Free Climbing Tips For Stompy et al

Thought I'd pass on some advice, seeing as I went from being shit at climbing to quite good, mostly by training on a fixed :)

SEATED

• slide back in the saddle.
  
• slowish cadence (60ish) is fine.
  
• grip tops of bars lightly, with elbows relaxed.
  
• 'stretch the crank' ie. pedal right through push part of stroke, dropping heel a bit at full extension.
  
• if you get the urge to accelerate, slide forward on the saddle, and concentrate on lifting knees up towards chest.
  
  

STANDING

• use hoods if you've got them, otherwise nearest equivalent.
  
• stand tall, trying to bring hips forward a bit, and shoulders back - you're trying to get as much bodyweight as possible over the cranks.
  
• try switching position a bit to rest muscle groups ie. sometimes move body side-to-side, sometimes do the same with the bike.
  
  

BOTH

• try counting strokes, alternating 5 or 10 on each side.
  
• pick short term landmarks as goals eg. gates, road markings, other riders; rather than viewing climb as one long obstacle.
  
• don't look too far up the road; focus about 20m ahead cos it makes the gradient look shallower.
  
• concentrate on breathing OUT in a strong and controlled manner; breathing in takes care of itself.
  
• carry some controlled speed into the base of the climb rather than panicking and giving up before you've started.
  
• synchronize your hands & feet; as you come over the deadspot (top) of your pedal stroke, apply a little bit of pressure that you should feel simultaneously in the right foot/right hand or left foot/left hand.
  
• think of each climb as a fun challenge; it's basically a chance to get a bit high.
  
• (don't take any notice of flash fucks that zoom off whenever the road goes up - they have masochistic issues).
  

Cheers BMMF!

I'm going to print this off and stick it to my handlebars.

stompy Cheers BMMF!

I'm going to print this off and stick it to my handlebars.

ha!

next to the coffee and donut :p

sorry couldn't resist!

dogsballs next to the coffee and donut :p

...right beside the ashtray!

all good advice!

I would add: when riding in a group, start climb at front of group, hopefully by the top you'll still be in the group but maybe at the back....if you start climb in the back of the group you'll drop off...

stompy Cheers BMMF!

I'm going to print this off and stick it to my handlebars.

To use as a sail?

stompy Cheers BMMF!

I'm going to print this off and stick it to my handlebars.

Try not to go above 80gsm ;)

BMMF: I don't see:

"Stop, give up, find pub" or
"Vomit" or
"Find bus to the top instead"

Lift your game! (Nah.. good advice dude! Now please be posting diet tips :D)

hippy BMMF: I don't see:
"Vomit"

+1! threw up doing hill climbs in the chilterns last weekend.

hippy Now please be posting diet tips :D

Stop eating.

and try to maintain your momentum. if you lose it halfway up a climb, you're stuffed, and won't be able to accelerate again near the top.

kilgore_trout [quote]hippy BMMF: I don't see:
"Vomit"

+1! threw up doing hill climbs in the chilterns last weekend.[/quote]

What were you doing out there? I was riding out there Sunday..

That's some great advice, thanks. That should improve 'my stand up and fucking go for it!' technique..

hippy [quote]kilgore_trout [quote]hippy BMMF: I don't see:
"Vomit"

+1! threw up doing hill climbs in the chilterns last weekend.[/quote]

What were you doing out there? I was riding out there Sunday..[/quote]

i was there on saturday and sunday
just out riding (living in oxford, remember? so it's not far for me to go)
OUCC ride saturday, and a small group ride sunday

and back to the original post, i agree with pretty much everything that was said
focusing on what's right ahead of you, creating small goals, counting, thinking of your pedal stroke... all play into the mental game, which for me is a big part of climbing, or even riding in general.

definitely focus on the upstroke/pulling up just as much as you focus on pushing down - as well as pulling the handlebars up and into your body - like you would during the first 200m of a kilo
dropping the heel/flexing the ankle while spinning is a +
toes pointed down while standing is a +
breathing as well. DON'T LET IT GET ERRATIC! focus on keeping it at a steady rate and force the breath out, grunting on the out if you need/want to

if you're not doing hill reps where you're starting from a dead stop, and you see the hill coming, work on speeding up to gain momentum but DO NOT speed up to the point where you've used most of your energy just on the approach to the hill.

Great stuff BMMF. From a personal point of view I have a tip for myself. Lose a stone! When I go on a big diet I drop to 12st 4lb and feel great, currently weighing in exactly 1 stone heavier.

For Hippy et al, 78 kilos ideally, currently at 84! Fat fcuker. Big ass. Etc, etc.

95kg, ideally.. 85kg.
Chance of that.. 0%.

BringMeMyFix

• carry some controlled speed ...
  
  

Yes. I hear that EPO works well, too.

63kgs (or so), if i could get under 60kgs without losing muscle mass/strength that'd be pretty cool.

Under 60kg and you start looking like a viable food source to people like me.. :D

62-66kg - depends on time of year, booze, puddings, mileage. But I'm on 5'7" (170cm). Not exactly Rasmussen territory.

Yeah.. you're a total porker bmmf!

I'd be at race weight if I was 8'11".. just need a medieval rack..

haha. i'm 6'0 (no idea how many cm that is..close to 200 i think?)

at one point i had a BMI for something like 15

Fucking hell, k_t, I think Bob Geldof needs to get involved.