Originally Posted by
Korina
I don't know why, but I had it in my head that getting out of the saddle was the proper technique to climb a hill, but it sounds like sitting on my backside is also proper. This is good, as it's my preferred method, but I'll still learn how to mash, as it seems like it may be a useful skill. Thanks again, guys, you're the best!
There's no single best method. It depends on the hill and the rider's strength and endurance.
I divide hills into two categories. Regular and "
bite size".
By
bite size, I mean hills that one can top in a single concerted effort, usually with minimal downshifting. These are hills where standing and mashing can get you over the top, while others are losing speed. With any luck you'll be fresh enough to pull away and resume normal speed and cadence once iy's topped.
Of course bite size is different for everyone, but whatever it means to you these hills are best attacked aggressively, almost like a sprint, and topped without getting bogged down in a longish climb. However, miscalculating means running our of power and momentum before cresting, or finding yourself in a gear that you can't sustain. So the secret is in knowing what you can handle and and what you can't.
Hills that are longer, or taller than bite size require finding a level of effort and gearing that you can sustain for the climb. Generally standing on these won't help, and you'll find yourself out of gas with a long climb ahead. On these you might stand and mash for a final attack as you near the end, but there's no way it makes sense for the whole climb.