[ProphetBanana]

Watch this,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTEBa3jvKEg&playnext_from=TL&videos=AfJ6IV7c6-0&feature=sub

He speaks of efficient climbing and position while seated and standing, but he's selling a set of CDs to make a living.

Ugh, I don't know how to climb efficiently. I don't know how to use my posterior chain efficiently. I don't know how to be agile out of the saddle.

What the hell, how come none of you talk about this? How am I supposed to pedal uphill while seated or standing.

If I were to stand on the pedals, do I lean forward toward the handlebars or do I raise my hips and butt upward and start mashing?

Climbing efficiently may eliminate any need for a lighter bike, or even lower gearing, but no one seems to talk about it since such vital info can be sold for quick $$$.

Please help.

 

[Jay Strongbow]

...........

Climbing efficiently may eliminate any need for a lighter bike, or even lower gearing, but no one seems to talk about it.........

I think a little time with the seach function will indicate otherwise.

 

[PlatyPius]

I know how to climb, but still ain't any good at it. Part of being a lard-arse.

 

[spade2you]

What the hell, how come none of you talk about this? How am I supposed to pedal uphill while seated or standing.

What the hell, have you ever heard about using a search function or checking other spots on RBR?

Climbing is constantly discussed in various areas like Racing, Coaching, and this beginner's area from time to time.

Step 1 (basically applies to everything). Start out with a fitted bike. If a bike isn't fitted properly, you'll suffer great discomfort and waste a lot of your effort.

Step 2. Learn to ride high cadence and manipulate your gearing to stay in the desired zone. You have gears, use them! Don't wait until you've been mashing a while and your legs are burnt out to shift down.

The bad news is that your problem is probably a poorly fitted bike, you don't know how to shift to your advantage, your cadence is too low, etc. On top of that, you probably simply lack the adequate (or desired) fitness to climb the way you'd like. Even though you're a light guy, you can't assume that climbing belongs to you. Like anything else, you will need to work at it.

 

[EverydayRide]

The bad news is that your problem is probably a poorly fitted bike, you don't know how to shift to your advantage, your cadence is too low, etc. On top of that, you probably simply lack the adequate (or desired) fitness to climb the way you'd like. Even though you're a light guy, you can't assume that climbing belongs to you. Like anything else, you will need to work at it.

You have to really enjoy pain or live on the back side of a cliff for forcible improvement.

 

[JimT]

Try this,
It's a good read

http://www.cptips.com/climb.htm

 

[PJ352]

Try this,
It's a good read

http://www.cptips.com/climb.htm

+1, and that's just a start. There's a wealth of cycling related knowledge/ info from the TOC:
http://www.cptips.com/toc.htm

 

[tommyrhodes]

I found leaning over the bars does not work for me. I've got a large upper body and was wasting a lot of energy supporting myself in that position. When I'm out of the saddle now I "lean back" a little. That works when I'm out of the saddle.

I spent a lot of time this spring working on staying seated during the longer climbs. I found that by altering my position on the saddle I was able to delay muscle fatigue. I'd read about this before and had no luck. I had to move waaaay back in the saddle. To the point where I felt downright silly. But it works great. Slide forward to work the quads slide and move back to work the hammys. I'm a big guy at 185 pounds and this has helped me greatly improve my climbing.

Good luck

 

[Iwannapodiumgirl]

Ugh, I don't know how to climb efficiently. I don't know how to use my posterior chain efficiently. I don't know how to be agile out of the saddle.

step 1, find a hill.
step 2, ride up it.
step 3, get to top, turn around and ride down it.
step 4, repeat steps 1 through 3 until you feel comfortable riding up a hill.

 

[Jay Strongbow]

I think the best tip I ever got about climbing was to relax my upper body.

I say best tip not necessarily because it's any more important than a number of other things......but because it's the one thing I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have figured out for myself with all the trial and error. I just figured putting a death grip on the bars and getting my back in on the action meant more power going down. Wrong...total waste of energy.

A lot of it's mental too. I'm the type of moron that would never be smart enough to use a low club in golf over trying to be macho and driving a 300 hole over water despite a historical success rate of about 1%. I was constantly burning out on hills trying to hammer the whole thing making the overall time a lot slower. Once I came to terms with not doing 20mph on every part of every hill that helped a lot too.

 

[Mr. Versatile]

Make sure you use your maximum pedal stroke. First remember, nobody pulls up. Concentrate on pushing down, in your usual manner, then pull your bottom foot rearward like you were scraping mud from the bottom of your shoe. Concentrate on being smooth. Concentrate on your weak leg. Breathe rhythmically, don't gasp. Visualize breathing oxygen directly to your quads. Don't look at the top of the hill, instead look up the road and pick a tree, mark on the road, rock, etc. and make that your goal. When you reach that goal, pick another short one.

I almost always climb seated. Standing requires a LOT more energy, specifically from your upper body. I'm a big guy and tire very quickly when standing, so I only use it briefly and only when I absolutely necessary.

When the road slants up and I start to grind away at it I say over and over in my head, "I will not quit, I will not quit. I will not be denied. I can do this, I have no reason to quit, I am doing it.

All the hills where I live are short, but steep river valleys, or glacial moraines. I've never climbed any significant mountains so I can't help you there.

 

[clipz]

theres alot of advice here if you read. reading on this site, i learned about high cadence, changing hand positions for comfort, most of all setting small goals. theres a hill that i can rarely climb without taking a break, after reading on here i was pumped up, i got to the hill, i know the hill well so i made small goals, first one was to get halfway up past this sharp turn, then i have a view of the whole brutal climb. then it was get to the top i didnt care how slow i went as long as i got there and i did! i was even able to get down and go halfway up again. for once i used good shifting and a cadence that worked well for me.
search on here, my god i can sit on here for hours and read tons of info!

 

[EverydayRide]

Really good video about climbing

Cycling Survival 1 - How to ride in the mountains - Climbing Technique

I've been surfing the subject since my last post. Really depends on the rider and their preferences from what I've read so far. Stay relaxed. High cadence. Etc. You may want to try heeling or ankling as added power if you like being seated while climbing.

 

[skyliner1004]

you pedal uphill better by practicing.

go find your largest hill. climb it, turn around, descend, then climb it again and again and again until you lose 100 lbs or are strong enough to push your weight. watching online videos is only going to get you so far.