There are three keys to improving climbing skills: (1) mindset (2) lighter body weight (3) smart tactics
Pro cyclist: Greg LeMond (three-time Tour de France winner, two-time World Professional Road Race Champion, American cycling legend)
Secret: There’s no difference between a 40-minute time trial on flat ground and 40 minutes of grueling climbing.
But most cyclists find climbing harder. To become a great climber, you need to adjust your thinking.
What can you do?
Let’s be clear right away—good climbing technique isn’t everything; you can’t think about it all the time. Talent, training, and weight-to-power output ratio are more important.
But having an optimistic, confident mindset makes a big difference when climbing, both in your performance and enjoyment.
Here are some key points:
(1) Choose your climbs: Given a choice between a mountain road and flat terrain, which would you pick? Most non-climbers automatically go for the flats. Break that habit. Two to three times a week, ride the steepest hills you can find. To become a good climber, you have to practice.
(2) Use the right gear: If your favorite pro uses a 39*21 gear on a climb, why would you insist on using a 23t cog on a similar slope? (Meaning, you should use a larger cog.) Skipping over stats on how much power per kilogram pros like Armstrong can produce—basically, their weight-to-power ratio is far superior to ours, so they can use smaller cogs. For us amateurs, using just a 2-tooth larger cog isn’t enough.
Switch to a 27t cog, or swallow your pride and get a triple chainring, so you can maintain 80rpm uphill, protect your knees, and go much faster than if you stubbornly stick to the 23t cog.
(3) Set multiple goals: A 3-mile climb is a long way. Even strong climbers can be intimidated when comparing the effort they’re putting in with how much climb is left. So break the climb into mini-goals, telling yourself to keep the pace until the next one. By chunking it down, you’ll reach the top before you know it.
(4) Ride with climbers just slightly better than you: If you ride with an elite climber, they’ll quickly drop you, leaving you alone to struggle with the mountain—which is a huge mental blow. Worse, you won’t learn much from them. Instead, find someone who’s good enough to push you but won’t leave you behind.
(5) Talk to yourself: What are you thinking while climbing? Are you saying, “Damn, another hill!”? Or should you confidently tell yourself, “I’m getting better on these hills every day. I’m giving it my all and believe I’m improving.”
LeMond was right: “Mindset is stronger than gravity!”
2. Increase Your Cadence
Pro cyclist: Craig Griffin (former coach of the U.S. National Cycling Team)
Secret: Genetics largely determine how fast you can ride, but good technique lets you make the most of your potential. If you can comfortably sit on the bike and maintain 120rpm, you won’t get dropped in a race. Using lower gears and pedaling at high cadence keeps your legs fresher for the decisive moments.
What can you do?
Smooth, fast pedaling is the hallmark of riding like a pro. You can spot an experienced rider by this. They sit steady on the saddle, upper body rock-solid, while their legs churn like pistons. No wasted motion, no bouncing, just like a well-tuned engine generating continuous power.
Pro riders develop high cadence through practice. Use smaller gears so your heart rate stays below 80% of max.
(1) Lower your saddle 2–3mm to reduce bounce at high cadence (note: many riders feel like they’re bouncing on a spring at high RPM). Gradually move the saddle back to its proper height later.
(2) Focus on scraping the pedal across the bottom of the stroke to eliminate the dead spot. (Note: With clipless pedals, focus more on horizontal “pulling and pushing” rather than vertical “stomping and lifting.”)
(3) Use a cycling computer with cadence function (e.g., Sigma BC1600) as physiological feedback. Gradually increase cadence, riding comfortably at the new level for 5 minutes at a time.
(4) Spend a few minutes pedaling at high cadence during each ride—ideally the last 5 minutes of your warm-up.
3. Pedal in Circles
For smoother pedaling, make the transitions between the top and bottom of the pedal stroke very smooth and fluid.
Professional cyclist: Greg LeMond
Tip: You may have been told to lift the pedal using your hamstrings. Don’t do that! Instead, when the pedal is at its lowest point, you should focus on pulling it backward, as if you’re scraping mud off the sole of your shoe.
(Source: Bicycle Network)