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10 top tips to improve your uphill riding
Learn how to conquer bike riding uphill with expert tips and techniques to improve your climbing skills, build endurance, and enjoy every ride.
Whether you're a budding cross-country racer, or you simply like to earn your downhill turns, climbing is a vital part of every mountain biker's skill set. Long, steep or technical climbs might seem intimidating at first, but there are lots of strategies and tips that will help you in the fight against gravity.
These techniques are used by bikers like Thomas Oehler, who makes no secret of his love for difficult rides.
“The tricky lines are the best,” he shared.
Whether your uphill ride is a tricky one or more straightforward, these 10 tips will get you going.
01
Use an easy gear and pace yourself
2 min
How to climb with Rob Warner and Tom Oehler
Rob Warner and Tom Oehler show you how to get the best out of your climbing game.
For long, steady, and not-too-technical climbs, pick an easy gear that will allow you to spin your legs easily, manage your effort levels and pace yourself. Too hard a gear and you'll exhaust yourself, ride too fast at it and you'll burn out before you reach the top. The speed you spin the pedals is called your cadence, so for climbing you want a higher cadence, as it puts less pressure on your heart and lungs.
Judging this takes a bit of experience, but it's better to arrive with energy to spare for those downhills than panting your lungs out.
02
Consider staying seated instead of standing up
Avancini sets the tempo
© Bartek Woliński
When things get steeper, looser, muddier, or more technical, it's tempting to get out of the saddle to keep the power turning, but actually it's better to stay seated if you can. Standing up means your weight becomes unevenly distributed across the wheels, meaning they have less grip and traction, so you risk them slipping or spinning, which could stop you in your tracks.
Move forward on the bike so your head and chest are over the bars to weigh the wheels evenly and spin the pedals as steadily as you can. For some riders, sitting makes it easier to maintain an even pedal stroke and have better, more efficient control on power output, which helps with that all-important pacing.
That all being said about seated uphill biking, there’s something to say for standing up as well. What’s important is being open to trying both positions. Sit down when you want to conserve energy and to get through steadier inclines. If you do choose to stand, save that effort for the steepest sections of the hill in front of you.
03
Stay centered — avoid leaning too far back or forward
Whether you stay seated or you decide to get up out of the saddle, what’s most important is that you stay centered on your bike. Shifting the center of gravity puts unnecessary drag on your ride, decreasing speed and contributing to losing traction on your front or rear tire.
Staying upright, leaning forward slightly, and leaning deeply into your bike are all valid positions to take while riding, but a slight lean is preferred for uphill riding. Most cyclists assume this position while sitting back on the saddle because it’s believed to provide the best weight distribution across the bike.
Moving your chest forward also helps build traction on the front wheel, while shifting your hips forward on the saddle. Make sure your chin doesn’t make its way over the stem — that’s a sign you’re leaning too far forward. Don’t forget your grip, too — keep your hands light on the handlebars to ensure you don’t inadvertently pull too hard and change your wheel direction.
04
Mix up your riding position
Maintaining the same position for too long is exhausting for your body, from sore glutes to stiff feet and shoulders. It’s OK to go from seated to standing and back again as you’re riding, as long as you keep the core principles for uphill bike riding in mind.
05
Smooth out that pedal stroke
Unlike road cyclists, with their smooth road surfaces, mountain bikers have to deal with all sorts of unpredictable features when climbing. Think rocks, roots, mud and often all three at the same time. Pumping the pedals round like a crazy person will cause you to lose traction, due to the uneven spikes in power.
A little known fact is that pro cross country mountain bikers have some of the smoothest pedaling action in all of cycling, meaning they dish the power out more evenly around the whole pedal stroke. So, next time you hit a steep technical climb, think about your pedals and applying pressure in a more even circular motion.
06
Choose your line
Emily Batty demonstrates line choice on a technical ascent
© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
Picking a line is very important. Look ahead and spot the path of least resistance. Think about where your rear wheel will be rolling. Things like roots and rocks can stop you dead or catch the rear wheel and cause it to spin rather than roll, so first see if you can avoid them and, secondly, if they’re everywhere try and spot a route through where they aren't as big.
To get over technical sections like these, there are several tricks you can try. Firstly, go into a very slightly harder gear. This will give you better control over your power. Secondly, accelerate towards the feature, so you have some momentum that will help carry you over it and you won't have to pedal as hard. Thirdly, slightly unweight each wheel as it reaches the feature by moving your body backwards and then forwards slightly on the bike. This will help prevent your wheels getting stuck. With practice, you'll be surprised at what you can ride over.
07
Go wide on corners
This key tip is all about maintaining traction, stability, momentum, and speed. Going wide ensures that you don’t have to lean into the turn, allowing you to stay centered on your bike and keeping your weight evenly distributed. A wide stance ensures that you can maintain power delivery as well.
08
Get your tire pressure right
Yana Belomoina had a faultless race
© Bartek Woliński
It's amazing what a difference having your tires at the right pressure can make on climbs and yet it's something we're all guilty of forgetting about.
While having your tires at a high pressure that makes them hard means they roll better, it's less good for climbing. This is because the tire deforms less as it rolls, so there's a smaller contact patch with the ground, which means less traction and grip. At the other end of the spectrum, softer tires will have a huge contact patch and therefore plenty of traction, but as a result will also be very hard work to move, like cycling through treacle. You'll be at higher risk of pinch flats.
It's all about finding the sweet spot where your grip and rolling resistance are optimal. Small increases and decreases – one or two PSI – can make all the difference, so we recommend spending some time experimenting with tire pressures to see what works best for you.
09
Engage your core
An engaged core keeps your upper body stable while your lower body does the pedaling work. Minimizing movements in your torso, arms, and shoulders lets you channel all your energy to your legs, so you can get up steep inclines with more speed and efficiency. A strong core also helps you maintain the proper center of gravity so you don’t lean too far forward or back. Try this 30-minute Pilates-inspired core workout on off days when you’re not out riding.
10
Hone your mental game
Avancini catches Van der Poel
© Bartek Woliński
Climbs can feel like they go on forever and have you wondering if you'll ever make it up. It's a head game that the pros are very good at managing.
On longer climbs, pros have been known to count in one minute intervals when they're on the limit. Once they make it to the end of that minute they start counting again.
Another idea is to break the climb down into chunks, so instead of thinking about the huge mountain you're ascending, think about making it to that next rock up the trail and once you're there find another goal further ahead. These strategies may sound simple, but they can be a great way of improving your mental game. You'll be surprised at how far they get you and before you know it, you'll be at the top and ready to shred the descent.
