Coach’s Corner: The Secret to Climbing Fast While Preserving Your Energy
Our Coach’s Corner series is your chance to have your biggest cycling questions answered — right from the expert, Coach Darryl MacKenzie. In these short Q&As, Coach Darryl speaks from his 35+ years of cycling and coaching experience to help you become a stronger, smarter cyclist.
Serious Cyclist:
Coach, I want to climb faster, but I get out of breath and my legs get tired on longer hills. How do I climb faster and keep my energy for the long climbs?
Coach Darryl:
Almost every cyclist wants to climb faster and longer — but reality sets in partway through the climb when your legs give out. Fortunately, there’s a way to get over the hump, literally and figuratively. Here are four things that will improve your climbing stamina, whether you’re a novice cyclist or a seasoned pedaler. (Be sure to tackle them in this order!)
- Slow your breathing. Many cyclists let their breathing accelerate too much when climbing a hill, but there is a quick and easy way to slow down respiration and get your breathing under control — and it’s a little counterintuitive. With each breath, push more air out of your lungs. Open your mouth wide and push hard to let out as much air as possible. This forces more stale carbon dioxide out, making more room for fresh, oxygen-filled air in your lungs. Within 10 seconds, you’ll notice your breathing has slowed considerably.
- Refresh your legs. When your legs get sore, there is a great way to make them feel fresh again. Simply move back on the saddle half to three-quarters of an inch (1–2 centimeters) while maintaining the same pressure on the pedals. This simple shift is like a miracle cure for your legs. With your muscles engaged at a slightly different angle, they’ll suddenly feel refreshed, and the bike will shoot forward. This little power boost lasts for 15–30 seconds before your legs get tired again. When this happens, simply move forward on the saddle, back to where you were sitting originally. Your legs will once again feel refreshed, resulting in another 15-30 seconds of renewed strength. Alternate forward and backward to keep these power boosts going.
- Find extra power in the backstroke. When climbing gets especially arduous, concentrate on the bottom of the pedal stroke. As each leg comes to the bottom of the pedal stroke, pull backward on the pedal, adding a little extra power to each stroke. Alternate between bottom-pulling and no bottom-pulling for 20–30 seconds each.
- Use your arms! When the hill gets especially steep, bring your arms in for support. As your right leg starts a downward stroke, pull up on the bars with your right hand. Do the same for the left arm and leg. This works best when you’re seated with your hands close together on the tops of the bars, thumbs facing each other and palms down. It also works well when standing with your hands on the hoods or in the drops.
There’s an old saying that age and cunning can defeat youth and skill. It may not always be true, but being a thinking cyclist will always help you perform a little better.
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