Climb Like A Pro - Tips On Cycling Up Hills
GCN unlocks the secrets of how to climb effectively on a bike - straight from the pros.
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Everyone wants to make riding uphill easier, and sometimes all you need is a tip or two to put you in the right direction. GCN uses the knowledge of former pro cyclist Dan Lloyd to tell you how make it as easy and efficient as possible.
Dan covers pacing, technique on the bike, climbing in and out of the saddle, and nutrition and hydration. Apply some of these tips and you will undoubtedly see the benefit in your climbing ability.
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Tom Ingleby - Chocolate Plutonium
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Пікірлер: 243
Bro I’m watching this to make it to get over a couple hills on my way to my friends house and I think that’s hell, People do this for fun????
@kbg12ila
3 жыл бұрын
Lol that's so cute
@facebook-bq5xh
3 жыл бұрын
@@kbg12ila agree
@danielbush6882
2 жыл бұрын
I wanna go biking, but not this kind of biking! It does indeed seem so tiring by this video. Sheesh.
@wokevirushandsanitzer5300
2 жыл бұрын
Once you start doing it enough you’ll be flying up them like nothing. I started first by doing 300m of ascent up a hill near me.
@padmanabhaprasannasimha5385
9 ай бұрын
My buddy made me do an 80km long ride with 900m elevation gain on my very first long distance ride. It was brutal but I had so much fun.
This is all good if you already have a good cardio, if you're a beginner, building endurance and cardio is the best tip. I do a lot of cycling and when I started I'll say this, If you can't do it DON'T push your body you can collapse, walk up the hill instead then bike down.
@tripleaaa4409
4 жыл бұрын
TheProteanGirl what would you say is the best way to build your cardio?
@DragonBornGirl50
3 жыл бұрын
@@tripleaaa4409 honestly, don't start with paths that change altitude too much yet. Take it on flat terrains, start slow then gradually increase your speed. When you're able to max yourself and keep it going on that flat (as flat as you can get) terrain for a while then start on a surface with some altitude and keep adding more and more slope-y terrain until you get used to it, keeping the same routine of starting slow and getting faster gradually. Also, go to the gym on the side and do it on machines because there you don't have to worry about surroundings awareness and can focus on the mechanics of getting better at biking. Being low body fat is also huge for biking. I think it's a given nobody mentions but still, the leaner you get the easier it is especially on hills. Biking is a sport you cannot go too drastically one shot. A lot of people get overconfident and do the terrains they can't maintain long throughout and burnout and lose the passion for it thinking it's a boring sport but it takes a lot of practice to get good. Also, consistency, if you bike many days in a row with little breaks in between your cardio will be well maintained. I always found when I started in summer, after winter, I was sluggish at first and had some trouble, then as I did it for days I was zooming past parts I previously got stuck on. Let me know what you think and hope this helps!
@bigbabysld
3 жыл бұрын
That's the way I learned and built up to tackle those hills
@EFUgyrgyr
2 жыл бұрын
@@tripleaaa4409 go running to cross train
@EFUgyrgyr
2 жыл бұрын
@@tripleaaa4409 fuck, you can run hills. It builds a lot of the same muscles on foot that you use when climbing on a bike. Feet don’t fail you as easily, and again you can always stop and walk the rest.
I love hills because the more I climb I know a very fun decent is coming. Thanks for the tips!!
@parkerc2666
9 жыл бұрын
+cyber bri68 not to mention the view
@cyberbri6899
8 жыл бұрын
Yep!! I love being out in the middle of a whole bunch of mountains!! That's when I'm the happiest but second to being with my wife and kids :)
@McRemmyBaby
5 жыл бұрын
I LOVE HILLS! OMG! SAVAGE
@vittalsingh5053
3 жыл бұрын
Well I used to love hills and something about the lockdown made me hate cycling
@jony7779
3 жыл бұрын
I remember feeling like that when I first started cycling but now I've been climbing hills for a year I actually *enjoy* the climbing part and dread the descents.
Climb like a pro? Not hard. First, don't take off like a rocket. Let the others fly off first. Pedal slowly. Wait for a team car. When no one is looking, grab the car's B pillar and hitch a ride. There, isn't that much easier? Let go just before you rejoin the peleton. Then breeze past your exhausted compatriots and head straight to the finish line. Don't forget to punch into the air like a good pro would.
Body weight is the major factor that determines whether you can climb off the saddle or on the saddle comfortably. Lighter riders don't have the seated power that the heavier riders have. If a heavy rider were to climb off the saddle, a lot of power would be wasted supporting and balancing body weight than into the pedal stroke. Heavy riders can still climb off the saddle well, but for a significantly shorter amount of time than the lighter riders.
I've always been in the habit of standing up and powering up a hill. Sitting down with the pedals spinning fast in the lowest gear feels weird.
@queweamiraitantofeoculiao5826
5 жыл бұрын
too slow, tbh feels more tiring to me.
@natm3124
4 жыл бұрын
Samw
@ItsAnGoose
2 жыл бұрын
Exactly how I feel!
@returnfreedom
2 жыл бұрын
@@queweamiraitantofeoculiao5826 thats cause you have worked your anaerobic capacity much, stronger muscles but how do you do with endurance 50-100-150miles etc? thats where spinning comes into play aerobic. I have always been taught to train spin first then aerobic, but whatever gets you up the hill.
Changing gears on a steep hill climb is essential. Take care of your sprockets and chain by shifting only after releasing the torque on your pedals. Always hit a hill at top speed and gear down slowly, maximizing the momentum with each gear until you get to your grinding gear, maintaining 1.5 pedals per second.
On long distances it's important to pace yourself. If you go flat out you'll probably bonmk pretty early on and cause yourself all kinds of mischief.
I go faster uphill if I just walk, so I usually just walk up hills, it’s faster.
@wahyusuwianggara5422
4 жыл бұрын
Haha you are funny bro
@m36games
4 жыл бұрын
wahyu suwianggara Nah just lazy 😂
@darkoFNFN
4 жыл бұрын
Yeah same
@ob707
3 жыл бұрын
I felt this comment in my soul.... 😂 😂
@dominadorportillomcmaster6882
3 жыл бұрын
The best comment deserves more attention. 😂
With this advice I managed (just about) to climb Caerphilly Mountain on an entry level Giant Defy 4 Compact. Sitting up, keeping a steady pace and breaking up the climb helped the most. I have a whole new respect for pro riders!
I used to spin on climbs but I noticed when I'd get dropped that everyone that dropped me was not spinning but were in a much higher gear than me so I've started to grind a little more in a higher gear and have noticed I'm beginning to get much faster at climbing.
great advice, i'll be trying this out today. i was sucking wind last time i went up my hill, this time i'll sit back, drop gears, and try to maximize my muscles, also try and relax my posture.
Never think about quitting, once you do it makes it easier to do it
yeah I have some tips, see a tree or such like aim to get past it and so on, it really helps if you focus on your breathing, in through the nose out through the mouth
I am just getting into road biking and I like the idea of sectioning off the climb into segments. Right now I do take breaks going up hill
As a runner who just started riding for the first time since I was a kid, hills are kicking my butt. Running did not prepare me for this. I can run up any hill anytime, but when cycling up these steep hills my legs quickly fail before anything. I can get up more efficiently standing and pedaling but my legs want to collapse after a bit. Gonna take a lot of practice.
Everybody loves to climb on a bike but don’t bomb it coming back down I have heard all kind of bicyclist 🚴♀️ accidents, mostly road rashes , broken leg , ribs etc. Some even in ICU for weeks Enjoy and Take care y’all go home safely
I love cycling but hate hills -- some great info - thanks
you dont need any extra special bike to climb faster *shows all of the expensive bikes ive ever seen*
fastest way to climb a hill : just push your bike
onoda sakamichi
@frosts1956
5 жыл бұрын
or manami
@zoune83
5 жыл бұрын
Sing hime hime
@roogie4591
5 жыл бұрын
Damn 5 years ago I just started watching it
@manoculture4230
5 жыл бұрын
Toudou
Very true! I'm 56, never have been a racer, but have always had a passion for road cycling. Longest rides I do are 50 mi./80 km, and the most I've ever payed for a bike is $400.00. I buy inexpensive aluminum frame bikes when they are on sale, and I find them comfortable enough for my longest rides. Buying cheaper bikes means I likely have to spend more time making adjustments and replacing parts than owners of better bikes.
Protip about weight is the most important one. For the last 6 years, I was riding a 14kg fitness bike. I thought that I'm just a bad rider, not strong enough. But recently I bought a semi-pro road bike (8kg) and now climbing feels as easy as riding on a flat with my old bike xD
Here I am trying to find out how to get up the hill on the way to work... haha! Anyone else just leave their gears on 3x because they’re scared of the crunching noise??
@leesuuton5083
4 жыл бұрын
Only just got a modern road bike ! So used to the gear change on the down tube and picking a gear before going up hill and only changing if no choice ! Modern bike is fantastic for changing up or down going up a hill
@ianvanessen2166
3 жыл бұрын
@@leesuuton5083 Changing gears during a steep hill climb is essential. Just don't hurt your bike by torqueing during a gear change.
Yes, kind of. Try to train powerintervals intervals. First things first - you need a lot of endurance training - more is king. Then implement a muscular endurance interval e.g 2x4 minutes hardest gear at 60 cadence, 10 min break with endurance. After some time you can extend the intervals (4x4 or 2x10 etc) but always covered by endurance training on lower output power
Thanks for all your comments - we'll be producing many more videos like this in the coming weeks so make sure you spread the word!
I love climbing hills and also love riding centuries. Great tips! Thanks GC to the N
hill climbs are tough but I like doing them
another tip from me which actually is serious is to take a huge shit before you go out for a big climb. you'll climb faster lol
It's videos like these why I love gcn. Good work!
Gonna do a climbing tomorrow. Thanks for the tips !
Moved to a mountain town for their good reputation uni ( not as in it's expensive and snob people go there for a diploma fro. That specific uni but because the staff is good and the subjects they offer are way more numerous and specific) . The shortest path to their is trough a mountain park. I have an old bike with a out of sync derailer and chipped gears. I also have good cardio for the less step place i come from but i just don't have the raw strength and endurance required with my janky bike to do it with out walking up steep bits
Just remember to change your position based on the climb. If it's a super steep climb you can can sit upright and only focus on your breathing. If the climb is not as steep remember aerodynamics still matter. Find a balance between breathing and aero.
I love climbing because all your focused on is the climb and my mind is so focused i forget all the madness that goes on in my head so its great for my mental health it clears the head great tbe harder tbe climb tbe better
To keep my cadence constant I like to count 1, 2 , 1, 2 in sync to pushing my pedals down.
man, I needed this! Thanks GCN!!!
2*7 gear cycle or 14 speed cycle which gear combination is good for normal ride
I've had a cheap mountain bike for the last few years. No problems. What type of bike was yours?
I found nutrition is the only thing I can do without problem 😄
Fantastic advice here drom Daniel Lloyd.
Incredibly helpful and great insider knowledge, thanks!
So happy I watched this I'm doing tormalet can't spell it but the mountain that you did today I've already climes la peire St Martin last year Thanks
Ha, thanks. Yes we will be producing some kit very soon but on a very exclusive basis initially. Stay tuned though, maybe you could win some soon?!
Thank you for the helpful tips!
thanks for nice video/tips take care ...colin.
Can you for example fit easier gears on lets say Scott CR-1? To climb higher hills. With triple forward crankcase?
How do you do the side by side dance when climbing a hill
I need to remember not to power up the climb. Even if it's short I get anaerobic really fast and then Im fatigued when the second climb comes along. First half lower gear and spin Second half higher gear and stand up/grind That's what I'm going to try anyways.
What about changing gears while going uphill? I only downgrade unless I overshoot so I have to go lower for a while.
Wow. Such a good video. So many amazing tips. Much appreciated.
I have a 40 pound bike...also my blood pressure drops dangerously low during hills and weight-lifting so I feel like I'm going to faint...any tips? haha.
Gears I think is the biggest issue for me. I'm pretty new (and by new, I haven't spent alot of time on a bike in a few years) and I can't quite hit the right gears. If I am in first gear or gear 1, i'm spinning way to fast for my liking but going up to 2, I feel alot of strain on my muscles. Maybe i'm just too new & haven't built myself up enough yet plus i'm pretty heavy so I know that doesn't help but i'm getting there. Maybe i'm missing something I should do?
Any advice for beginners climbing hills ?
cheers
none other than the finger pistol toting, Mr Alberto Contador.
I’m trying to learn how to ride up the Williamsburg bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan and vice versa it’s a mean ride.😂
well now, GCN. as it was my idea, i would very much hope to 'win' some. that'd be lovely. cheers ;o)
it's been 4 months i climbing hills 4KM. Even i had feel the different of my body n cycling skills. But my breath still not really good~ Any idea how to improve my breathing?
today was my first climb... I hate them already. Any tips for a newbie like me?
@dapeguer
10 жыл бұрын
***** Lmao
@georgec2894
10 жыл бұрын
It's typical to like what you're good at - so it'll only get better! Vary the hills you ride: locations, length, gradient, hairpin or straight road etc. Enjoy the sense of achievement when you reach the top. Depending on your weight now, it's likely that losing some weight will make the process easier and more fun. Just losing 3-4 kg made me climb soooo much better!
@stoney1437
10 жыл бұрын
I get my motivation to climb by looking at the percentages. so if i for an example climb up a 15% steep climb, i think: Holy shit! this is just like the tour de france. And then i am able to keep my motivation high. which makes me fight and enjoy the suffering much more! :)
@XTheSonofTheSunX
10 жыл бұрын
learn to love climbing, and, riding into the wind. ride on
@Ed1956K
10 жыл бұрын
I was like you are one point in time Teska, but the more you do them the better you will get and you'll find y9ourself seeking more challenging climbs.
porlock hill north somerset which is 25% for a good half a mile, then has about a mile of "false flat" at ten % +. Anyone who knows the exact profile feel free to correct me, suffice to say tis a heck of a climb. Draycott steep near cheddar is good for a giggle too which includes about .4 of a mile at around 30%!!
He was a special guy who trained in a very specific way to pedal like that. 99% of the time a higher cadence will work better for your cardio and will avoid knee problems. The saddle should be set in a way that your leg is slightly bent when the pedal is down. A quick way is to mount the bike (get a friend to hold you up) use your heel on the pedal, extend your leg to max and adjust the saddle to the height of your crotch. Ride a bit, you hips should not have to rock side to side...
Anyone else hate awkwardly pushing up a hill with a car behind you?
So it depends on what of special gear you have? Like the chain size? Sorry but that part I don’t get. Should be able to work with any gear
Mountain biking: Get out of the saddle while climbing or you'll use your nuts Cycling: Stay in the saddle, don't get out or you'll waste your energy
@orestes1984
6 жыл бұрын
Its faster initially out of the saddle but you'll soon over stress your legs and have to sit down.
Bro where i live has so much climbs so tysm for this
it can be but it doesn't have to be - it's what you make it.
You can train to ride a certain way, doesn't mean it is the propper way for you. Chances are you could pedal in a more efficient way using gears properly and adjusting your saddle the right way. But it can be that your physical built is Ullrich like. It doesn't matter that much in the end if you're not a pro. Unless you are hurting yourself...
Thank you.
great set of tips
My neighborhood has nothing but hills, thats why I'm here.
berti is an amazing climber, he was immense in the vuelta last year but try as i might, i could not get past his (very much shortened) ban for party poppers...which is a shame cos the man is a magician in the mountains. he's my tip for TdF this year...i think young Froomie may struggle to stay with him.
I have neck pain after climbing........ Any solutions?
@globalcycingnetwork when cycling long distances should i maintain speed or go flat out?
I ride in like gear 6 and sit on the saddle? This doesn't feel like the most efficient way to ride? I saw a smaller bmx pass me on a gradient yesterday and he was riding off saddle... does it make a big difference uphill to ride off saddle? I find it uses up more energy.
If you're travelling through a series of hills in an automobile will you conserve fuel by accelerating through the downhill then coasting through the uphill or by maintaining a constant speed limit? I'm trying to convince my roommate that the latter will use more fuel... but I'm not a Physician... Since this is a biking channel, maybe 'fuel' would be replaced with 'stamina?'
i cant and its not because i have weak legs i cant pedal a 39 tooth inside chainring neither legs go round to quick so i use a 42 and climb in the saddle but im thinking of changeing my chainrings to q rings or o symmetric rings see if that helps .
I like riding my bike 🚲 I like going up hills. I sit down when I ride up a hill. I always sit down I never quit no matter hard it is.
I know it's not what these videos are for, but how much of this applies to those of us who cycle for transportation rather than sport? I mean, steak bike, 8 speed internal hub, hub generator lights, and sit up and beg geometry. There's a rather nasty hill right near home and if I go that way it's nice going wherever I'm going, but not great coming back. I'm much better at it than I used to be but God, I hate this hill.
@Kevin15047
9 жыл бұрын
I meant to say steal bike.
@barfly946
9 жыл бұрын
Kevin15047 STEEL bike even ?
@Kevin15047
9 жыл бұрын
Oh, it's a stupid language. Good and food don't rhyme why?
@Danuxsy
8 жыл бұрын
+Kevin Hosford "steak bike" imfao xD
@Kevin15047
8 жыл бұрын
Zersix Oops. I meant steal.
Does anyone match the counter of the road climb with their posture? Been trying this out on a few hills ( almost all flat here) and it does make a difference of instead of standing up on the pedals to match the gradient level with your upper body to be leveled with the rise of the climb.
I can tell you from personal experience that another way to get uphill better is to not use a 8 year old bike that is 70 percent rust
"when you're out of the saddle change up to a bigger gear". Changing up under pressure, will I not break anything? :/
@RayMysteryo
4 жыл бұрын
you can also go sideways during a climb for the moment when you want to switch gears to avoid having a lot of tension on the chain
modern standard chainring combinations I think are - double- 53/39 compact - 50/34 the rear cassette can vary a bit ... usually 11-25 or something like that (please correct if im wrong)
I’m an expert at shark kills on flat roads.. I’ll come from behind and attack however, I truly suck at hills.. I don’t even know how to shift the gears.. I need advice
thanks for the hint
Forget compact cranks especially on a MTB. 3 RINGS. Choose you cassette accordingly. I like 44-32-22 in my MTBs, On road bikes I would set 52-39-26, 12-26 on the rear cassette. You still have the range but the ratios are closer to fine tune the final drive ratio. Use the largest ring you can. Don't worry about cross-chaining, the bike is supposed to help you not the other way around.
@suggesttwo
9 жыл бұрын
Addicus Taylor There is a limit screw on the rear derailer which will stop it from going in the spokes if it adjusted correctly. keeping the chain on the largest ring as much as possible reduces wear in 2 important ways. 1 the largest ring is the farthest out of line with the wheels so less dirt will be kicked up on the chain. 2 it minimizes the torque on the driveline. Less torque on the chain allows smoother shifts.
@razzanator06
9 жыл бұрын
+Peter B. cross chaining is okay in rare situations but do it a lot and your chair will wear a lot faster, and if not replaced wear everything else out too. good habit not to cross chain for this reason.
@suggesttwo
8 жыл бұрын
+Ryan Morrison crosschain in the small ring and cassette gears bad cross in the large ring and cassette gears good.
@razzanator06
8 жыл бұрын
Peter B. Either extreme is bad for your chain, it adds tension, and unwanted angle and will over time stretch the chain more than if you didn't This is if you mean large front ring and biggest(in size) cassette at the back, anyway. Never go highest at the front and lowest at the back and vice versa is a good habit for many reasons.
@suggesttwo
8 жыл бұрын
+Ryan Morrison Remember the second part of the argument, the purpose of the gears is to help the rider not the other way around. So the rider does not have to strain. You don't adjust the gears to reduce the stress on the drivetrain, you use it to minimise the stress on the rider so you can put down as much power as possible without sore knees and legs.
Try to watch Yowamushi Pedal
Pro tips!
I've got a KHS Alite 4000 (right, actually a mtb with a deore groupset) with a rigid fork and 26x1" tires. It's been very pleasant to me in the two years I had it, didn't have to switch a single part.
Thx
I'm not new to riding and never experienced this before, but do have a new lighter carbon bike and when climbing up a steep hill while sitting in the saddle my front wheel is lifting, skipping at times, if I move my CoG forward this stops it from happening, but then power from my glutes and hamstrings is minimized, any ideas, solutions would be greatly appreciated? Thanks.
My bike won't let me peddle uphill or too hard in general without the chain skipping a tooth on the sprocket, nearly causing me to scrape my shin on the pedal or worse.
Its a road bike, an old Elswick Stag racer. But the wheels and tyres are new. Just get tired of it getting flat tyres all the time.
A nice video for my dear friend SLT
I basically watch this to do the opposite. I sometimes ride with my brakes slightly on just to that extra difficulty. I just want it to be as inefficient as possible, that way I get more bang for my buck.
What are your views on racing lines through hairpins? I've heard if you want to attack, use the inside, and if you want to recover, take the outside. I guess it's mometum versus shortest route, and that it depends on both the max and min gradients and the range between them. Is there a gradient (say 15% or 20%) which above it you should avoid the inside line? Good tips, thanks a lot!
The road to Piani Resinelli!!! :))
awesome video! hey guys, in the pursuit for being more aero I found some different opinions about what makes you more or less aero...for example, nobody said nothing about beards, but shaving your legs have the same effect of changing from a round frame to an aero frame...can you put it to the test? whats the real difference in performance between shaving legs and wearing cycling pants instead of shorts? do overshoes really make that much of a difference? Thank you guys, you are awesome
@rhiprhip
9 жыл бұрын
They have a video comparing aero frames and light weight frames, you can try searching that on their GCN channel, but the difference is not significant- comparing to other changes such as your body position. The are articles out there with studies that shows how many seconds you can save with overshoes/ skin suit and etc of how many seconds you can save in a 40km time trial - then again, some upgrades are a lot more bang for the buck such as aero bars / helmet / skin suit and slamming your stem. Shaving legs apparently does make a difference according to an experiment done on "Specialized"'s channel in the "Win Tunnel" series of videos.
Great Tips!
I like riding on hilles with bicycles. But i have a non geared cycle. It isnt so easy to climb up with them hence ise seeing if there's any such. If i install gears idk what quality it would be cs its not gonna be original with it.
Every time I climb, I always feel it in my quads no matter how much I try to incorporate my glutes and hamstrings resulting me to drop. I sit back in my seat, relax my hands, and pretty much followed every single detail in these videos, but my quads always give out. Should I move my seat forward/backwards? Please help!