Conquering the Passes: How to Climb More Efficiently on Your Bicycle

Most cyclists have a love-hate relationship with climbing but as much as slogging  up a steep hill or long alpine climb can be really tough, the sense of achievement is usually well worth the effort.

Some of the best cycling routes in Northern Italy include spectacular  mountain passes, which elevates (pun intended) the importance of fine tuning your climbing skills in order to fully  enjoy your cycling trip.

Climbing isn't just about strength, it's about strategy, technique and endurance. If you wouldn’t rate your overall climbing skills on a bicycle as at least an eight on a scale of one to ten, dive into the training suggestions outlined below to bring them to the next level.

Build Your Climbing Engine

Climbing requires greater activation of your lower body muscles, (particularly the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and calves) than when riding on the flats. To climb faster you need a strong engine to drive more power and good core activation to stabilise your body, optimising your efficiency at transferring that power into the pedals. Building stronger leg and core muscles translates directly into conquering steeper inclines with greater ease.

RECOMMENDATIONS: If time is limited and you want to see significant improvements in your balance and power, I highly recommend incorporating two leg exercises for cyclists into your training routine:

-Bulgarian Split Squats: targets  quads and glutes. Aim for 3 sets of 8-15 repetitions on each leg (focusing on good form) and rest for 60-90 seconds after each set.

-Single Leg Deadlifts: strengthens your entire posterior chain (glutes, hammies and calves), improving power transfer from your legs to the pedals. Start with bodyweight deadlifts to get balance and form first, then progress to dumbbells or kettlebells as you get stronger. Aim for 3 sets of 8-15 repetitions on each leg and rest for 60-90 seconds after each set.

Why one legged exercises are great for cyclists: they really help improve balance and stability, and unilateral strength, while also identifying imbalances or muscle weakness in either your left or right side. It’s also great for functional strength and reducing the risk of potential injury. We use these a lot with our private coaching clients.

Two, easy-to-incorporate core exercises for cyclists :

1. Plank: great for frontal and side core (obliques) muscles. Starting on your knees or elbows with legs as wide as an exercise mat, then progressing to straight arms with feet touching and other variations as you get stronger. Aim for 3-5 sets of holding a plank for 30-60 seconds with equal rest between sets.
2. Side Plank: great for strengthening your obliques. Do on your elbows with split leg (one in front of the other) then stacked legs on top of each other. Progress to straight arm and even more advanced, lift top leg up. Aim for 3-5 sets holding for 30-60 seconds on each side. Equal rest  between sets.

COACH TIP: the key to seeing improvements is consistency coupled with good recovery and rest. To see the best gains, incorporate 5 minutes of core daily and keep challenging yourself. At least once or twice a week focus on leg strength, subject to what other on-bike sessions you have in your plan. Make sure you don’t do back to back days of leg work and be sure to incorporate enough protein in your diet to help increase muscle mass.

Enhance Your Oxygen Consumption

As you start to climb, your cardiovascular system starts to work harder to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the working muscles, resulting  in an elevated heart rate and increased breathing rate. This means a strong heart and lungs are critical for sustained climbing efforts.

RECOMMENDATION: To get stronger, we recommend working on improving your VO2 max and training your body to utilise oxygen more efficiently. If you have a power meter or heart rate monitor, keep an eye on what zone you are working in. Knowing the power or heart rate you can maintain for the duration of a climb will mean you can judge your effort better.

Two key areas to focus on to improve:

-Sweet Spot Training: Training in Sweet Spot gets you to work 5-10% below your FTP power without completely draining your energy reserves, promoting VO2 max improvements. Aim for rides or climbs where you can sustain 45-60 minutes in your Sweet Spot zone or build up to a level on an indoor trainer where you can sustain 2 x 20 minutes Sweet Spot efforts with 10 minutes active recovery between them.

This method involves maintaining a comfortably hard effort 7.5-8/10  Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), which is typically at 90-92% of your FTP power training zones, with a progress target of 95% of FTP.

Don't know what your FTP is (or what FTP means)? More information can be found here: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/what-ftp-really-means-to-cyclists/

-Hill Repeats: This climbing-specific workout involves repeatedly tackling the same climb with equal recovery periods in between. Hill repeats train your body to handle sustained climbing efforts and build muscular endurance in your legs. Start with shorter climbs and gradually increase the duration and steepness as you get fitter.

COACH TIP: Aim for 4-6 repeats of 3-5 minutes each at a VO2 Max intensity which is a hard effort that feels like a 9/10 RPE or zone 5 in your FTP power training zones (i.e. 106-120% FTP) . Add a recovery period equal to or slightly longer than your climbing time.

Optimise Your Fuelling

Climbing requires cyclists to generate more power output to maintain their speed and momentum which can also cause greater thermal stress, especially in hot and humid conditions. This increased energy demand requires proper fueling and hydration to sustain your output and prevent fatigue, dehydration and depletion of your glycogen stores.

RECOMMENDATION: Fueling up before a big climb is essential, it can take around 15 minutes or longer for your body to take on fuel so plan ahead when tackling hills. I recommend eating foods that you know work for your body and gut. Key is to test any new foods on training rides first and at different intensities of effort. Opt for natural carb-based foods that are easy for the body to process and digest while cycling like bananas, organic dates or natural energy bars, or even salted rice cakes with honey and a little nut butter. Be conscious of foods that are majority complex carbs (grains) like oat bars or flapjacks as these take longer to digest in the body so won’t be the right choice if you need energy fast.

A key thing to remember if you are struggling with energy and need something fast: choose simple carbs (bananas, dates, etc) or even more refined sugars like energy blocks, gels or a natural based energy drink, as they will enter the bloodstream even faster.

Continuing to eat and drink is essential if you want to tackle longer climbs. Taking onboard food and hydrating with water and electrolytes regularly will make the difference.

COACH TIP: How often you eat and hydrate can vary depending on how physically demanding the ride or climb is, how much you fueled up before the ride and how hot the temperature gets, especially if there is little or no shade or breeze to keep you cool.  This will govern your effort and energy expenditure. Usually a good rule of thumb is to sip water every 30 minutes and eat small amounts every 40-60 minutes on a longer endurance ride.

However, if it gets really hot and the climbs get longer and more challenging, then you will need to hydrate with water and electrolytes every 10-15 minutes and eat small amounts every 15-20 minutes to ensure you stay hydrated and replenish lost glycogen stores. You’ll also need to consider slowing your pace if you don’t have enough water or food before the next feed stop.

Choosing The Right Gear And The Right Cadence

When climbing, settle into a comfortable cadence. If the climb is not too steep this should be around 80-90 revolutions per minute (rpm).

Changing gears at the right time on a climb is important to help maintain a steady rhythm and ensure you are not wasting any unnecessary energy. Try not to wait too long to change gear and let your cadence really slow down. Generally speaking, changing gear can alter your cadence by around 8-10 rpm on a flat road and even less than that as the gradient increases. Therefore, when your cadence gets into the low 80s we recommend changing into a lower (easier) gear to get your cadence back up to around 90 rpm.  If you are going to push a bigger gear, we would recommend moving your weight back on the saddle to allow for more leverage.

RECOMMENDATION: If your climb has a lot of turns, it is a good idea to lower your gear (make it easier) as you get to the hairpin curve and spin up your legs and accelerate around the bend. If you are going around a switchback we recommend taking the corner wide as this is generally less steep. Don’t “save” gears for the end of the climb, climb in the best gear for you at any given point in the climb. Holding gears back for the end can leave you working harder than needed.

COACH TIP: if you struggle on the longer steep climbs then choosing the right chain set and gear ratios for multiple long climbing days can make all the difference to your cadence, efficiency and rhythm on the bike. This is especially true if you are a bigger rider who struggles on longer steeper climbs. We recommend opting for a 50/34 chain set on the front with a 11/32 or 11/34 rear cassette. Be aware that you may need to purchase a longer rear derailer especially if your current one is a 11/28. It’s well worth the investment for the extra relief and enjoyment.  

Pace Yourself

Climb for yourself not for others.

Forget about keeping up with the peloton. Most group rides have an unwritten rule: regroup at the top. And for good reason. Going too hard to try and catch your mate is a surefire way to blow up halfway up a climb.

RECOMMENDATION: Try to tap out a steady rhythm throughout the whole climb. A consistent and efficient effort will help prevent your legs from tiring as quickly. Ride at a climbing cadence and  intensity that you can maintain for the majority of the climb or build up gradually and finish with a strong acceleration to crest the summit.

COACH TIP: If you don't feel you are as strong a climber as your fellow riders, aim to approach the climb at the front of the group. This gives you space to move back through the group. If you start at the back and get dropped straight away, this can affect you mentally and lower your motivation to push yourself.

Sweat The Technique

Efficiency is king on a climb so think about your body position. Seated climbing is generally more economical for flatter sections. Lean slightly forward, keeping your core engaged, your upper body relaxed, your weight centred over the bottom bracket and avoid bouncing up and down in the saddle. When the incline starts to get steeper, standing can provide temporary relief and help lengthen tight hamstrings but only stand up when necessary and for short periods as it does utilise more energy given it engages more muscles.

RECOMMENDATION: Keep your eyes up: It's important to look ahead and anticipate changes in the gradient of the climb. This will allow you to prepare for any changes and adjust your effort (and gears) accordingly.

COACH TIP: Get out of the saddle towards the top of a climb where you can see the summit and judge the distance for you to power up the last steep bit. Then sit and accelerate across the top before descending again. Practise this in training so when it comes to the big day, you ace it!

Know The Climb

We’ve probably all had those moments when you get out of the saddle thinking you are at the top of a climb only to realise you’ve gone into the red and there’s a lot more to come around the corner.

Studying your climbs before each ride (like Stelvio, Giau, Mortirolo etc), can really help you when it comes to pacing and technique. Check out the total distance and average gradients for each kilometre so you know when you can back off and when to prepare for steeper sections.

RECOMMENDATION: Before setting off on your ride, create a ride route profile – I’d recommend using a simple tool like Strava. Creating this profile will give you a good understanding of the gradient of the climbs. For bigger climbs we stick this on our top tube so easy to see quickly.

COACH TIP: Get local knowledge about each climb you are attempting and where the challenging sections are, or things you might need to be aware of that you might not see on a route profile. Simple things like wind, road surface, water stops, etc.

Finally, remember, consistency is key!

Mastering climbs requires dedication and practice. Set benchmarks, personal SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound)  goals, track your progress, and celebrate your achievements along the way. Aim for at least two high-quality interval training sessions a week, one dedicated outdoor climbing-focused session, and one longer endurance ride per week. As you get stronger and more efficient, you'll notice a significant improvement in your climbing power and endurance.

You'll be conquering those hills in no time.

Are you signed up for a CyclingHero trip and want more specific coaching to make your adventure as enjoyable as possible?

Head over to Njinga Cycling for more information, or go ahead and schedule a FREE COACH CALL with our head performance coach today so we can help you conquer those climbs. You get 15% off your first month of coaching with code: CYCLINGHERO15