Do whatever it takes to get you to the top of the hill.

Now, standing up really does take more energy out of you. If you can sit in the saddle it is much much better. On a long climb, I'll get off the seat for about 15 seconds to let my muscles take a short break. then I'm sitting down again.

Right before I get off the seat, I'll ease up on the pedalling and shift up a gear or two. then apply the pressure to regain speed. My hands are usually on the hood. then when I sit back down, I'll pedal easy and shift back down. My hands are never in the drops during the climb. I want to get as much air into my lung as possible and hands in the drops constrict that.

Another thing. keep your shoulder relaxed and your face relaxed!! Don't grimace!! And when you breath out, dooonnn't spend time breathing out. Rush it out/belt it out like you were punched in the stomach. Also try to breath in through your nose as much as possible. Breath out of the mouth to expell as quickly as possible. Air flow through your nose is less turbulant and allow for better O2/CO2 exchange in your lung. (at least this is what was taught to me). And lastly use all of your lung. not just the upper part.

Hill climb is never easy. More than half of the climb is pure mental. less than half is physical. Every good climber I knew were tough as nail mentally and could tolerate extreme pain for prolonged period of time.

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If you like hill cimbs these rides in So. Cal are for you: Ride around the bear, Breathless in Agony, Redland Classic (one of the stages goes up into the "hills" ) then in central california, you can do the Climb the Kaiser just a 150 miler with one section at 15% grade for about a mile. Fun ride. Big no no to 11-21 corn cob cluster in the rear. or Sierra Classic or tour of the eastern Sierra 100/200 mile option and yes the Diablo climb in No. Calif. Most have over 10,000 feet of climb. Then you can always try the death ride.

In all honesty though, Climb the Kaiser was just as bad as the death ride. Kaiser ride starts in town of Clovis. First 30 mile is a high speed dash to get to the foothills of the Sierra. 24MPH pace put me way in the back of the pack. You have to do this to get out of the valley floor before it got too hot to ride. Then next 4-8 hours, you climb... At big creek??, rest stop elev. 5280 feet. you rest for a while then the fun climb starts. Next stop is only 5 maybe 6 miles away. Next stop also happens to be at over 8,000 feet. Its where you have the avg 15% grade for about a mile. Many of the riders for the Kaiser were cat 2 men. sheesh. I was totally out of the league.

A good training ground for me was: emmigration canyon to east lake?? out of Salt Lake City Utah; Onyx summit out of redland Ca.; another is Mt. Baldy ride in so. cal; Palomar mtn climb in San Diego (you can always send a post card from the post office up there at Palomar Observatory); and then if you are up to it, rent a motel room in Lee Vining for about a week and do the ride up to Tioga pass (9,000+ ft elev.) from Lee Vining. My favorite was renting a cabin in Mamoth mtn. ride down to hwy 395 then over dead man's pass then up Conway pass. Traffic on 395 wasn't too bad except near Lee Vining. sweet memories from 20+ years ago... I was bright eyed, bushy tail and all back then...

smilingcat