Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - How to climb hills?

So i'm new to all this and don't have much in the way of hills. I did climb around 200 ft combined on about 3 different hills, but didn't know what the form for climbing is. I'm riding a hybrid and have been staying seated and just down shifting and taking my time. Should I be standing? I'm not setting any records, but that's not the goal either. Thanks for the advice!

As a general rule your are more efficient seated than standing. That being said standing can be fun when you really want to get up fast, but be prepared to feel it. A situation where I think it makes sense to stand is if you have a short particularly steep hill, that way you don't loose too much speed and don't totally blow up.

As far as getting up hills, don't be afraid to down shift and find a pace that works for you. The hills on this ride really sucked for me, as you can see the second one I average 4.9 mph getting up it, but I got up it. Cadence was in the 50-60 range quite a bit, not exactly where I'd like to be but with my gearing that was what it took.

http://app.strava.com/rides/8811733

The best way to get better at hills is to ride more hills, learn what your body can do and push it further than you think you can (for me the first time I rode big hills I got to the point where I thought I had to stop but I said no I'm going to keep going, and I did).

For me, I stay seated (unless as noted above, it's a short, steep hill, such as a freeway overpass). I like my cadence to be higher - around 85-95 rpm. My left knee aches every so often, but it doesn't keep my from climbing occasionally. Slower cadence puts too much strain on my knee.

For the most part, on the climb below, I was in my lowest gear (26t front chainring / 34t rear cog):
http://app.strava.com/rides/8318189
I only averaged 5.3mph (3.0mph on the steepest part - 12.7% grade), but that was the pace that worked best for me, and allowed me to make it to the top.

Not one 'style' works for everybody or every situation. As wfournier has pointed out short 'hills' can be done standing which will work the quads while a longer hill may need a seated spin approach and works the lungs.

Best advice I can give is to get out there, relax and embrace the hills to find what works for you.

As I've told many folks...

Makes no sense to practice what you are good at, practice what you suck at.

youtube could be of some help. Try "bike ride climb hill technique"

Stay seated, downshift ahead of time and spin. Don't be the n00b that tries cranking up the hill only to come to an almost complete stop before downshifting a bunch and hearing *ka-chunk ka-chunk ka-chunk!* right before the chain falls off.

Thanks for the advice guys. Sounds like I'm on the right track, staying seating, down shifting and getting up it. I like them when I can find them, we're pretty level around here. You've got to get up them to be able to go down them and scream Wheee!
Thanks again!

Stay seated, downshift ahead of time and spin. Don't be the n00b that tries cranking up the hill only to come to an almost complete stop before downshifting a bunch and hearing *ka-chunk ka-chunk ka-chunk!* right before the chain falls off.

Yes! yesterday I took the hilly route home to practice my standing climbs, since I rarely get out of the saddle...realized about halfway up a 1/4 mile hill of about 8% grade that I was maybe one cog higher than I would've liked. Since I was in too high of a gear to sit down and finish the climb, I just had to push through it, because there's no way you can downshift at that point...although I often see people try. Makes me cringe!

Ride more hills and you'll figure out what works for you.

I find that standing, for me, tends to slow me down unless the hill is really steep.

+1 on higher cadence and early shifting. I learned that the hard way as when I was a total noob, not that long ago, I'd try to hammer up hills and the results were less than impressive. I brought more than one ride to an early conclusion by frying my legs this way. Now I get in the middle ring early and downshift to try to keep my cadence above 80 for as long as possible.

I only stand and hammer if it's a hill I want/need to get over quickly, or if the hill is long enough that I feel the need for a change.

With some experience you'll be able to tell what the most efficient method is for you. On any given hill it could be different. Be open to that possibility.

WUAH! Walk Up All Hills.

Well, maybe not all of them, but works for me. I'm not out to be super competitive, or accomplishment oriented. I like the change of pace.

The mechanical advantages of a bike are great on the downhill side, but they work against you on the uphill side. Walking is a more sophisticated way of going up a hill. (as I see it)

It gets a bit of variety into your exercise, and I find it pleasant.

WUAH! Walk Up All Hills.



Walking is the Devil's work. If God had meant us to walk, he would not have inspired us to invent the bicycle.

OP, how you climb depends on the steepness and length of the hill. Staying seated is generally more energy-efficient, as others have noted, but on really long steep hills it makes sense to stand from time to time to give your quads a break, engage other muscles for a while, and so on. When you do stand, shift UP a gear before you do. Otherwise your cadence will increase and you'll wear yourself out. Stand up as straight as you can, don't put too much weight over the front wheel, and keep a steady rhythm, much as if you were using a stepping machine at the gym. Don't try to spin when standing, you'll end up like a demented and very tired hamster.

Practice more and more and more. This has been something I am working on now. Get a HRM if you can and monitor your heart rate when you climb.

Find your tempo and breath!

WUAH! Walk Up All Hills.

Well, maybe not all of them, but works for me. I'm not out to be super competitive, or accomplishment oriented. I like the change of pace.

The mechanical advantages of a bike are great on the downhill side, but they work against you on the uphill side. Walking is a more sophisticated way of going up a hill. (as I see it)

It gets a bit of variety into your exercise, and I find it pleasant.

Nothing wrong with walking, but if I have to stop my personal rule is I don't walk. I feel it gives me more motivation, I'm going to have to ride up it anyway so why not get it over with lol.

Nothing wrong with walking, but if I have to stop my personal rule is I don't walk. I feel it gives me more motivation, I'm going to have to ride up it anyway so why not get it over with lol.

We dont walk, we just fall over! :)

Yes! yesterday I took the hilly route home to practice my standing climbs, since I rarely get out of the saddle...realized about halfway up a 1/4 mile hill of about 8% grade that I was maybe one cog higher than I would've liked. Since I was in too high of a gear to sit down and finish the climb, I just had to push through it, because there's no way you can downshift at that point...although I often see people try. Makes me cringe!

Why not? I try to avoid having to shift under tension, but it works fine when I need to. (I thought I was in 39x25 one day, but was really in 39x23. I figured it out near the top of an 18 % grade, and had no trouble shifting while I was standing on the pedals, then finished the climb.)

If you make a habit of shifting under load, you'll be going through cogs and chains more quickly than if you de-loaded when you shifted. As they get worn, the chain skips more when you shift. Even if they're not worn badly, you can still drop a chain if you don't de-load. Just ask Andy Schleck.

It's better (for all sorts of reasons) to be in the right gear in advance. But Matt was saying it couldn't be done ... which I don't understand.

It's better (for all sorts of reasons) to be in the right gear in advance. But Matt was saying it couldn't be done ... which I don't understand.

You're right, it can be done, it's just not advisable...what I meant to say was "there's no way I was going to try and downshift at that point"

I dunno. I think it's better to be in the gear you need. Obviously it's better to do it before you need to ... but if you have to, better to shift than to struggle. Plus it works as a reminder for the next several times. ;)

He definitely could've shifted at that point. Whether he would've stayed upright is another story.

As stated practise is key. I do have a few thoughts. Almost any ride I do over 50miles has over 3000' of climbing with grades as high as 21%. Seated is more efficient but standing to regain leg speed is also a good idea. I have no qualms with shifting while climbing and if you practise it should not be an issue, in fact you should learn how to! I can climb most of our hills in my 53-23 but on longer hills over 8% I will use my 39 and whatever. I usually start of seated on a long climb in a gear that I can feel the pull of the hill, once leg speed starts dropping I'll go one gear harder and stand till leg speed gets to what I need, then sit back down and go back one or two gears easier. It can be done just takes practise. I do find for bigger stronger rider I will try and attack almost every hill and use my momentum to get me over it, I'm not a huge watcher of cadance I use what gear I need.

You can easily let up briefly and accomplish a 1 cog shift. I wouldn't recommend trying to get through 4 cogs but 1 - no sweat.

+1 on letting up just briefly. The key is to stay smooth whether standing or sitting. A trick is to ankle and use all muscles so none are over taxed. When honking, I actually swing the bike side to side a little (not too much) and use the upper body and put the bike into a taller gear. It does get me up the mountain faster and works the front quads more for a while. That might work for 1/2 or 3/4 mile and then I'll want to sit and spin for a little. In that case, I honk a bit harder for a couple of strokes to pick up speed, then just let off and shift. I can easily shift a couple of cogs over. But I find that might not be enough, so I spin faster momentarily, and then ease back and make another shift if I still have bigger rear cogs. But I never shift with much load on the back and it's never been much of a problem to down-shift except with bar-end shifters or downtube shifters doing a super steep technical climb. But thumb shifters, grip shifters and brifters have now made that history.

Its probably not the best technique but I start off the hill in a middle to high gear, standing. I pump slowly but equally until I start to feel my thighs burn, then I sit down and downshift about 2 gears. I continue downshifting as my legs tire but usually they recover fairly quickly so I stand back up, up shift to where it feels right....repeat until im at the top.

An old friend I used to ride with years ago always said, "you walk dogs, not bikes." ;)

An old friend I used to ride with years ago always said, "you walk dogs, not bikes." ;)

quoted for truth

Ok , there is also the using the whole road to make switchbacks.

that way you get up the hill by increasing the run distance, in effect,
to get to the top of the rise..

theres a block I do that every night on the way home.
+ in the process I note the traffic in both directions for US101 at the top.

WUAH! Walk Up All Hills.

Dunno about all. My general take is if you're dizzy, feel like you're going to vomit, are wobbling, or have other signs from your body that the effort you're doing is dangerous, stop. If you manage to fall stopping, this is a good sign that you should rest and walk up the rest of the way. Even if you're close to falling... walk. If you're marginal for stopping the bike safely, it is unlikely that you can restart the bike safely.

If your body is not sending such strongly negative signs, you might as well go and try and smush yourself against the hill to see if you make it up. If you do, great. If you have to walk? You got up the hill. You'll be stronger next time.

Hills are a good way of fitting interval training into your workouts. Very efficient :). And I always find the downhill a lot more fun if I managed to get up the hill on my bike. I can't say as I mind the speed gains hills give in riding on flatter ground either.

Dunno about all. My general take is if you're dizzy, feel like you're going to vomit, are wobbling, or have other signs from your body that the effort you're doing is dangerous, stop. If you manage to fall stopping, this is a good sign that you should rest and walk up the rest of the way. Even if you're close to falling... walk. If you're marginal for stopping the bike safely, it is unlikely that you can restart the bike safely.

If your body is not sending such strongly negative signs, you might as well go and try and smush yourself against the hill to see if you make it up. If you do, great. If you have to walk? You got up the hill. You'll be stronger next time.


I personally agree with you, but it's funny because there's several "hardcore" posters here on BF who think that you're supposed to tackle hills that make you vomit. Literally.

Don't be so negative, nobody says you have to vomit but I do think people will claim that hills that beat you today become rideable as you get stronger.

My driveway used to beat me. :eek:

It’s taken a while, but I now enjoy climbing steeper hills.

I’m the wrong demographic to be riding a bike up steeper hills. Being a 55 year old male who is still about 20 pounds overweight is not going to allow any easy or fast climbing of steeper hills. It really is a matter of strength to weight.

But, I like a good challenge. I’ve managed to lose weight and increase my cycling power during the last few years. I’ve also adjusted several factors that have made climbing easier;

1. Spinning is easier than mashing. Mashing the pedals at a slow cadence requires more energy and is less efficient than spinning at a higher cadence. Having a wide range drivetrain with a chain-wheel to cog ratio that is 1:1 or better really helps. I’ll take a triple crank-set, please.

2. A smooth cadence that produces power at all phases of the pedal stroke improves performance. Good shoes and clip-less pedals along with good technique matters. Again, staying seated and spinning is easier than standing and mashing. I will sometimes stand and mash, but I save that for the steepest part of the climb.

3. A stiff bike is better than a bike with excess flex between the bottom bracket and the contact patch of the tire. Steel might be real, but is it stiff enough for a heavy cyclist with good power output? Are the wheels stiff enough? Some aren’t.

4. Finally, the brain must be the master. It’s too easy to psych yourself out and allow the suffering to overcome the nervous system. Knowing that I can climb the hill and doing it is key. Climb hills often and it becomes routine. Controlling the pace helps, too.

The best way to learn how to climb hills is riding with a heart monitor.

Figure out ahead of time what a comfortable high heart rate is that you can maintain for long periods of time e.g. more than 15 minutes for shorter hills or more than 30 minutes for longer hills.

Start climbing the hill at a heart rate lower than that high rate. Then increase your work effort on the hill until it stabilizes at that higher rate.

Then change your gears to higher or lower and change your work effort to maintain the same heart rate. Keep track of the speed you can maintain at that heart rate in the various gears. Then note your comfort level while in the various gears at the sustainable heart rate.

Eventually, you'll learn what gearing and level of effort is most efficient and (very important) you comfort level.

The hard thing for me was to learn to quit trying to accelerate up the hill and just maintain a steady speed at a sustainable level of effort. Hill climbing is a mental game - you need to adjust your mind to accept that the slow steady pace is what you are going to be at and nothing will change for some period of time.

All of you people need to climb steeper hills.

My trick for climbing hills: NEVER stop pedaling.