I liked this article in Bicycling Magazine.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6...1304-1,00.html

How to Conquer Long Climbs

The smarter way to get to the top: seated climbing.
By Alan Coté

Standing up and honking on the pedals can give you a feeling of power and mastery--like you're wrestling the climb down to size with your whole body. But most of the time, it's dumb. The smarter way to get to the top: seated climbing. It burns fewer calories and saves energy for the long haul. When longtime pro and mountain goat Scott Moninger climbs those long, hard hills, he uses five techniques to get to the top stronger and faster. His climbing savvy helped him win the race up Colorado's 14,264-foot-high Mt. Evans three of the last four years and take the top spot in the 2000 Saturn Cycling Classic--which includes more than 14,000 feet of vertical ascent.

"Seated climbing is more efficient over longer climbs," says Moninger. "You use more muscles when you're out of the saddle, which raises your heart rate by 8 percent--and keeping your heart rate lower is important on longer climbs." Standing requires more energy because you work your legs, arms and back, and you use 12% more oxygen and energy.

For Moninger, a long climb is a mile or more, and making the decision to sit or stand depends on the steepness. He'll spend about half the time sitting while climbing the infamous Manayunk Wall's 17% grade in Philadelphia's U.S. Pro Championships. Here are Moninger's five tips for successful climbing:

KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. Don't rock your upper body; it wastes energy. Don't let your shoulders hunch forward; instead, keep them back and down to open your chest for breathing. A quick test to tell if you're hunching forward: If your elbows are sticking out so far you can't lightly brush your knees on the upstroke, you're hunched and robbing yourself of oxygen. To keep your upper body from swaying as you pedal, pull lightly on the bar opposite the leg that's on a downstroke.

2. SCOOT YOUR BUTT BACK. Sliding back on the seat gives you more leverage on the pedals. This position opens the angle between your femurs and upper body, which lets you better use the powerful psoas muscles in the back of your thighs and lower back, especially when you pull up. For more power over shorter rises, slide to the front third of the saddle.
When your weight is more forward, you're using the powerful muscles of your buttocks and lower back. You also won't feel like you're dragging so much weight.

3. RELAX THOSE HANDS. Put your hands on the hoods or the bar top, so you can drop your elbows and relax your upper body. Don't climb in the drops--hunching down pinches off the lower part of the lungs and restricts the diaphragm. To stay relaxed, Moninger climbs with his hands on the brake hoods. If you prefer riding with your hands on the top, rest your thumbs on the top of the bar to avoid squeezing and tensing up. To keep your grip loose, grab the bar with your fingers spread out, then put your weight on the bar and wrap your fingers around loosely.

4. STAY ABOVE 60 RPM. There's lots of talk about ramping up cadence because Lance spins on climbs at about 90-100 rpm. But Moninger rides a constant cadence of about 85-95 rpm when climbing in the saddle. This cadence, which is about 10 rpm higher than that of many other pros, works for him because he's a smaller rider. Bigger, more powerful riders tend to mash bigger gears. A cadence of about 60-70 rpm is as low as you should go in the saddle. Go slower and you lose your fluid pedal stroke, says Moninger.

5. SHIFT EASY THEN HARD. Plan ahead on climbs. Start in easier gears at the bottom and shift into harder gears as you ascend. Then, as the climb gets tougher, you won't be left grasping for easier ones. That's the best way to get over the summit in the saddle, but don't let ego limit your cog choice. Moninger will click into the 27-tooth cog if that's what the course demands. "I needed at least a 27-tooth cog for the San Francisco Gran Prix, especially with Filmore Street's 18-percent grade," he says.


2 TIMES IT'S SMARTER TO STAND
* When you need a break. If you're near your limit, spinning fast and riding in the saddle taxes your heart and lungs. Standing lets you stretch your muscles and open your lungs.

* Near the crest. Spinning in the saddle for the bulk of the climb, then shifting to a bigger gear and standing up to blast over the top is a classic technique for dropping other riders.


HOW TO PEDAL ON SEATED CLIMBS
A smooth seated stroke will allow you to apply more force more evenly and efficiently. Concentrate on pushing each pedal forward, then pulling it back, with these four steps:

1. When your crankarm is at the 11 o'clock position, push it like you're walking down a set of long, shallow steps. Think forward and down.

2. Keep the same amount of pressure until the crankarm reaches the 5 o'clock position.

3. As the pedal passes through the 5 o'clock position, pull back and up on the pedal as if you're scraping mud off the sole of your shoe.

4. Keep pulling up with the same amount of force until you're back to the 11 o'clock position.