Top 10 Climbing Tips - Climb Like A Pro

Ride faster uphill or just enjoy it more with our top 10 tips for climbing.

Climbing is the most challenging aspect of cycling - how fast you can ride up a climb comes down to your power-to-weight ration. So, if you want to improve your climbing in the long term, you should focus on these two aspects. If you don't have the time or inclination, we've got eight other pro tips that will help you to improve your climbing.

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[rollyrama]

I was cycle touring through South America and with all my gear, I had been climbing for about 4-5 hours. I remember speaking to the hill and telling it that it will not defeat me. and when I finally got to the top and raised my arms up in the air and felt like a champion. People who were driving past saw me raising my arms and tooted for me. It was a great feeling because then came the long 1 hour downhill. It was well worth it.

[Lauragolding]

I climb a 17% hill every morning and afternoon!! Love climbing!!!

[peters]

I love climbing, i love the pain you get during, and the achievement you get at the top.. That after burn feeling doe, love it. 

[johnmoran]

Being the oldest rider (68) in our weekly group rides I've also had problems with climbing and have been working on improving for two years. I always try to keep my cadence up but found that it seemed like I never had enough gears on our steepest/longest climbs. Recently I upgraded to a 11/32 cassette (have 50/34 chainrings) and it has made a big difference so I can keep a higher cadence and not get burned out so fast. It does come at a cost since the front derailleur had to be changed to accommodate the larger cassette.

[thomascoolen]

I climbed Monte Zoncolan in North-East Italy earlier today. It was the hardest climb I've ever conquered, by far. The 6km middle section has an average gradient of 15% with a maximum of 22%, which means that at some points, remaining seated was just impossible. I think I spent over half of those 6kms out of the saddle... 2 days from now I'll be tackling the Stelvio pass (from the East side)!

[rhcp]

There's a climb near where I live that I have done, and it AVERAGES 30%, with spikes of 40% on a particularly steep switchback!!!

Granted, its only 0.5kms long, but it takes a good 6 or 7 minutes to get up there, staying upright is a challenge in itself!

If that doesn't deserve a GCN water bottle, I dont know what does :P

[ShootaFodder]

Not too many mammoth climbs in Scotland where I am, but there's a 5km climb called the Tak Ma Doon. Around 300m ascent and it's pretty amazing. They avoid using it for competitions though because on the descent of the other side a stream crosses the road through an open culvert! being my first time, I had no idea and plowed into it at full speed.

Two burst tubes, and a bent front wheel rim for me. Think I'll stick to the Duke's Pass. 

[Jodybaker]

I recently switched over to a compact crank for the mountains around Vancouver. Took a short time to adjust, then my numbers got better. But more importantly, my comfort and confidence got a big boost. I look forward to more climbing, better training and better results.

[darkmatterx]

I went for a bike ride from Atsugi to Lake Ashi Japan where it is a 55 Km ride with the last 10km as 1200m elevation gain. I did this without proper preparation and training, therefore I cracked and took 2 hours to finish the last 10km. Took your tips and ride the same route again this time taking me 1 hour.

[ifonlytimestoodstill]

Before I got serious with cycling I used to ride fixed gear. Always relished climbing but one climb almost broken me when I travelled last year. Mount Wilson, California. 15 miles, over 4000ft climbing and on 53x16 gearing in 100f weather. On a road bike nowadays and if a climb gets to me ever then I always think of doing that ride and kicks me into gear. But I seen this video sometime ago and the techniques in this helped me out loads so thank you for creating it - generally love climbing thanks to this!

[b.king]

Climbed alpe d'huez and mont ventoux last month and loved it. Want to go back next year and do the galibier

[gromm]

My "training" used to involve 12 km a day of towing both my 5 year old and my 2 year old in a bike trailer, every day, rain or shine, whether I wanted to or not. To school and daycare and back, before and after work (that 12 km is total, per day).

When I started to get more serious with cycling as a sport instead of just for transportation, (because I was so fit) I found I had all the fitness necessary to do vertical km hill climbs.

The primary reason I was doing this in the first place was because I didn't own a car, because I only lived 4 blocks from work and rapid transit. Plus it got me into great shape.

[treckale]

I'm a fan of the channel, all tips are very good and fun, a hug from the Brazilian cyclist

[PMA]

I am actually touring in Japan... There is a lot of climbing everywhere, especially in the Japanese Alps. My bike weight actually 110 pounds, it's hard and fun! :)  I am cycling Japan end to end, my trip finish in 3 days. You can see it on my Youtube Channel. Thank you GCN for all your tips, I use it every day. :)

[michaelhall]

Spent the last week in Breckenridge Colorado while I was there I got to do some very long climbs. One was to Loveland Pass that tops out at 11, 990 ft or 3, 655 meters. I was feeling great and powering along through the valley in a 53/15. The start of the climb is shallow so I only changed my back sprockets, it wasn't until I made the Arapaho Ski resort at about 10, 500ft that I realized I was still in my big ring! did the first 3/4 of the climb in a 53/25!  After I realized my mistake I dropped into the 39 and spun my way to the top.  Epic day on the bike, 47mi 4711 ft of climbing.

[vancel]

This past summer I was talked into riding the Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb race about 3 days before the event.  Luckily I had been training and racing all summer and had also built my endurance for 100 mile rides.  I raced it and finished in about 3:50, and I didn't get last place.  :)  I've been watching GCN for tips on how to climb better.  My biggest problem was that I didn't drink or eat enough during the ascent.

[jofootballer]

I'm 16, and I did Alpe d'Huez in 59:30 last September(I was 15 then)

[proff]

its a sense of achievement when you get to the top but on the way down its so much fun. I am in NSW in Australia and there is one of the hills I was clocked at 140 km per Hr in the way down the hill

[wrexham]

Live in Wales & am quite far up as it is so I don't have much around here to climb but decided to climb to Blwchgwyn (The highest village in Wales) the other day, so that was a little achievement as I haven't long started properly and don't like hills as it is! Haha

[hakonsakariassen]

My favorite place to cycle is Menton, France. Especially the Col de Madone climb.