Every cycling enthusiast has at least once imagined a road without climbing a hill or a mountain. Rolling down a continuous descent is a pleasure. However, in reality, you can not get rid of it.
There are a few secrets to making it easier to get uphill on a bicycle.
The first thing you need to learn – do not jump over your abilities and exhausted on the uphill, just to show everyone their physical superiority.
No need to be ashamed of the fact that you can not climb the mountain – it’s a matter of training. If necessary, you should dismount and walk up the mountain.
During long climbs, there is a lot of stress on the joints and ligaments. If you do not have enough strength, you must dismount in order to avoid injury and damage.
There are several guidelines that, if followed, will make climbing uphill much easier.
Physical Preparation
Particular attention should be paid to the leg muscle tissues and the respiratory system. The second component develops gradually as you ride the bike. However, additional time will need to be spent on the muscles. The phrase about the incompatibility of biking and rocking is utter nonsense.
Squats are the foundation of fitness for any rider who is interested in improving speed performance.
It is advisable to devote time to developing muscle tissue during the winter months when the bike is hardly used and the load is minimal. As the muscles develop, you should move on to squats with a barbell.
Two to three exercises every week for several months can build up a large amount of muscle in the thighs, which will allow you to easily overcome any climbs on the bike.
Weight loss
In most cases, the cause of difficult uphill climbs is excess weight. Overweight riders find it extremely difficult to ride uphill.
It is recommended to go on a diet before the start of the season, thereby making it easier to travel. It is much easier to limit your food than to think about how to reduce the weight of your bike by 300 to 800 grams.
Tactics on short climbs
There are several optimal techniques for cycling uphill. The determining factor is the road surface.
When riding on asphalt, lock the suspension fork, accelerate as much as possible in a straight line to climb higher with inertia, then keep the pace and gradually climb the mountain. It is not considered prohibitive to overcome the last part of the mountain while standing.
Overcoming ground climbing is considered a whole art. The technique described above is not relevant here, there may be rocks and roots on the way and you won’t be able to climb at high speed.
This is why you should lower the gear to a gear which makes the pedals spin without much effort and climb gradually. The main secret – do not take off the fifth point from the saddle, but you need to move the center of gravity forward.
Professional riders recommend ducking your body, bend your upper limbs at the elbows. The pace of pedaling should be smooth, without jerks. You should avoid rocking.
It is not recommended to block the shock-absorbing fork while climbing on unpaved surfaces, it handles unevenness of the road. While overcoming a hill you should be attentive, avoid rocks and potholes. If you stop, you will not be able to continue at the same pace.
Tactics on long climbs
The above techniques are only suitable for short distances, when it does not take much time to overcome the hill.
There is no point in accelerating and raising your heart rate prematurely on long distances. You should continue to pedal at the same pace, switching to lower speeds as you get tired.
There is a little secret – you should not go to very low gears if the lift is not steep. Increased cadence can cause fatigue even without pedaling. The load should be in the normal range, but still tangible.
In some cases it is permitted to reduce the cadence, controlling the condition of muscle tissues and ligaments. Make sure that the kneecaps do not move sideways and that the hips are parallel to the bike.
If the prolonged ascent at the end abruptly becomes steep, you should apply the technique to take the appropriate type of hills.
- Shift the center of gravity forward.
- Lower your body.
- Slow down.
This technique should be adhered to until the complete overcoming of the mountain, if necessary, allowed to work a short period of time standing.
One factor that can make the situation worse is a headwind. Initially the mountain acts as a cover, but at the end of the ascent the load increases. Many people want to take a little break, but the headwind makes you pedal even on descents.
In this situation it is recommended to apply the serpentine technique. Professional riders recommend a little wiggle in different directions to reduce the load.
Training in the mountains
The optimal option, but unfortunately not available to everyone, is to ski in the mountains every day. In this case, the body itself will adapt to the new loads without additional measures.
Riders recommend before the start of the cycling season to ride in the mountainous terrain if possible.
Psychological component
After mastering the technique of overcoming short and long climbs, it is worth paying attention to the psychological mood. Most riders know not only when it is necessary to get up from the saddle or dismount, but also how to prevent it.
Professional riders advise to concentrate on the little things on a sharp and short rise, it is better to think about whether the pedal turn is done correctly, how the body behaves at this time. Such thoughts will distract you from discomfort and pain and allow you to pedal more.
It is recommended to divide the route into segments and count down the time before rounding on the bicycle computer when climbing a long hill. After you have completed each section, you should praise yourself mentally. Each section of the road brings you closer to the climb and the long-awaited descent!