Its the Matlock 10 this weekend so I thought a short blog covering hill climbing on a road bike would be quite apt!

For all you non-cyclists out there the Matlock 10 is an event that involves climbing 10 of the biggest hills in the area over 60km on road bikes, with gradients over 20{772769afec4ea4fc06014772ae0e9ce225d1119f7ddd143e178308f9172957eb} its not for the feint hearted! Its definitely worth therefore considering the best ways to overcome an obstacle such as a 1:5 gradient using as little energy as possible! Everyone has there own preferred technique for climbing but what is the best?

Firstly if a climb isn’t too steep you should look to maintain a reasonable cadence, around 65-80rpm, to ensure that you maintain this you should anticipate changes in gradient before they happen! Don’t overlook the importance of the up phase of each peddle stroke, important power can be produced through this part of the pedal stroke making the opposite down phase slightly easier.

When seated, push your bum towards to back of the saddle and imagine you are pointing your tail bones behind you. This will give you extra leverage on the pedals and allow you to use the full length of the hamstrings and other posterior muscles.

Keep your upper body still, a good level of core strength will help you achieve this, too much movement will simply waste valuable energy. Also try to keep your chest open as collapsing it over the handlebars will reduce the room your lungs have to expand making it harder to breath.

Most importantly stay in the saddle as long as possible, standing up uses around 10-12{772769afec4ea4fc06014772ae0e9ce225d1119f7ddd143e178308f9172957eb} more energy as you your core and back muscles have to work harder. Not only this but staying in the seat also keeps your heart rate around 8{772769afec4ea4fc06014772ae0e9ce225d1119f7ddd143e178308f9172957eb} lower.

If you do have to stand up remember momentum is key! Ensure you put in an extra burst of speed to enable you to go up a gear or two to compensate for the increase force you will be putting on the pedals.

Hopefully this has given you all a few insights into the correct climbing techniques to help you get to the top in the best shape possible. If you are taking part in the Matlock 10 then I wish you all the best! If any of you would like to receive further information on road cycling training or perhaps take on our fantastic remote training package we offer then get in contact with me!