Ah, found a refernec to it from Joe Friel at trainingpeaks.com. Note that we are all likely to be in the 3+ category, aka the sitters.
Hill Skills
Technique also has a lot to do with how you go up hills. For example, larger-mass riders (2.3 pounds per inch or greater) are generally better off staying seated on long climbs. Envision Miguel Indurain climbing to see what I mean. Most big riders find that staying on the saddle takes less energy than standing. Occasionally standing, however, may be necessary to relieve muscle fatigue or to increase power briefly due to a sudden grade change.
Smaller riders – those 2.0 pounds per inch or less – generally climb better standing. Marco Pantani in his prime was a great example of this.
What [strike]Lance[/strike] the Price of Darkness did on the climbs in the Tour de France a few years ago is something we can all work on to become better climbers. I often checked his cadence and found it to be in the range of 95 rpm on even the steepest climbs. Raising the cadence takes the load off of the muscles and increases the aerobic-function load. If you have a good aerobic system – as you should if you train properly – higher cadence will make you more efficient.
Also notice this year to see if he keeps his heels slightly raised above the pedals even when seated on a climb as he used to do. This may improve economy – how much oxygen, and, therefore, energy, it takes to pedal the bike. The greatest wasters of energy in the pedal stroke are the transitions from pulling up and back to pushing down and forward at the top, and the reverse of these at the bottom of the stroke. The less energy you waste in these two crucial phases, the more energy you can put into driving the pedal.
Finally, if you want to climb well your attitude must back up your training. Work on what’s going on between your ears every day by reminding yourself, even if you are a “2.5,” how much you love the hills and how much your climbing is improving as a result of all of the effort you’re putting into it. You gotta believe!