opinion, mountain biking is 80% mental.

Other than that, practice, practice, practice. It won't happen over night.

I know this is a lot of info and a lot to think about. I hope it helps. Have fun ridin'!!

[Subscription Guy]

I find interesting three facts you mentioned:
1. You've been riding 3-4 times a week.
2. You've experimented with multiple climbing techniques.
3. Your climbing is weak, and you tire quickly.

From those symptoms, this dirt doctor thinks you might be overtraining and just plain fatigued to a point where, although you rip through the flats, a decent hill is enough to make you suffer.

Try taking several consecutive days off (4 as a target), don't ride just rest, then head for the meanest hill you know and see if you don't charge right up it!!!!

And call me in the morning.

[Xteife]

I think Karl makes a good point. You may be burning yourself out. With all that riding you should have a decent skill set, although Stumpy's suggestions are worth noting. One thing you didn't mention though was food. I know I will not do nearly as well, climbing especially, if I don't munch on some stuff before a ride. With the geared bike, I could usually granny my way through whatever, but ever since I got my singlespeed, I need to eat before I ride.

- G

[stumpy]

I ride 4 to 5 times per week and don't seem to have much problem with overtraining.....although I am not new to the sport and have been doing this for a few years. However, I do take at least one day per week and do nothing but waller in front of the TV. Also, roughly half of that riding is on my road bike.

Xteife does make an excellent point that I totally forgot about. He said you need to eat. This is true. Water is very important too. You should be well hydrated before you ever start. Divide your body weight in half and drink at least then many ounces of water EVERYDAY even if you aren't riding that day. Being well hydrated and fueled up with food prior to any ride will help you tremendously!

The rule of thumb: Eat BEFORE you are hungry; Drink BEFORE you are thirsty.

Try and drink a swallow of water every 8 to 10 minutes while you are riding and eat a few calories every 30 to 45 minutes of riding.

They (whoever they is) say that if you feel thirst, you are already dehydrated and if you feel hunger, is is going to be hard to fuel back up quickly.

Have fun!!

[DirtRagArt]

I've never been led astray by the K-man's advice. Do like he says, and I bet you'll improve.

[stumpy]

I had no intentions of trying to discredit anyone. I apologize if it came across that way. I agree that people need to rest. I was also saying that in my own, nonexpert opinion I didn't think riding 3-4 times per week was a lot. Although, I do agree with Karl that taking a break can be very beneficial. Again agreeing wth Karl, if popcan took time away from the bike, things may look different when he gets back on.


A couple of summers ago my riding started to suck so I took two weeks away from it and when I got back on after the break my riding had improved significantly. I guess I was forced to not think about it so I had a new frame of mind when I got back on.

[wooglin-at-home]

With all due respect to all the worthy advice you've gotten so far, I've got only two climbing tips.

1--Hate the hill. Attack it. Make it suffer.

2--Pain is your friend.

Works for me. :)

[MrTB]

As someone stated earlier, practice, practice, practice. Make hills part of your daily ride (regular ride or whatever you call it). Study the hill, be the hill, do consecutive repetitions of the same hill. When your hill gets easy start taking a harder line up that same hill. Cross train with rock climbing, hill sprints (on foot), weights, basketball, spinning classes, or if your really serious do sprints in deep snow or up sand hills. Do climbs at the beginning, middle and end of your regular rides. Challenge yourself to get better and enjoy the ride back down.






my 2 cents

[striker]

I;ve noticed I ride a little tougher when I have a little snack or caffeine prior to a 1-2 hour ride. Riding the SS has been the biggest improver for my hill climbing.

I eat fig newtons prior to a ride. Not a lot of fat and cheap compared to energy bars.

peace

[quazar76]

Everyones suggestions are fantastic.

Rest, recovery. Sometimes I get burnt out on riding, just like with everything else, beer, music, etc. They say, abscence makes the heart grow fonder. Clipless pedals are a must. Breath! Cadence and Rythm. Eat, Hydrate.

The biggest thing for me though is seat height. I like my legs to be able to stretch all the way out, otherwise I'm toast. I have to be sitting on the long steep ones and I must be as comfortable as possible. I also move my hands as close together on the grips as possible - this allows me to keep the bar straight on steep ass sections. I also keep my arms pretty much straight-this way I am upright, which provides comfort, as well as allowing me to breath well.

Yesterday I did the longest-continous trailclimb I have ever done in my life, THE LAUREL LUNGBUSTER at Ohiopyle. In the first 6 miles of the trail you climb 1600 verticle feet. I did this on a freeride bike that weighs 37 lbs. and could not have done it without my seat being up high, the prescence of a riding partner, and...

Take breaks, on a ride like this you have to.:p

[rs3o]

A lot of good things have been mentioned, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned this: it sounds to me like you are not pacing yourself. The climbs around here are pretty huge (5200ft. in 22 miles last Sunday) so I've gotten good at sustained climbing. First thing to find out is whether you are going anaerobic on your climbing. Do you feel the lactic acid building in your leg muscles? If so you are working too hard and you have crossed your aerobic threshold and are in anaerobic mode and this (by definition) can only be maintained for a short time. So you need to downshift and keep a comfortable cadence. It might seem like your are going very slowly, but it's the only way you will improve. The key is to stay in a gear that keeps you doing aerobic work. If you're in your lowest cog already, it's time to buy a new cassette (I run 11-34). The other thing to keep in mind is the only way you can increase your aerobic threshold is to train aerobically and approach, but do not cross, your threshold. After a few weeks of keeping to this, you should notice a difference.

I hate to disagree with the previous poster, but don't get off your bike to rest--it is a sign that you are not pacing yourself properly and you have probably gone anaerobic. try to do the climb in one shot (no matter how slow it seems).

[Scott G.]

Believe it or not, I have found spinning classes to really help out my hill climbing when out on the trails. With spinning you can build the resistance up and try to keep a higher RPM without having your bike fall over!!!

I have noticed a major improvement in my power and strength from doing two 6am classes a week.

I have also been able to tackle steeper hills by learning to really ride on the nose, elongated part of the saddle. Before I was losing it on hills by either having the rear wheel spin out from standing up, or having the front wheel come up from being too far back on the saddle.:D

[Ducman]

A few things that help me on climbs is not looking to far ahead, concentrate on your line and know what is coming up, but don't focus on how long the climbs is by constantly looking to the top.
I also pick a reference point on the hill, a rock or tree... and ride to the point, then pick and other and continue to that point without stopping. Visualize yourself being pulled to your reference point.

A heart rate monitor helps me alot. I know what HR I can substain and still ride smoothly and effiecently and what HR will cause me to go anaerobic to soon

Also, if your lungs are on fire, shift to a harder gear, if your legs are on fire, shift to an easier gear, if the whole house is on fire, get of the bike and throw up:)