A few posts back we talked about different positions to make your climbing more effective. This time around, we're going to talk about the intangible side of going uphill: the psychological and physiological side of things.
Climbing is tough, there's no question about it. But what makes a great climber? Ask that question on an internet forum and you'll get all manner of answers from “high power to weight ratio” to “they like to suffer” to “some people just are.” All are good, legitimate answers, but it doesn't help you if your goal is to not get dropped on the Saturday group ride or to set a personal best going uphill. Fortunately, just like any other aspect of cycling, you can practice and improve your climbing, which will make your days in the saddle that much more fun.
“They're just a natural climber!”
Every cyclist has a particular muscle make up that they've been born with (and there is some debate as to what degree this is adaptable due to training.) I don't mean which muscles, but I mean which types of muscle fibers make up your muscles. At the most basic, there are two types of fibers: slow twitch (aerobic, requiring oxygen to produce energy) and fast twitch (anaerobic, not needing oxygen.) In cycling, most of our time is spent utilizing slow twitch fibers, where our breathing feeds enough oxygen to the muscle to allow it to do the work of pedaling. Fast twitch fibers come into play for quick accelerations, sprints and other very short efforts. (It should be noted that slow/fast twitch utilization is not an on/off switch: we are always using some percentage of both fibers in everything we do.) Fast twitch fibers also fatigue very quickly, while slow twitch fibers are much slower to fatigue. Fast twitch fibers also produce large amounts of lactic acid, giving you that painful burning, and causing muscles to shut down after short periods of high intensity work. See where we're going?
“Natural climbers” are genetically gifted with high VO2 max numbers and a special blend of muscle fibers that allow them to push hard and produce a lot of power at their threshold. While it's hard to compete with these types, you can practice staying just under the red zone where you start to feel that lactic acid burn, heavy legs and ragged gasping breath. You want to climb at a pace that's sustainable to you, where you can breathe evenly and maintain your speed throughout the climb. Unless you're attacking, bridging a gap or just doing VO2 max intervals, avoid standing and accelerating, as it will quickly fire up your fast twitch fibers and put you deep into the red zone, which you'll have to slow down to recover from. Climbing just under that red zone is often termed “riding at threshold.”
“They love to suffer!”
This answer is probably one of the best I've heard about climbers. Climbing at threshold is indeed painful, and it gets more painful as the climb drags on. Let's not even mention attacking and putting yourself into the red…that's a whole different world of pain. But those who love to climb do themselves a favor and they embrace the pain, embrace the challenge and revel in the success of the climb.
Psychologically, climbers may be akin to sadomasochists more than anyone else. When you are feeling your legs and lungs burn, your body is screaming for respite, but you can only smile at the damage you've done to the Saturday morning group ride and keep going, you know you're in the right frame of mind. Climbing is as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one. If the brain says “stop, I can't do this” then your body will stop and not do what you ask it to. Jens Voigt is famous for his various commentary about how he pushes himself, from “shut up body, and do what I tell you” to the oft repeated “shut up legs.” He's on to something there. He knows that the minute you tell yourself that you can't, you won't.
Climbing should be a constant psychological battle. Break up your climb into small goals. Tell yourself that you just need to get to that mailbox. Once you hit the mailbox tell yourself that you just need to get to that telephone pole. Then after that, you just need to make it to that driveway. By focusing your effort on smaller chunks of the climb, you'll be much more likely to keep going, since your goal is only a few pedal strokes away. Before you know it, you're at the top, and it really wasn't that bad. Of course, if you're riding with a group, you can simply direct all your psychological talk into the group. Enjoy watching the pain on everyone else's face as you put in that blistering acceleration, or watch the rider behind you grimacing as they try to hold your wheel. Nothing is better motivation that reaching deep into your suitcase of courage, pulling out a huge can of whoop ass and putting other riders deep into the pain cave.
“They have a high power to weight ratio!”
Or to put it bluntly: they're strong riders with very little extra weight. You see, unlike flat ground where wind resistance and power favor larger riders that can put out huge numbers, climbing favors small riders who can put out modest power. If rider 1 weighs 100 kilograms (220) pounds and puts out 300 watts, that's about 3 watts per kilogram. If rider 2 weighs in at 70 kilograms (154 pounds) and puts out 250 watts, they're making about 3.6 watts per kilogram. So even though the smaller rider is making about 18% less power, they are going to go faster uphill. Losing a few pounds of unnecessary fat will make you a better climber, no questions asked. So think about that the next time you stop by Five Guys for a burger on Friday night before the group ride. Maybe that extra pound of water you'll retain could be the difference between being first and being last to the top of the climb.
Of course, the alternative to just losing weight is to also increase your fitness. Getting stronger will not only cause you to drop weight, but you'll excel in almost all aspects of your cycling, not just your hill climbing.
Equipment Choices
Light bikes are fun. Light bikes are neat. Light bikes lighten your wallet just as much as anything else.
If your ultimate goal is to get uphill as quickly and efficiently as possible, you'd be best advised to build a bike that caters to your strengths, not just the lightest thing going. Pick gearing that allows you to comfortably spin (or grind, depending on your preference) up the most common grades you encounter. The lightest bike in the world does you no good if you can't turn the gear over because you're over geared. Have a variety of cassettes and chainrings for special occasions: if you're going to be on a very hilly ride, swap to a larger cassette so that you have some lower gears for later in the ride when you may be tired. Make sure your bike is comfortable and your fit is good. An uncomfortable bike will get you nowhere fast, and the more comfortable you are on the bike, the faster you'll climb on it.
Finally, take a little advice from the greatest cyclist of all time, The Cannibal, Eddy Merckx. “Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades!” Get out and ride those hills. Who cares if you have to walk part of it…you'll know for next time what to do differently, and when you finally ride it from bottom to top, you'll have the sense of accomplishment of a job well done.
Want to get deeper into any aspect of climbing? Leave a comment below and we'll jump right in!
Any suggestions for how to attack an unfamiliar hill?
With a hill you know well, you can ration your output appropriately and leave just enough energy in reserve to blast up that last stretch to the top. With a hill you don’t know, there’s nothing more demoralizing than going for broke on the last stretch, getting to what you think is the top, then gaping in horror at the next switchback that you didn’t even know was there.
Good question,
For climbs you don’t know, always ride a little bit under your normal climbing threshold, just to have something in reserve if it gets steep or nasty.
If you’re riding in a group, keep a eye on what the climbers in the group are doing. If they’re holding back, they may be anticipating something else up ahead.
If you’re riding alone, or even in a group, reading the road will be a big help. If you can still see the road rising ahead of you, the climb is going to continue. Switchbacks rarely turn a corner and flatten right out, so those aren’t usually the end of a climb. My general rule of thumb for reading the road is if you can see the sky over the crest of the road, that’s almost a surefire sign the climb is over. If you can see the crest but there are trees beyond (no road rising in your view) be cautious: it may be flat, it may be a false flat, or it may continue climbing at a lesser grade. I never jump on the gas unless I can see sky beyond the crest of a climb, unless I’m provoked of course…
Reading the road applies to so much. It’s what makes you a smarter rider, and smarter riders are the ones who win races and top the group rides.
“Switchbacks rarely turn a corner and flatten right out, so those aren’t usually the end of a climb.”
That is a great tip!
Of course surprises can work both ways… I’m sure you’ve done Peekamoose, which looks like this just before it tops out: http://tinyurl.com/3gmhwx7
True, there are exceptions to every rule. It’s certainly a nice surprise to see a switchback flatten out though.
In fact, there was an occasion of that on Ashokan Road during the group ride Saturday. I thought of this post and the advice therein. Although, still, it’s better safe than sorry….