Getting stronger at climbing...need advice!

[rapid cycler]

I'm glad this thread got started; great advice so far, and it brings to mind a related question:

How many of you stand up off your saddle during climbs?

The couple of times I've tried it, it's felt more exhausting to me than remaining seated, but then again on Sunday I was passed by two different riders—one male, one female—both up out of their saddles, while ascending relatively shallow hills. (And they were both breathing a lot easier than I was!)

I'm guessing that getting out of the saddle is actually a bit more tiring in the short run but that you cash in on the long-term momentum gain? Any training techniques other than the obvious for the standing surge?

[DrBadger]

I'm glad this thread got started; great advice so far, and it brings to mind a related question:

How many of you stand up off your saddle during climbs?

The couple of times I've tried it, it's felt more exhausting to me than remaining seated, but then again on Sunday I was passed by two different riders—one male, one female—both up out of their saddles, while ascending relatively shallow hills. (And they were both breathing a lot easier than I was!)

I'm guessing that getting out of the saddle is actually a bit more tiring in the short run but that you cash in on the long-term momentum gain? Any training techniques other than the obvious for the standing surge?

Hey Rapid Cycler-
I used to not be able to stand at all climbing, spin class has really changed that! Part of it for me is just getting those standing muscles stronger as it does use different muscles than when you are seated.

I am guessing that the people that passed you were standing on the shallow hill because they were powering up without changing gears fro what they were using on the flats. I have started doing this some on the smaller hills on my rides. It is actually a lot of fun!

I still do most of my climbing sitting, but it is nice to be able to stand when the hill kicks up to a steeper gradient and I haven't shifted or I just want to power up a short hill while still in a harder gear.

As for training techniques... practice, and I really find that it is easier to learn on a spin bike, or a bike on a trainer. Also, you will find that if the gradient of the hill hasn't changed and you want to stand that you will probably have to shift up one or two gears (harder gears) since you will have gravity working on your side when you are standing.

[rapid cycler]

Badger, this is great. Thank you! An unspoken question in my post was whether or not practicing on a trainer, which is what I mostly ride during the week, would yield any real-world payoff. Thanks for your psychic answer!

Also, I guess I hadn't even considered that I should shift to harder gears first, but of course it makes perfect sense to me now!

[SouthernBelle]

I second (or is it third) practicing on a trainer. Over the winter I used uphill grind from the spinerval series and it also helped my climbing. It really improved my technique and helped me to judge when to stay seated and when to come out of the saddle. I'm still not a good climber, in part due to lack of physical strength. So I plan on going back to the weight room this winter.

[RoadRaven]

I have been trying to improve on climbing for a while now...

After discussion with my partner, my latest training schedule includes hill reps as it always has, but these are hill reps with a difference. Due to weather, the last three weeks of my new training schedule has meant only one week so far to begin it. But every Wednesday I am going to "attack" a hill that emulates a hills i climb in a 50km race I am training for in October.

Instead of just going up and down, I am going to pretend i am in a race and charge up as fast as I can... starting with 2 reps, and slowly building to more and faster...

It makes sense, I hope it will make a difference!

Good luck

[rapid cycler]

Thanks, everyone, for the thoughts (and encouragement).

Yeah, I've lately been trying to work in some hilly terrain with every weekend ride. Since I live smack in the middle of a valley, I have plenty of time on the ride toward my canyon loop to loosen up and get in the right mental state. Here's how that goes on my less-motivated days:

Mile 4: I don't think I have it today. Maybe I should just go to the basin (a mostly flat 5-mile loop where I can simply go round and round, unchallenged, until tired).

Mile 6 (having bypassed the basin): Just because I ride over to the canyon doesn't mean I have to enter it.

Mile 10: Maybe I should stop at Jamba Juice.

Mile 12 (having not stopped at JJ): There's no shame in getting off the bike and walking if I need to. I'll feel better for having tried.

Mile 14 (having entered canyon and breathlessly crested first hill): This is humiliating.

Mile 16 (having ridden over several inclines to the point of no return, where turning back would be just as hard as moving forward) Water's awfully low. (After replenishing hydration reserves, sits outside canyon store, psyching self up for remainder of the pass.)

Mile 17 (standing beside bike, catching breath, trying to act casual when greeting passing cyclists): Only two more climbs!

Mile 18 (having completed climbs, exiting canyon via luxuriously long decline): Wheeee!

Mile 20: Stops at Jamba Juice, now feeling much more deserving of "Protein Berry Pizazz" (with additional protein boost).

Miles 21–24: I could so totally do that again! … But, you know, I have to get home.

Miles 25–30: I rule.

[Jiffer]

How many of you stand up off your saddle during climbs?

The couple of times I've tried it, it's felt more exhausting to me than remaining seated

I was going to bring up this very thing. I'm still pretty new to cycling, but I have found I really like standing from time to time, though I'm still developing the muscles. I rode a tandem before I got my single. I remember the first time I stood on the tandem up a fairly minor incline (about 3 or 4 months ago) my muscles were killing me almost instantly. I couldn't do it for more than maybe 8 seconds or so. Since then, I got my single and have been standing more on that, developing those muscles some. Today, we rode the tandem and stood at about the same spot as we did the very first time we tried. When we sat back down I told Dh we were up like 10 times longer than the first time we ever tried it. At least it felt that way. We just kept going and going! I was so proud of us! (Especially me since it was never much of an issue for Dh).

Anyways, if you're not used to standing, it does take time to develop those muscles and, for me, the cardio, which it takes more of. I have tried powering up a hill standing, and then I'm so exhausted when I sit that don't have anything left to get up the rest of the way. So, I've actually been working some on just spinning in a consistent cadence and exercising my patience, in order to keep my heartrate reasonable and not kill my muscles too soon into the climb. But that's because I'm still working on developing both the cardio and standing muscles. I think both skills are good to have. I definitely like the feeling of powering up a hill without sheer exhaustion, which was most fun today on the tandem. We did it a few times.

On my single, I tend to work on my standing more at the bottom of a hill when I want to keep my momentum going, or when I want to sprint to make it through a green light, or just because I feel like sprinting, or maybe at the very beginning of a hill, but not let myself get too wasted before sitting down and spinning easier.

Dh said Lance Armstrong used to do a training ride where he'd do intervals with standing and sitting, progressively standing longer and longer. I haven't done a specific interval training ride yet because I'm still progressing simply by riding more and standing every now and then.

I also heard Floyd Landis say recently that the best way to get better at hills ... is to ride hills. Quite simply put.

[quint41]

Excellent thread, ladies!

Oh, and Mr. Silver.