Classic & Vintage - Attacking Hills: What's Your Modus Operandi?

There are a lot of hills where I live. I'm a masher so I don't enjoy sittin' & spinnin' up a steep hill for hundreds of yards. If I'm piddle-fartin' around that's one thing, but sometimes I want to go a little harder.

I'm not a trained cyclist. I've never had an expert teach me about proper form or any of that. I just do what feels natural. With most sizeable hills I just build up speed, usually stand up as I begin to incline, grab the drops and keep hammering. This is followed by heavy breathing, a sweaty forehead and the need for water once I'm on top (yep, still talking about bikes).

So, how do you attack a hill? If someone pointed to a bike in your collection and you said, "Oh, that's my hill climbin' bike", what would that bike look like? Anything special? I know a lot of you have or still do race in some capacity and I'd like to tap the pool of experience.

Note: My question is not related to touring bikes, MTBs or nouveau porteurs. i.e. "Get a lower granny gear" or "How about a power assist?" are wrong answers in this context.

I power up hills and use the downhills for recovery. Once you crest, drop a gear or two and do a semi-soft pedal into the crank and let gravity help you down. The active recovery of keeping the legs moving slightly is better at moving lactic acid out than is just coasting without using the muscles. Your average speed powering up and recovering down will increase over spin easy up and power down IMHO.

Depends. Sometimes out of the saddle, hands on the hoods. Other times, in the saddle, slide back a bit, hands on the tops, pulling back a bit for leverage. Watch a few minutes of race footage.

First thing: our definitions of "a sizeable hill" differ. For me that would be one measured in miles, not yards. Ain't no way somebody my size (6'3", 185lb) can stand all the way up one of those.

But for the short steep stuff, when I'm on a "fast" ride, I'll stand and power up it. If it's a long ride (as in 100+ mi), I'll sit and spin on every hill.

"Hill climbin' bike"? I climb hills on all of 'em. But climbing's fastest and funnest on my 20lb steel road bike (and I expect it'll be even faster and funner on my soon-to-be-acquired, significantly lighter cf road bike).

SP
Bend, OR

I love to climb hills. All kinds of hills. The approach is different depending on the type of hill.

Short steep hills-one that I can see the top of or know where the top is-I approach in the lowest gear I think I will need. I too am a masher and don't particularly like to spin. That in mind, I select a gear that I can run a good 80-90 cadence on the approach and initial run. As I slow I stand up and hammer. Hit the top click up two gears and accelerate.

Long hills. The bottom approach is similar, though maybe not as high a gear. I'll down shift as needed. Keep it a gear high occasionally so I need to stand up-it allows stretching. And again, two clicks up on the top and away we go.

If it's downhill on the other side, gears are selected as appropriate. Generally, I'd rather pedal down to keep the juices flowing. If I go straight to coasting, I tend to cramp.

Gear down,be patient,leave your ego at the bottom.

Marc

Get a single speed, then you'll learn climbing technique.

This whole video is really cool but the very end of it has some hill climbing tips from Bill Strickland that I have always tried to remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgNIznMX-NE&t=78m

With rolling hills I try to build up as much momentum as possible on the way down and I normally end up in a 53/11 or 53/12 combo. On the way up the next hill I'll work my way up the cassette (9 speed) until I'm out of that range of usefulness (not sure what cog that is, but it's before being cross chained too much), then go to the 39 ring and shift down twice on the cassette, then work my way back up the cassette again. I'll stand before things get to hard to keep up the momentum. On long climbs, I'll end up alternating between spinning and standing.

Ain't no way somebody my size (6'3", 185lb) can stand all the way up one of those. Indurain?

I have a single speed so my MO is to gather any momentum I can find before the climb, stay in the saddle as long as I can (I move back on the saddle), and then finally stand on the pedals to crest the hill. I run about 78 inch gear as a compromise and find that if I let my rpms drop below a certain point it's a whole lot harder going slowly up the hill as opposed to mashing.

-G

My response was based on shortish rollers, the kind of terrain I have here. Multi-mile climbs obviously require a different technique :)

Indurain?

I thought Indurain mostly won on the TTs

if it's a short climb, I would power through and mash it.

Anything else, I build speed at the bottom by mashing until I can build speed, then sit down with hands in drops and spin at that same speed.

I thought Indurain mostly won on the TTsI just thought if any big guy could do it, it would be him. He did win some mountain stages but you don't see him getting up from the saddle too often.

I've become a spinner lately, but for shorter, rolling hills, I prefer to stand and mash. But this also tires me out quickly, so I don't find it suitable for long, sustained hills. For those, I gear down and spin. Also, unless it's a really short hill (<1/4 mile), I don't approach it by trying to sprint into it. I don't feel it gains me anything, and it wastes some of the energy that's needed once I'm climbing. Rather, I try to start into the hill relaxed, then as I slow down I begin to mash, only downshifting when needed, and never dropping into the lowest gear sooner than I need it. I also try to make sure I breathe deeply. Sometimes I forget just how important that is, and I have to make a conscious effort to do it.

And gearing does play a role, depending on the nature of the ride. For shorter hill training rides (15-30 miles with 1500-3000 ft of elevation gain) I can make do on a road bike with 42/28 gearing and mash for much of the climbing. But for really long, sustained climbs on all-day rides (like D2R2), well, let's just say there's no way I could have done it without 1:1 gearing (or sub-1:11, as on my Shogun-- even then I had to do a small amount of walking). That said, I saw plenty of racer types who were mashing up 20% grades with 39/28 gearing, and some of them made it look easy.

I will give you the wrong answer. Get a granny gear. Did PBP with a roadbike with a triple now and the way you can adjust your cadence to the length and grade of the hill with a triple setup is just great. My CX bike has 11-28 and 50-34 but that is not wide enough when hills are both steep and long. And another wrong answer : stop mashing and start spinning, you'll get used to it.

I haul ass down the hill in front of it, hit with as much speed as I can going in. While still under speed I start gearing down. I get to whatever gear I think I can take the hill in and sit there. If I miss calculated, I spin a lot or I stand up and mash. I've ridden with a guy who had far better suited hill gear (cross bike) and who was content to just spin into hills. I made the mistake of following him into two hills. I didn't make the mistake of doing it again and won't in the future. 52/39 and 12-26 is ok around here. At times I wish I had a slightly smaller gear.

A lot of people talk about gaining momentum and/or rolling down the previous hill to climb the next hill. There is one particular stop sign near me that I have to stop at, right at the beginning of the hill. So I have to power up to the stop sign, STOP :(, then start again on the incline. I used to hate that intersection. Now I just do it; it doesn't bother me too much. Practice, practice, practice. Train, train, train. Reps, reps, reps.

Keep a tempo you can manage. The most important thing is not to worry about the speed of any other rider on the climb. You'll pass some people, some people will pass you. The worst thing you can do is blow up, it just makes the remaider of the climb miserable and slower than if you didn't over exert yourself too early.

What is a tempo you can manage? Only your experience can answer that question. Get to know the profiles of the hill's you do climb and that will help on climbing new hills.

http://oneeyedparrot.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/python_sir_robin_2_small.jpg

I stand 90% of the time - I need leverage since my strength and endurance isn't what it was. I probably move around too much while out of the saddle, but again I'm using the leverage to power over the top. Conversely, I try not to ever use my bottom gear. I can't remember where I read it, but the theory was when you were really hurting and about to get dropped, shift up a gear. Sorta a way of telling you "See? It could be worse".

Of course, I'll be able to spin away in the saddle and stay well out in front of guys like Scozim and RogerM because now I have a red bike :)

DD

I haul ass down the hill in front of it, hit with as much speed as I can going in. While still under speed I start gearing down. I get to whatever gear I think I can take the hill in and sit there.
Interesting-- polar opposite of what I do. I like to relax down the hills in advance of the ones that follow, it restores my energy.

http://oneeyedparrot.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/python_sir_robin_2_small.jpg

"Brave, brave, brave Sir Robin ran away..."

None of my bikes have a gears lower than 39x26, so I use EPO, blood doping, amphetamines...whatever it takes! ;)

None of my bikes have a gears lower than 39x26, so I use EPO, blood doping, amphetamines...whatever it takes! ;)

Finally a helpful answer.

I kid. Some good stuff so far. Thanks!

Finally a helpful answer.

No downhiller has chimed in yet with "chairlift".

Interesting-- polar opposite of what I do. I like to relax down the hills in advance of the ones that follow, it restores my energy.

My paradigm too...and with gravity you get a boost in speed along with the rest. The average speed on my after dinner loop went up 2mph when I started doing this.

And again, not for climbs....climbs are long, hills are short.

None of my bikes have a gears lower than 39x26, so I use EPO, blood doping, amphetamines...whatever it takes! ;)

Clembuterol steaks?


This whole video is really cool but the very end of it has some hill climbing tips from Bill Strickland that I have always tried to remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgNIznMX-NE&t=78m

That video is incredible. I love the part where he talked about moving your jaw, dropping your shoulders, and wiggling your fingers to avoid tensing. I've been doing that a lot recently, and never realized WHY I'm wiggling my fingers...

Stop being such a baby.....man up & pedal!

Hate rollers, so I read many of the tips above with great interest. Luckily most inclines around here are miles and miles long. For those you need endurance more than explosive speed, even though both can be handy to reach the top ASAP.

Say you have 6 mile hill with a 6-8% grade, but cruxing at 12% in a couple of places. Before getting to the base I try to find some flattish stretches to get a few minutes of low impact spinning to recover from the previous miles. Drink a little, maybe a gel.

Then I get my head ready. Feeling strong today? Or maybe things aren't flowing? If it's a good day then I ramp it up from the get go, pretty much convinced that I love the pain. Most likely the climb will be awesome with that attitude. Otherwise I approach with some apprehension, slowly warming up to the strain, sitting a bunch, lower gear.

With a fast pace I switch between short stretches of standing and longer sits. If there's a little bulge I use that as an excuse to get out of the saddle initially instead of gearing down. Helps spreading the load. As I go back in the saddle, in that short moment of letting up a little, I downshift.

When standing I really focus on keeping my heels low to use my calves.

Right before getting to the 12% steps I will want to eek out a small breather by slowing down just a hair. For this really steep stuff I almost always stand for the duration, with focus on getting into a sustainable rhythm. Blowing up in the middle of the maximum grade is painful.

Climbing huge hills confidently and fast takes a good deal of practice. The more you do them the smaller they get!

The ideal climbing bike, we are being told, is stiff in BB area and light - with the lightness focused in the wheels. My Merckx Corsa Extra gets the job done so much faster than my Woodrup Giro. The EM is several pounds lighter, steeper headtube, more aggressive riding position. It also lacks the ultra low bail out gears, forcing me to maintain a higher speed.

I'm actually very much the opposite on a MTB by the way. I generally take things a bit easier on down hills and the right before the hill pick up and power through.

Keeping in mind that most climbs I do are multi-mile climbs, I do a little bit of everything. I usually gear for a specific steepness based on what my legs are telling me. The steeper the average grade, the more often I have to change my plan of attack. Right now, I have my main bike with a 39-25 low gear and my secondary bike with a 39-28 low. I'm not a masher, but I do tend to spin big gears. If I'm in a gear that I can't stay on top of, (in other words, if my gear is too hard for me be able to sustain above a certain minimum RPM), then I will change down a gear, usually before that happens so that I can be more efficient.

Dang. I only wish there were some hills around here. The only bright side is I get to run corncobs, which look cool.

I get up a lot of speed before I hit the uphill if I can, but once I'm there I shift down and putt-putt up in a low gear. Which still tires me out.

Dang. I only wish there were some hills around here. The only bright side is I get to run corncobs, which look cool.

Best reply yet! :)

Dang. I only wish there were some hills around here.

Be careful what you wish for.

Attack a hill? No, they attack me.

I'm much more of a flatlander, but I live in the foothills. Tomorrow my group is going on a local sufferfest (for me, anyway), climbing multiple 2 to 3 milers with grades mostly 6 -12%. I'll be OTB/ last or near last over each & every hill [except maybe the shallow one that's only ~4% max]. So I'll have to suffer going down hills to catch back on to the group. Rest? I do get to rest on the flatter sections, but I'll be so burnt from the climbs even that won't be like normal days.

So do I have any hints? - yea, don't be old, overweight and on hypertension medication. :)

Attack a hill? No, they attack me.

I'm much more of a flatlander

Didn't ride much during your time in Blacksburg, eh?

Didn't ride much during your time in Blacksburg, eh?

Used to ride down to the River and back, and we had a loop that headed N first (a screaming downhill) and then E around Blacksburg. But that was in the late 70's, and 40# ago. :) Not that I was really any good on hills then, either.

But for the short steep stuff, when I'm on a "fast" ride, I'll stand and power up it. If it's a long ride (as in 100+ mi), I'll sit and spin on every hill.

+1


I haul ass down the hill in front of it, hit with as much speed as I can going in. While still under speed I start gearing down. I get to whatever gear I think I can take the hill in and sit there.

I like to hit the beginning of the hill with some momentum, but if i'm too exhausted from the previous hill, there's not much energy left over.

On my rolling hill rides, i've started sprinting up the hills, and have noticed that the hills are becoming easier and easier. no, not "easy", but certainly more enjoyable!

I really find I'm much more exhausted at the top of a hill if I try to spin it out in some granny gear than if I mash through it. Maybe I'm just weird.
It really just feels like lower gears suck the energy out of me.

I really find I'm much more exhausted at the top of a hill if I try to spin it out in some granny gear than if I mash through it. Maybe I'm just weird.
It really just feels like lower gears suck the energy out of me.

I feel the same way, but the longer the ride gets, the more I realize mashing is more taxing on the muscles. You can sit and spin all day for miles and miles.

Shorter, faster rides with more standing on the pedals does seem to help with strength, great for training for those long spinning rides.

EDIT: pretty much what bobbycorno said.

I re-read your post, Justin. Honestly, my way of attacking hills is by using a gear that isn't too low. Some have pointed out that you develop technique if you have a single speed. That's pretty much true, and it's similar whether you have a freewheeling or a fixed single speed. Now that I'm good at hills, I don't need that kind of bike to teach me the technique. My approach is to equip my bike without a granny gear and to try as hard as possible to NOT use the lowest gears that my bike has. This forces me to pedal hard, and if I do it enough, my strength will eventually rise to be able to do the job I'm trying to do.

That's why I chuckle when I hear about "needing" a certain gear size and it's much lower than anything I've had, even when hauling lots of weight. Sure, it's nice to have if you don't want to suffer while climbing, but it's not going to build strength, nor will it make you feel strong.

And I gather building strength and feeling strong are the words between the lines in your question. I don't think you're asking how to survive killer hills. If you were asking that, I'd say get a lower gear.

I've learned a few lessons as of late:

Observing Zaphod B. I learned that posture is very important. He keeps a very straight spine and open chest. The engines gotta breath!

nlerner ( without consent or awarness) schooled me in the virtures of momentum. Riding at a pace just above leasurely spin; rollers disappear and small hills are conqured with a quick moment out of the saddle just to keep the momentum

And finally the Weekend Warriors; they like to fly past me as I'm enjoying the scenery; but when we hit a grade, they stay in their high gears and mash away regardless of the lenght of the climb. I always smile when I catch up, still in my saddle, spinning away.

I guess I've learned:

1- Keep your chest cavity open for efficientcy.
2- Momentum is your friend, and standing to keep it on short climbs is worth while.
3- Sit and spin to keep the momentum you've already got.
4- When you exhausted 1,2 & 3- it's time to walk.

in order to win in the TT's, Big Mig had to not lose time in the climbs-- and so, while not a 'climber' as such, he nevertheless developed the capacity to stay where he needed to be, which was at the front-- i believe i recall reading that while 6'2"/3", he eventually worked his weight down to the 170s

+1 I spin. Eventually, I run out of air. At that point, I pull over, might only be for 15 to 20 seconds, and then back on it.

Around here, hills are easy to find. I've got plenty, they start within 50 feet of my door (I have just about the only flat lot in town).

I've developed a couple of training routes, with pretty steep hills (for me). Its a way to measure progress, or the lack thereof. Of course, conditions outside can make any hill harder or easier. Been avoiding one for a while, I need to try it next week. Should be sobering...

Based on my performance on hills, just watch whatever I am doing, and do the opposite, that should work very well for you.

I really find I'm much more exhausted at the top of a hill if I try to spin it out in some granny gear than if I mash through it. Maybe I'm just weird.
It really just feels like lower gears suck the energy out of me.


I feel the same way, but the longer the ride gets, the more I realize mashing is more taxing on the muscles. You can sit and spin all day for miles and miles. Shorter, faster rides with more standing on the pedals does seem to help with strength, great for training for those long spinning rides.

EDIT: pretty much what bobbycorno said.

So you both are like me....legs of nothing but slow-twitch muscle. I'm not a good sprinter, but I can go on forever with a lot of continuous muscle tension.

When I was on the trainer last winter I played around. I have a Kurt so it's easy to get a constant resistance with a constant speed. On several different days I spun 20mph at 75rpm, then at 20mph at 100rpm for 20 minutes or so at a time. Enough for my heart rate to level off to the exertion. One day I did 75 first, some days 100. In all cases the 75rpm (and lower) kept my heart rate up to 20% lower than the 100rpm. I could hold the same speed for the same length of time but it was far less taxing on me to do the lower cadence.

When I transferred that to road riding it played true as well. Since then I call myself a masher :)

i attack hills with my mind. Sometimes i crush them with my fingers like this:

http://static7.businessinsider.com/image/4dee60144bd7c878071b0000/steve-jobs.jpg

I always win. Always.

Even though I'm a Clyde, I will typically pick up about 2-3 seconds over better climbers by attacking over the top of the hill! When the hill starts getting flatter is when you want your speed up, which carries into the downhill stretch (where I have an advantage due to avoirdupois). Loafing and resting over the top is a good way to lose time, no matter how you actually climb.