CLIMBING for Roadies

for Roadies

by FRED MATHENY CLIMBING For Roadies

By Coach Fred Matheny

Photos by Deb Matheny, Laura Matheny, Graham Watson, Les Woodland, Ed Pavelka, Leslie Ardizone, David Rowe, Joanne Penseyres & others

On the cover: Beginning of Hard Hill Rd. in Moselem Springs, Pennsylvania

Published by RBR Publishing Company, 3255 Embry Hills Dr., Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30341 USA. Copyright  Fred Matheny/ RBR Publishing Company. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, photographic including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or re- trieval system without the prior written permission of RBR Publishing Company. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained in this publication. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained in this publication. www.RoadBikeRider.com

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TRAINING • 101 Cycling Workouts by David Ertl • ACE Training for Cyclists by Arnie Baker, M.D. • Basic Training for Roadies by Fred Matheny • Fred Matheny's Complete Book of Road Bike Training by Fred Matheny • High-Intensity Training for Cyclists by Arnie Baker, M.D. • Indoor Training for Cyclists by David Ertl • Keep it Real - In Your Indoor Cycling Classes by Jennifer Sage • Off-Season Training for Roadies by Fred Matheny • The Ride of Your Life by David Rowe • Spring Training for Roadies by Fred Matheny • Supercharge Your Training by Fred Matheny • Training for Busy Cyclists by David Ertl

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES • Climbing for Roadies by Fred Matheny • Coach Fred's Solutions to 150 Road Cycling Challenges by Fred Matheny • Cyclocross for Roadies by Darren Cope • Skills Training for Cyclists by Arnie Baker, M.D. • Stop Cycling's Showstoppers by John Hughes • Yoga: A Quick & Effective Program for Cyclists by Joe & Maria Kita

RACING • Professional Road Race Tactics for Amateur Cycling Teams by David Harrison • Psychling Psychology by Arnie Baker, M.D. • Road Bike Racing Basics by Chris Fischer • Strategy & Tactics for Cyclists by Arnie Baker, M.D.

MEDICAL & TECHNICAL • Andy Pruitt's Medical Guide for Cyclists by Andrew L. Pruitt, Ed.D. with Fred Matheny • Bike Fit by Arnie Baker, M.D. • Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat by Joshua Cohen PT, MS • Nutrition for Sports by Arnie Baker, M.D. • Rider's Guide to Building the Long Distance Bicycle by David Rowe • Your Home Bicycle Workshop by Jim Langley

OTHER • Bicycle Commuting for Fun & Profit by Ed Pavelka • How to Travel with Your Bicycle by Alan Bragman, D.C. • Strength Training for Cyclists (DVD & workout guide) by Harvey Newton

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About the Author Introduction Chapter 1 — What Makes a Good Climber? Chapter 2 — Fundamentals Chapter 3 — Training Chapter 4 — Advanced Advice Chapter 5 — Descending Chapter 6 — Special Circumstances Chapter 7 — Interviews

About the Author

Fred Matheny began road riding in the early 1970s after an athletic career that included football and track in high school and football at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio. He was named his team’s outstanding offensive lineman and all-league.

Fred rode his first bike race in 1976, the Iron Horse Classic from Durango to Silverton, Colorado. A category 2 racer since 1978, his top placings include a cat 3 win in the Mount Evans Hill Climb, a world record of 5 days, 11 hours in the senior divi- sion of the Team Race Across America (with Skip Hamilton, Pete Penseyres and Ed Pavelka), 2 victories in the Colorado masters time trial championship and a bronze medal in the U.S. masters national time trial championship.

He has written about cycling for nearly 3 decades, including 10 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and websites. He wrote for VeloNews for several years and then Bicycling magazine from 1984 to 1999, including 5 years as training/fitness editor. He also had a 27-year career as a high school English teacher.

Fred has served as vice president of RBR Publishing Company, a corporation he co-founded in 2001 with longtime friend and editorial associate Ed Pavelka. Be- fore reducing his RBR duties in 2005, Fred was a prolific contributor to RBR’s

2 website (RoadBikeRider.com) and its free weekly e-mail newsletter. As author of the popular “Coach Fred” column, he answered hundreds of technique and training questions each year. More than 500 of Coach Fred's Q&A are archived online on RBR's members-only PREMIUM SITE.

In research for his cycling articles, Fred has interviewed (and ridden with) top racers, coaches and exercise physiologists. He also has coached at numerous cycling camps and clinics. His other eBooks include:

• Fred Matheny's Complete Book of Road Bike Training • Basic Training for Roadies • Off-Season Training for Roadies • Spring Training for Roadies • Supercharge Your Training • Coach Fred's Solutions to 150 Road Cycling Challenges

Plus, these 2 best-selling eArticles for specific training and quick improvement:

• Power to the Pedals • Swift Endurance: How to Go the Distance Faster

All are available in the RBR eBookstore.

Author and coach Fred Matheny climbs a home road in western Colorado.

Introduction

Let me tell you about a climb I love—and hate.

Colorado State Route 65 traverses Grand Mesa in the west-central part of the state. The Mesa, as it is simply called locally, is the world's largest flat-top mountain (photo). The road climbs well over 6,000 vertical feet (1,820 meters) in about 25 miles (40 km) from the city of Grand Junction to the 10,839-foot (3,288- m) summit. The grade is never over 8% but the sheer length of the grind, coupled with the elevation at the top, makes for a challenging, sometimes disheartening, and occasionally gruesome ascent.

Colorado's cross-state event, Ride the Rockies, has routed its 2,000 participants over the Mesa on several occasions and racked up records for sagged riders. Fit- looking people were seen walking their triple-crank equipped bikes still 8 or 9 (13 km) miles from the top. Others lay by the roadside racked by cramps.

I started the climb one year with a racer from New Jersey who was much younger and stronger than I was. But in his youthful exuberance he had shown up with a low gear of 42x21 teeth. He blew up a mile into the climb and was never seen again. You underestimate climbs like Grand Mesa at your peril.

I'm not immune to such hubris. In 2005 when I turned 60, I attacked the climb as part of a 120-mile (193-km) jaunt to thumb my nose at aging. I think it took 5 years off my life.

The last time I climbed this monster was in August of 2008. Fifty riders with Lon Haldeman's PAC Tour were going from Canada to Mexico along the ridge of the Rocky Mountains. Day 11, from Grand Junction to my hometown of Montrose, featured 120 miles over the top of the Mesa with the climb as the day's big attrac- tion.

I started with a group of 15 strong riders and we rolled along gradually rising roads through Palisade's orchards. The pace picked up on the steep entrance ramp to I-70, shedding a few people off the back. We rode the freeway shoulder for 4 miles (6.4 km), then turned right up Route 65, a Colorado Scenic Byway.

Normally the initial 10 miles (16 km) of the climb are a nice warm-up on a gradual ascent along a rushing stream. Check out the scenery, get the blood flowing, di-

4 gest breakfast. But several riders in this group were feeling frisky and any time the grade steepened for several hundred meters on the rolling uphill, they applied pressure. By the time we reached the steep wall at the small town of Mesa, we were down to 5. At the top only 3 of us were left as we turned into the first rest stop, trying to look relaxed as if the climb had been easy.

It hadn't been, at least for me, and the real work was just beginning. For several more hours we ground our way up, through oakbrush and aspen groves, past the base lodge at Powderhorn Ski Area and into the dark timber that fringes Grand Mesa's flat top like a monk's tonsure. Ominous storm clouds gathered overhead but didn't let loose. Thunder rumbled in the next valley. Rocky cliffs rose on our left where the road was cut into the wall. "Avalanche Danger" a sign said. At least in August we were safe from snow slides, if not from the risk of lightning that mercifully stayed away.

"This is the climb that never ends," said one sweating, exhausted rider who turned out to be from a part of the country where a mile of uninterrupted climbing rates as long.

As is so often the case when you're at the end of your tether, the top of Grand Mesa isn't really the top but is preceded by several false summits. At the real top I stopped to put on a vest and eat an energy bar. I was tired but full of the con- tentment that only conquering a tough climb can give. And I had a 30-mile (48- km) descent, every bit of it earned, as a sort of dessert after the climb's gourmet meal.

Grand Mesa epitomizes why I love climbing—and why I hate it too.

I grew up in northern Ohio, predominantly flat country that's broken by ravines, short-but-steep hills twisting out of river bottoms and the rippled ridges left by re- treating glaciers. When I was young I'd ride my balloon-tire bike in the woods behind my small town, but it wasn't the beech groves in the valleys that fasci- nated me. I was always drawn to the tops of those ridges.

I love climbing for many perfectly good reasons. For one, it increases my fitness. Hauling my bike and body up a 4-mile (6.4-km) climb—not to mention Grand Mesa—elevates my heart rate to its lactate threshold or beyond, and keeps it there. If I were riding on the flats I'd have to force myself to go hard where it's easy to spin along looking at the hawks on roadside telephone poles and letting my mind wander. Hills overcome laziness. You can't climb without working hard, regardless of your bike's low gear.

I like climbing because of the descents. I enjoy going fast and feeling g-forces compress me into turns on sweeping bends, the roar of the wind in my helmet vents, the way the bike drops into corners. I like passing cars on switchbacks.

5 In a race or competitive ride, hills are opportunity. Riders who fancy themselves climbers can inflict maximum pain on the wheelsuckers when the grade steepens. Ever notice how the pace inevitably gets faster at the slightest hint of a hill? There's always someone in the group who thinks he's an angel of the mountains and tries to break everyone's legs.

I like climbing's different rhythm too. My cadence is slower than when I ride on the flats, the bike rocks slightly back and forth and the road flows by smoothly. A steady climb is hypnotic, mesmerizing me with the sound of my own breathing.

Rewards of climbing include scenery like this, atop the Tourmalet in the French Pyrenees.

I also enjoy climbing because of the mountain scenery—waterfalls, cliff faces, gnarled timberline trees, last winter's snow still lingering in couloirs, wildflowers in sloping meadows. For some reason I feel more alive at 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). Maybe it's the suddenly revealed vistas or air so thin that every breath is a carefully considered effort. I experience a sense of renewed energy when the last dwarf trees thin to rocky meadows and shining cliffs.

But most of all I like climbing's mystique. The great races of legend have been won or lost in the mountains. Charly Gaul escaping in the Alps, Claudio Chiap- pucci on a day-long solo ahead of the peloton, Andy Hampsten winning on Alpe

6 d'Huez, Lance delivering "the look" to the lead group before powering away—the greatest moments in the grand tours come when the road tilts up. My climbing pace is decidedly pedestrian compared to the legends, but I feel their beneficent presence on even modest hills.

But sometimes I hate hills with a passion usually reserved for mortal enemies. For one thing, hills hurt. The gradient that builds fitness does so at a heavy price—painful breathing, burning thighs and the long-term danger of overtraining and burnout. I know some strong riders—aggressive criterium aces, killers in flat time trials—who will do anything to avoid hills.

In the final analysis, hills tell us who we are. They are not athletic challenges so much as opportunities for self-revelation. Gasping and suffering reveal truths about our inner strength that we can find nowhere else. Hills remind us forcefully of our deficiencies. In the hills the bitter truth fires our quads with incendiary pain and transforms the strongest will to ashes.

Holy men and sages went to the mountains to become one with the One. There's nothing metaphysical about it—on long climbs even the most rational cyclists can see sweat-tinged visions that answer hard questions about ourselves and our abilities.

And if we don't like the answers, well, there's always the long swooping ride into the next valley, taking us away from the summit sun's glare of the truth.

This eBook distils the tips and techniques about climbing that I've gained in nearly 4 decades of riding in Colorado as well as other hilly terrains, including the Cascade Mountains of Washington and Oregon, Arizona, California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Ireland.

As a cycling journalist I've had the opportunity to ride with many of this country's finest climbers. I've studied how they train, how they position themselves among others going into a climb, how they sit on the bike. I've been able to ask them questions, and as a racer I've had a vested interest in becoming a better climber myself.

I'd like to pass this knowledge along to you.

But first, I realize not everyone reading this eBook races. Why should you care about better climbing if you don't compete? I can think of 5 reasons.

• Climbing boosts fitness. As you know, it's easy to roll on the flats at minimal intensity. One of cycling's dirty little secrets is how little exercise

7 moderate riding produces. If you're riding at a comfortable pace on flat roads with no headwind, heart rates below 100 bpm are common even though you're moving at a respectable speed. Add a tailwind and you may as well be sitting on the couch. This is why runners often have trouble switching to cycling as a form of daily exercise. They complain that it's hard to get the intensity on the bike that they're accustomed to feeling from running.

But add hills to the equation and the intensity instantly increases. It's impossible to climb a 6-8% grade at a pedaling cadence of 80-90 rpm without working hard enough to promote fitness.

• Climbing puts you in touch with your body. Strong climbing means that you have to tread carefully on the line between going too slowly and too fast. Go too slowly and you'll get dropped from the group. If you're riding solo, a slow ascent isn't as much fun as a spritely pace. But if you go too fast you'll quickly out-climb your abilities and fall into oxygen debt.

So good climbing demands that you pay careful attention to your body's warning signs. How's your breathing—steady and rhythmical, or gasping? How do your quads feel—strong and powerful, or burning and empty?

One of the basic abilities of good riders is this communion with their physical selves. They know to very tight margins exactly how hard they're working and how much harder they can push before crossing the line into anaerobic agony. And it's on climbs that this hard-won knowledge is most easily found.

• If you climb well, you can stay with the group. Even if you don't race you'll probably ride with other people in the local Sunday morning outing or in organized centuries and charity rides. And make no mistake, even among non-racers there's a healthy dose of competitive instinct that usually comes out when a climb looms.

Runners and other athletes coming to cycling for the first time are amazed at how the pace increases when the road tilts up. "Why are we going so fast?" they think as the formerly comfortable pace increases to lung- burning intensity.

Of course, the pace usually calms down after the climb. But if you're dropped on the lower slopes you may not get back on and will have to ride in alone. Good climbing skills enable you to stick with the group all the way to the coffee shop.

• Ability to climb expands your cycling routes. Because non-climbers tend to seek out flat routes their riding options are limited. They are mired

8 in the flatlands, stuck in the subjected plains, shut out from the best scenery, deprived of the fun descents. When they want to ride a century or organized tour, their options are limited even more.

But if you can climb you can head to the highlands and mountain passes. Even hilly centuries like the Mountain Mama, epic rides like the Assault on Mount Mitchell or races like the Mount Evans Hillclimb are within your ability.

• Finally, climbing well makes the sport more fun. Your range of ride options is unlimited and so are your riding companions. You can tour, race, join in hilly club rides and enjoy the vertical scenery rather than suffering miserably.

Becoming a good climber is an important step—some would say an essential one—to becoming a complete rider.

How Hills Are Measured and Rated

I've been talking about hills without distinguishing between mild rollers and tough mountain passes. Hills are classed according to distance, vertical feet climbed and the steepness of the grade.

Distance seems self-explanatory—300 meters? 1 mile?—but it's not that easy. When does a hill start? If a steep climb that's 200 meters long is preceded by a couple miles of gradual uphill, it'll feel a lot different than if the same climb comes after a screaming descent that gives you enough momentum to fly over in the big chainring. Hill length can be measured with any cyclecomputer.

Vertical feet (or meters) rates climbs by the distance they ascend. You can use a cyclecomputer or GPS unit with an altitude function, or check the contour lines on a topographical map. Long climbs in the mountains can gain 5,000 vertical feet (1,517 meters) or more while so-called sprinter hills may gain 100 feet (30 meters) or less.

Steepness of grade (slope) is a key indicator of a climb's difficulty. This is the relationship between the length of the climb and vertical feet gained. So a climb of one mile (5,280 feet) that ascends 528 feet has a grade of 10%. That's steep.

In general, interstate highways limit grades to 5%. State highways may have hills twice as steep, while small back roads may tilt up at 15%. Walls of 18-20% or more are rare on paved roads but can be found in some regions. They are memorable when encountered.

9 In pro racing, climbs of significant length are rated according to a classification system. The easiest are category 4 while tough alpine passes get a category 1 rating. Occasionally a climb is exceptionally brutal or follows several other demanding climbs. In such cases it's rated hors categorie or "beyond category." Monsters earning this rating are long (usually over 6 miles or 10 km) and steep (averaging around 10%).

Of course, most rides in hilly terrain consist of more than one climb. How hilly is a hilly ride? Former Race Across America winner Lon Haldeman, whose PAC Tour company specializes in high-daily-mileage rides across the U.S., uses a gain of 100 feet (30 meters) per mile (1.6 km) as the definition of a "hilly" route. Using this standard, a century (161 km) would need to accumulate 10,000 vertical feet (3,033 meters) to qualify.

Chapter 1 What Makes a Good Climber?

We've seen how important climbing is to competent cycling. In racing, the great tours and the hilly Belgian classics are often won (or lost) on the climbs. Most U.S. road races feature as much climbing as the organizer can find to sepa- rate the field and ensure that the strongest riders emerge.

But why do some riders climb so well while others, often extremely strong on flat courses, fade off the back when the road goes up?

The answer mostly comes down to simple mathematics. There are factors such as technique and psychology—a physically gifted rider who doesn't like to work hard will be a lousy climber—but basically the important factors are

• body weight • power output • wind resistance

For example, consider a cyclist riding at a steady power output on a flat road. His (or her) speed is determined by the wind resistance acting against his frontal area. Other factors include tire rolling resistance and chain/bearing friction, but they're minor compared to wind resistance.

Wind tunnel testing shows us that big riders don't present significantly more frontal area to the wind than small riders—if they're in the same position on the bike. For example, hands on the brake lever hoods, back at a 45-degree angle. A heavier cyclist has a larger volume than a lighter cyclist, but body surface area

10 doesn't increase linearly as a function of volume; more volume doesn't mean that you push significantly more wind as you ride.

However, big riders tend to generate more power than smaller ones. On average they have more muscle mass, and muscle mass is a fairly good (if somewhat crude) predictor of power output.

As a result, rangy, muscular riders can usually go quite fast on flat or rolling terrain. Time trials, sprints and those cobbled Belgian classics with their short-but- steep climbs favor bigger men. It's often said that riders under 75 kg (165 pounds) can't win races like Paris-Roubaix. They aren't powerful enough, the thinking goes, and they don't have the upper-body strength to control the bike against the pounding of the stones.

One recent winter before his retirement, 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt told a reporter that he was working in the weight room to build his upper body for more power on the cobbles. And Backstedt is 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters) and weighs more than 200 pounds (91 kg).

As soon as the road tilts up, however, linebacker-size riders like Backstedt are at a big disadvantage compared to smaller cyclists, even though the lithe climbers produce less power. Because climbing is done at slower speeds than flat riding, wind resistance isn't nearly as important as gravity. For this reason, climbing requires an optimum power-to-weight ratio rather than a high number of absolute watts. The more watts you can produce for a given body weight, the faster you'll ascend.

Here's an analogy: An 18-wheeler produces a huge amount of horsepower, but because it's hauling several tons of cargo it climbs slowly. Your family car has much less power but it also weighs far less. So even though the car produces fewer watts (one horsepower is about 745 watts), its relatively light frame enables it to leave the big, powerful truck far behind on a long hill.

Here's the take-home lesson: To improve climbing you must either lose weight (from body or bike or both) or produce more power.

Some European cycling coaches claim that they can predict a rider's ability in the hills solely by a mathematical model. They divide his average watts for a medium-length power test (say, 20 minutes) by his weight in kilograms to come up with a power-to-weight ratio.

For example, if an 80-kg (176-pound) rider can average 240 watts for a 20- minute climb, that's a power-to-weight ratio of 3.0.

11 Coaches who study this sort of thing argue that you need a power-to-weight ratio of at least twice that amount—6.0—to be competitive in the alpine climbs of ma- jor stage races. That 80-kg rider must generate almost 500 watts for the duration of the climb to stick with the leaders. In contrast, top U.S. domestic racers might pump out 5.0 watts per kilo. Male masters racers often are quite competitive with a more modest ratio of 4.0 to 4.5, depending on their age group.

(For a method of determining your average wattage for a medium-length climb without a power meter, see Chapter 3.)

But, of course, climbing isn't only about power and weight regardless of what the reductionist camp would have you believe. Climbing technique is important. So are various psychological attributes, foremost among them an ability to suffer (in a positive sense of the word) short-term pain for performance gains. And an af- fection for climbing is important too. If you don't like to climb, every uphill becomes torture.

We'll look at the technique and psychological demands of climbing soon. But first let's examine the 2 variables that have the most impact on climbing success— weight and power.

Weight

Exactly how much does added weight slow riders on hilly courses?

To find out, famed cycling researcher Chester Kyle, Ph.D., modeled a rider capable of sustaining 20 mph (32.2 kph) on a flat course with no wind. On a 2-mile (3.2-km) circuit that consisted of 1 mile (1.6 km) uphill and 1 mile downhill, added weight slowed the rider significantly on the climb. Although the added weight increased the hypothetical rider's speed on the descending portion of the course, it didn't make up for lost time ascending, so the heavier rider was slower over the whole circuit.

In Kyle's computer model, with a combined rider and bike weight of 180 pounds (81.8 kg) and a grade of 6%, the cyclist would complete the 2-mile course in 9:23. But if he had to tote an additional 6 pounds (2.7 kg), he would need another 12 seconds to finish. This translates to a loss of 225 feet. In other words, he'd be 75 yards (68 meters) off the back compared to his lighter opponent.

Because of this penalty, competitive cyclists focus almost obsessively on body weight. Elite riders are almost always extremely lean. Body fat percentages for top men range from 3% to 8%. Top women usually carry about 5 percentage points more for the same degree of fitness because of their sex's physiology re- lated to child-bearing demands.

12 Pro riders are usually small-boned as well as lean. The average Tour de France competitor is about 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds (1.75 m / 68.2 kg) and this average includes those larger riders who can't compete on the alpine climbs but try to win flatter stages or who tow the climbers in the valleys and then try to beat the time limit on the climbs. The real mountain goats are often considerably less than 150 pounds.

Another guideline for climbing success is that a rider's weight should be no more than twice his height in inches.

Thus, a 5-foot-10 (70-inch; 1.77-m) cyclist should weigh 140 pounds (63.6 kg) or less. For many large-framed American males, this ratio is impossible no matter how much they diet and ride. Good climbers are not only very lean, they have bird-like skeletons as well.

There are exceptions, of course. The 5-foot-10 Lance Armstrong won his 7 Tours de France at a reported weight of about 158 pounds (71.8 kg). Five-time Tour winner Miguel Indurain was 6-1 and 175 pounds (1.85 m / 79.5 kg). But both of these riders generated enormous power that cancelled their extra weight. And that power enabled them to dominate in the flatter time trial stages, the other key to winning grand tours.

Armstrong's strategy was usually to attack and gain an advantage on the first mountain stage, then extend his lead in the time trials. The much larger Indurain got his initial advantage in long, rolling time trials and played defense on the climbs. But even though both riders were larger than average for winning Tour riders, the sheer number of watts they could generate gave them a power-to- weight ratio rivaling that of their slighter competitors.

From this it's obvious that one route to better climbing is to take weight off the bike and/or body.

It's relatively easy to shed weight from the bike. Simply spend a lot of money to get the lightest carbon frame, components and wheels. But it's silly to spend 10 grand for a 14-pound (6.3-kg) bike if you're 20 pounds (9.1 kg) over your ideal cycling weight. And there's a nuclear-arms-race aspect too—your competitors have probably sprung for the latest gossamer machinery as well, thus negating your advantage.

Durability can be a drawback of superlight frames or components. Sometimes seeking ultimate low weight causes manufacturers to compromise on strength. This may not cause a hazard while riding but it may mean that certain frames, wheels and parts won't last as long. I don't know about you, but I'd hope to get more than a season or 2 out of a bike costing enough to pay college tuition for a year. Light equipment is generally safe, but when it has shed the last possible

13 gram, it often becomes what shop mechanics call "stupid light."

Carbon/Alloy Lightweight Hybrid

There's a simple (and less expensive) way to get the advantages of carbon's light weight while avoiding most of the potential danger: Equip a carbon frame with an alloy crankset, handlebar, stem and seatpost rather than the same parts made of carbon.

That's the approach taken by a number of pro teams. Their bikes are often treated roughly in transit on roof racks and handled frequently by mechanics. This jostling runs the risk of causing unnoticed dents and scratches ("stress risers") that, if parts were carbon, could result in sudden failure during an event.

Also, when pros crash they're expected to get up and chase back into the race. Because there's no time to examine bars, stems or cranks to see if they're up to the task, running alloy parts lessens the risk of continuing on a crash-damaged bike.

Another durability fix is to use standard 32-spoke wheels with alloy rims rather than low-spoke-count manufactured wheels, perhaps with carbon rims and even spokes. The traditional wheels may be a tad heavier and perhaps not quite as aerodynamic. Or maybe not. Both weight and wind resistance vary with the make of manufactured wheels. You might not be giving up much speed on climbs while gaining durability and peace of mind (particularly on descents).

Most carbon forks have weight-saving carbon steerer tubes. A steel steerer would be more durable but these forks rarely come so-equipped. However, if you follow the manufacturer's guidelines regarding the number of spacers and also use a torque wrench when tightening the stem to the steerer, you'll minimize the risk of problems. All-carbon forks have successfully completed Paris-Roubaix and other rough cobbled classics.

Of course, carbon doesn't own the market on sudden and

catastrophic failures. Alloy parts can fail too. It's always a good idea to buy quality components and check them frequently for wear and visible signs of problems. If you are leery of all-carbon bikes (as I am) but still want the advantages of light weight, a carbon frame/fork with alloy components is a good way to go.

I used this approach on my 2009 Specialized Roubaix Pro. I equipped the carbon frame/fork with a Ritchey Pro alloy stem and handlebar, a Thomson alloy seatpost and an Ultegra 10-speed alloy crankset. The 32-spoke handbuilt wheels feature Mavic Open Pro rims. The rear uses a new Ultegra hub while the front sports an old Campy hub from the 1980s that still runs smooth as silk.

This bike weighs 17.3 pounds (7.9 kg) with its 56-cm frame. I could probably shave a pound by going all carbon and using low-spoke-count wheels, but the added expense and lessened durability aren't worth the trade-off, at least to me.

My advice is to focus on losing excess body weight rather than becoming a weight-weenie with your bike. It's possible to drop extra pounds without pain. But first heed the upcoming cautions about exactly what you're losing when you're losing weight, and the risks of overdoing weight loss.

Important: Get your body fat percentage measured before you try to lose weight.

You can have it done at a sportsmedicine clinic or a university's human performance lab. If your fat level is significantly higher than 10% (males) or 15% (females) your climbing will almost certainly improve if you drop the percentage closer to these levels.

Body-fat percentage is an important piece of information if you're trying to become a better climber. Fat, beyond the minimum needed for health, is extra baggage on climbs. But the danger in weight reduction is reflected in this important question that most riders don't ask when they embark on a weight-loss program:

Exactly what have you lost when you've lost weight?

Is all the lost weight fat? Great. You'll probably climb better. But if some of the missing avoirdupois is muscle, as commonly happens when people diet without

15 exercising too, you may get slower rather than faster. This is because while fat just goes along for the ride, muscle in the legs and glutes is the engine that pro- pels you up the road. Lose muscle tissue along with fat and your power-to-weight ratio is likely to suffer. You'll become lighter but also less powerful with woeful results to your climbing as well as to your general health.

Losing fat and increasing power are linked. You can't increase power without considering what lowered caloric intake will do to the energy available to train. At first it's predictable mathematics: As your weight goes down from caloric restric- tion and riding, and your power goes up from proper training, you climb better.

But the process doesn't remain linear for long. Mathematics eventually collides with human physiology. At some point you reach a body weight and fat percentage that is optimum for you. This hypothetical balance is often called a "setpoint," your unique body composition based on various hereditary factors. Try to go lower and your body will fight to keep its remaining fat. Force the issue with more dieting coupled with more miles and you'll lose power, thus negating the advantages of lower weight.

How Not to Lose Weight

A personal example shows how overly enthusiastic weight loss impacts fitness.

In high school I was a 155-pound (70.5 kg) football player and track athlete. In college I lived in the weight room to gain 50 pounds (22.7 kg)—lots of milkshakes helped also— so I could play in the offensive line. Eight years after graduation I discovered cycling. As I rode longer and faster most of the muscle from my football days vanished and I was down to 165 pounds (75 kg).

But I wanted to climb better and believed in my 1970s igno- rance that simply dieting and riding more miles would complete the conversion from burly lineman to svelte climber. Back then we didn't know nearly as much about this subject as we do now. So I carefully restricted my food intake while riding long miles in the Colorado hills.

The result was predictable. I lost 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and was lighter than in high school, but in the process I also lost significant muscle mass. Even at 165 pounds my body fat was just 8%. I didn't have much fat to lose and my metabo-

lism protected it at the expense of muscle. It wasn't my body's fault. It thought it was experiencing a famine and re- acted accordingly, sparing fat for what it perceived as future survival needs.

I also lost energy to train. My rides became slow plods because I was bonked most of the time. My race results got worse and soon I didn't have the energy or enthusiasm to race at all.

Once I realized what had happened, I had to significantly increase my caloric intake, reduce my riding and get back in the weight room to restore the muscle tissue that I had dieted away. Recovery took until the next season.

Balancing Fat and Muscle

Muscle in itself doesn't make you a better climber. It has to be in the right place.

A certain amount of muscle volume in the legs, buttocks (glutes) and low back increases your power. But a big upper body slows you down. Toting an extra 5 pounds (2.3 kg) up the hill decreases your speed regardless of whether the extra weight is carried in that roll around your middle or in large biceps. However, there is no such thing as spot reduction. Starving yourself or neglecting upper-body resistance exercises in the hope of getting that emaciated climber look will often have a negative effect.

This is especially true as we age. It's dangerous to lose muscle volume in our 20s and 30s because it's harder to get it back as we get older and need it for general health and day-to-day activities.

Never forget: A body that has been converted into a trim, lean climbing machine by excessive dieting and equally excessive training at age 30 is on one end of a slippery slope leading to a frail 80-year-old who has trouble climbing out of a chair.

So maintaining muscle volume is crucial as we age. The ability to ascend half a mile an hour faster is a poor trade-off for recreational riders if it's achieved by starvation dieting.

17 The Safe Way to Weight Loss

If your body fat analysis shows that you can lose some fat weight safely, increase exercise and decrease calories.

Simply decreasing your average caloric intake about 350 calories per day while increasing your riding 5 miles (8 km) per day will result in the loss of around a pound a week. That's the most rapid rate of weight reduction usually suggested by dieticians.

Cutting calorie intake 350 per day is easy. That's equivalent to a couple of cook- ies or a muffin, a latte, extra dressing on a salad—all those extra calories that we consume without thinking. The extra 5 miles of riding (about 15 minutes) may be tougher because most cyclists are pressed for time. But there are other ways to burn an additional 150 calories. Park the car a mile from work and walk. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Do a 20-minute walk at lunch. Run errands on your bike. These simple steps can help you reach your weight loss goal.

What about using one of the various popular diets that have turned some doctors into bestselling authors? It's undeniable that most of these weight-loss plans can work, at least in the short term, for the average overweight person. But dedicated cyclists in training are not average and we need well-balanced nutrition to enable our improvement. I'd be especially wary of any diet that promotes protein or even fat at the expense of carbohydrate. Without sufficient carbs, your muscles won't have enough of their primary fuel, glycogen, to allow effective workouts. You'll constantly be low on energy and teetering on chronic fatigue.

Too Big to Climb Well?

There's one more thing to consider as you try to get leaner for climbing: Some people are bigger than others.

All the riding and dieting in the world won't make a guy who starts at a big-framed 220 pounds (100 kg) into a tiny climber ready to conquer the Alpe d'Huez. If you have 3 brothers nicknamed Pudge, Portly and Stout you may not develop into a great climber. In other words, you need reasonable expectations. And you need to learn how to accommodate your strengths and weaknesses on the bike.

Take Davis Phinney, for instance. Still the winningest road rider in U.S. history with 328 victories, Phinney was a feared sprinter who won 2 stages of the Tour de France. At his peak he was 5-foot-9 (1.75 m) and perhaps 170 pounds (77 kg). He had "the largest arms in cycling," a set of guns that wouldn't have looked out of place on an NFL running back.

18 Yet Phinney (photo) won Colorado's Coors Classic, a stage race with lots of high elevation climbing in the Rocky Mountains. How could this muscular sprinter ride with the mountain goats?

Davis told me that his power enabled him to climb well at grades less than 8%. When it got steeper, his pedaling style degenerated and he began to gradually slip off the back. So he learned to ride slightly lower gears than the natural climbers and pedal faster. He also learned not to go anaerobic trying to keep up on the initial sections of long climbs. If he rode at his own pace and kept a steady effort he didn't lose so much time that he couldn't make it up on the downhill with his excellent descending skills. (We'll examine his downhill prowess in Chapter 5.)

Phinney won mountainous races because he accepted his body type and knew how to lessen his limitations. By taking advantage of his strengths and minimiz- ing his weaknesses he climbed much better than his build and power-to-weight ratio would have predicted.

Here's an example from the recreational realm. My compatriot at Road- BikeRider.com, Ed Pavelka, is 6-foot-4 (1.93 m) and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg) in the early/mid 1990s. He lived in Pennsylvania (still does) where it's hilly, so he couldn't avoid climbing at least 2,000 vertical feet (606 m) on daily rides, and often considerably more.

This improved his power and technique, and although he was always "too big to climb well" he decided to try some hilly events. To his surprise he finished 9th of 850 riders in the 1994 Assault on Mount Mitchell, which ends with a 25-mile (40- km) climb. Two years later he placed 2nd of 55 riders in his 45-55 age category in the Mt. Washington Hill Climb, which gains 4,700 feet (1,425 m) in just 7.6 miles (12.2 km), including grades of 18-22%.

If you think you're "too big to climb well," work at it using the techniques in this eBook and you might surprise yourself too.

Power

Now let's look at the other side of the climbing equation—power.

19 Power is an often misunderstood term. Technically it's defined as "work over time" but many riders and indeed some coaches use the terms "strength" and "power" interchangeably. They aren't the same.

• Strength involves one big effort—a one-rep max bench press, for example.

• Power has a time component, such as pedaling a big gear fast for an hour in a time trial.

Power is measured in watts, the same unit that tells how much illumination is produced by a light bulb. For years cycling power could be measured only in the lab on specially designed indoor bikes called ergometers. Since the mid 1990s, however, we've seen the development of power meters that attach to a bicycle, allowing power to be measured in real time during outdoor riding or racing. The results can be downloaded to a computer and analyzed with various software programs.

Power measurement has revolutionized coaching. Now we know exactly how much power a rider generates on the last section of cobbles in Paris-Roubaix or while climbing Alpe d'Huez. As a result, coaches can prescribe training programs to get a rider from his present state of fitness to race-winning form. It's no longer guesswork.

Power meters tell us the power-to-weight ratio of Tour de France winners. We know how much power it takes to be competitive on the cobbled bergs of the Tour of Flanders. Coaches can test riders to see if they can produce the wattage necessary stick with the peloton. Before the advent of power meters, a budding racer had to jump into competition without knowing if he was in over his head or how much training he had to do to be ready.

Power is an objective measure of how much work is being done. Cyclists without power meters have to rely on heart rate or a subjective measure of intensity—perceived exertion. Both of these methods, although useful, have drawbacks. I'll discuss them in Chapter 3 and show you how to use them successfully to gauge the intensity of your workouts if you don't have a power meter.

But first, a warning about how effective training can ultimately be. All cyclists would like the answer to this question:

How do I increase my power so I can climb better while at the same time reducing the strain I feel?

Is it possible to increase objective power output while increasing subjective feelings of comfort?

20 Yes, and it's done by training carefully. A well-designed program leads to improvement when you work on your power, eat well and rest well. Then you'll climb better and feel better while doing it. That's what this eBook is about.

Genetic Ceiling

But first, a warning about how effective training can ultimately be.

Just like the stock market, improvement doesn't keep going up forever. If it did the strongest riders would be those who worked the hardest over the longest time. Instead, each rider's improvement bumps up against what's called the "genetic ceiling." This means that your ability to climb well is governed in large part by your inherited talents, primarily your ability to process oxygen, known as VO2 max. And, of course, these talents aren't the same for everyone.

Studies have found that some people are "non-responders" to exercise. For genetic reasons they don't improve much, if at all while, despite working hard in an exercise program.

Research called the Heritage Study subjected volunteers to 20 weeks of bicycle ergometer training. They performed the same program of intervals. The re- searchers reasoned that if there were no genetic component to endurance improvement, the same training would produce the same rate of improvement in these subjects. On the other hand, if different people had a varying ability to improve, it's logical that some subjects' ability to consume oxygen during exercise (VO2 max) would skyrocket while others wouldn't budge.

As you would expect, there was a wide variation in response. The average increase in VO2 max was 19%. But 5% of the subjects showed no change while another 5% increased their oxygen uptake a whopping 40%. Interestingly, there was no correlation between initial fitness and response to training.

It's not likely that you're one of the unlucky people singled out by genetic destiny to be unresponsive to training. But you need to be realistic about how much better you can become even with hard training.

Signs that you're bumping up against your genetic ceiling:

• You have been training hard for several seasons without notable improvement • Your curve of improvement has flattened over several seasons • You frequently fall victim to overtraining and burnout • You've lost your zest for hard training and competition

21 A common response—attempting to overcome genetic limits through sheer force of will—often results in overtraining and an accompanying rapid drop in performance. The improvement curve will suddenly plummet like the stock market in 2008. Physical improvement and financial gains don't proceed ever upward without interruption.

I know this business of set limits is a real downer. Why can't we continue to improve if we're willing to put in the work? Unfortunately, life is cruel and we can't all be elite pros even if we train exactly like they do.

But it's important to know that very few people even come close to their ultimate abilities. It's doubtful that your genetic ceiling is holding you back. You will climb better if you put in the right kind and amount of work.

Climbing's Mental Challenge

There's no way to put this delicately. To climb fast you have to suffer.

Good climbing isn't just about producing watts and being lean. Ascending fast also has a strong psychological component because it hurts to work at your lactate threshold and beyond. You breathe hard. Your quads ache. You want to go home and whimper while lying in the hammock. The best riders have learned to live with this pain and overcome it.

That said, it is possible to climb without working very hard. If you equip your bike with low gears and stay away from grades too steep for your fitness/gearing combination, you can tootle up even lengthy climbs at a steady but not overly demanding intensity. But this sort of moderate intensity effort won't produce the stress necessary for significant improvement. If you want to climb faster, you have to ask your body to climb fast. There's no escaping the need to pay the price in hard work.

What does it take to be willing to accept a high level of discomfort? The answer is strong motivation. You need a rationale that switches the pain of climbing fast from misery to enjoyment.

Some riders use anger as a motivator. Lance Armstrong is a good example. His anger at his cancer diagnosis and at his French team's decision to end his con- tract served as powerful motivators. Later in his career, charges that he had doped or that his style of riding made the Tour boring kept his competitive fires burning brightly. Now as I write this in early 2009, all the naysayers who gloat that he can't race well again at age 37 fuel his desire.

22 You'll have to find your own motivation. It can be anything that matters to you. Maybe it's beating your riding buddies on the local killer hill. Maybe it's improving your fitness or losing weight. Perhaps it's winning a hilly race or setting a PR in a hilly century. It might be having more confidence for a mountainous tour.

I coach at cycling camps and often tell attendees that in order to stay in cycling they have to be able to answer an important question: Why am I doing this?

You won't need to ask it consciously. A small but sinister voice in your head will whisper, quietly but insistently, whenever you're working hard on the bike. You'll hear the query when you're riding into headwinds, when the cold rain starts, at mile 75 (120 km) in a century ride (160 km).

But most of all you'll hear it on climbs. Halfway up, when the sweat is dripping in your eyes and your lungs feel like they're inhaling fire, that question will echo inside your skull. Why am I doing this?

If you have a good answer, you can quiet that obnoxious voice of negativity. But if you have no answer, you'll slow down and pedal in defeat.

So it's important to know why you're working hard on the bike. All riders need to figure this one out for themselves. I can't answer it for you. If you really want to climb better you need to find your own fundamental answer. And if you're climbing a lot, you'll have plenty of soul-searching moments to help you in your quest.

One note of caution in this discussion of hard work on climbs: It doesn't mean to let your form deteriorate.

Strong-willed riders with aggressive personalities often think they can climb faster on toughness alone. When they start to hurt and their formerly smooth pedaling motion turns ragged, they push themselves even harder. The result is form that degenerates from sloppy to ungainly. They stomp on the pedals, rock back and forth and their breathing becomes gasping. And guess what? They go slower.

No matter how much willpower you have, you can't climb faster than your training and talent allow. As exercise physiologist Andy Coggan colorfully says, "All's you can do is all's you can do." TV cycling commentator Paul Sherwen's version is: "Courage doesn't make you a climber."

So when you reach your limit on a climb, it doesn't help to try to muscle through. Back off a bit. Gear down if necessary, enough to get your cadence up and quiet your upper body. Lose the tension in your arms and shoulders. Doing these things will markedly improve this particular climb, but there will still be plenty of suffering later to quell the strongest perfectionist anxiety.

23 Love of Vertical

Along with a strong psychology, power and light weight, skilled climbers share something else in common—they love it when the road tilts up.

With all this talk of suffering on climbs, I hope I haven't made you vow to ride only on the flats. Good climbers have learned to embrace that effort. They feel a sense of accomplishment rather than pain. They like the mountain views, the camaraderie of the summit, the thrill of the descent.

Good climbers seek out climbs and revel in the experience. But here's an interesting question:

Do you need to ride hills to become a good climber?

We're getting ready to learn how to climb better. But first let's look skeptically at the traditional advice for becoming strong on hills: climb frequently.

It's important to realize that merely climbing at every opportunity won't automatically make you a good climber any more than throwing a basketball at a hoop makes you a great free throw shooter.

It's possible to climb every day and not get better if the daily dose of hills is ridden slowly. If you roll up in a tiny gear keeping your intensity low, you won't improve. Climbing is important but it must be directed, focused climbing.

There's one other element of climbing: opportunity. If you live in hilly or mountainous country you are forced into climbing. If you train on the hills dili- gently you'll get better. But many riders don't have hills nearby.

Do you need to live in the Rockies, Cascades or along the Blue Ridge Parkway to become a good climber?

The answer: Not necessarily. A number of great pro climbers have come from flat areas, excelling thanks to light builds and blessed physiologies rather than riding hills from a young age. Flatlanders can develop climbing ability by using the available vertical, such as a highway overpass, for repeated intervals. Or they can simulate climbing by riding into headwinds. Another possibility is climbing intervals on an indoor trainer. We'll see how to use these techniques.

Remember that climbing prowess is strongly linked to your power/weight ratio. Anything that builds power makes you a better climber when you finally put wheels in hilly country.

Location Isn't Destiny

Even a lifetime of riding in hill country doesn't guarantee that you'll develop into a great climber.

I live in western Colorado surrounded by hills and mountains. There are short climbs of up to a kilometer long onto the mesa tops west of town. East, a rolling uphill leads to the 4-mile (6.4-km) climb of Cerro Summit and a 5-mile (8- km) climb over Blue Mesa Summit.

Turn left a short way out of town for the steep 6-mile (9.6- km) ascent to Black Canyon National Park. A side road from the Park entrance leads to a 3-miler (4.8 km) that av- erages a leg-buckling 16%.

South of town there's the 13 miles (21 km) up Red Moun- tain Pass. North is Grand Mesa with more than 6,000 feet (1,820 m) of elevation gain.

But in spite of this embarrassment of climbing riches, I'm not a standout climber. I can hold my own and once even won the category 3 race up Mount Evans. But flatland riders with a superior power-to-weight ratio can climb better than I do.

Location isn't destiny. Making the most of what you have is.

Chapter 2 Fundamentals

As we have seen, climbing produces more stress and it requires special techniques compared to riding on level roads. You can't simply find a hill, climb it a couple of times a day and miraculously become an anti-gravity machine.

Remember my comment earlier about how merely doing an activity like climbing tends to reinforce mistakes? To avoid this common problem, let's examine the most efficient ways to conquer gravity and the fundamentals of climbing well.

25 Bike Fit

In the early-1970s bike boom in the U.S., little was known about how to sit on a bike correctly. The only reference was the badly translated C.O.N.I. man- ual from the Italian Olympic Committee. Riders that wanted the correct frame size and saddle height waded through this blue book looking for enlightenment.

Since then we've learned much about correct bike fit and it has become an ob- session with many road cyclists. Much more emphasis has been placed on proper riding position for increasing power and preventing injuries. Excellent guides to do-it-yourself bike fit are the eBooks from 2 renowned experts: Andy Pruitt's Medical Guide to Cyclists and Bike Fit by Arnie Baker, M.D. Or you can get a professional bike fit from a cycling coach or certified fitter. Check with your local bike shop or bike club to find the best person in your area.

In the past, climbers were known to change their position for a hilly race or training ride. Some uphill aces still suggest that you should modify the standard road position for climbing. Typical suggestions include moving the saddle forward to put more weight on the front wheel to counteract the effects of the grade and fa- cilitate sliding to the rear of the saddle. Sitting back is believed to recruit the glutes and low-back muscles to aid pedaling a higher gear with more force. Some even contend that lowering the saddle substantially increases quad power.

Now we know that a proper "neutral" position on the bike will enable you to do everything well—climb, cruise on the flats, battle headwinds and endure for long distances. A good fit also ensures that your risk of overuse injury is small. When you've made certain your frame is the correct size and your position is optimum based on professional guidance, leave everything alone for climbs.

You can, however, rest certain muscles and accentuate others by sliding forward or backward on the saddle during long, seated climbs. This changes the angle of the legs in relation to the pedals and it alters the effective saddle height. When you slide back it's the same as slightly raising the saddle. Sliding forward makes the saddle seem lower. This won't lead to knee injury because you'll be fore or aft for short periods and the percentage of saddle height change is small. But your legs will welcome it on tough seated ascents.

Cleat Position

Traditional advice is to center the cleat so the ball of your foot is directly over the pedal axle. This has been considered the perfect balance between pedaling too much "on your toes" or looking like a kid riding a BMX bike with his arch on the pedal.

26 Having the ball of the foot over the pedal axle is also supposed to eliminate some physical problems. If you have the cleat too far forward—in other words, if you're pedaling more on your toes—there is more strain on the Achilles tendon and calf muscles.

Current thinking is to move cleats farther back. Many riders put them as far back as their shoes allow. A few re-drill the soles to get cleats aft even more.

The theory is that longer feet—a men's size 9 (42) or larger—are more flexible so they require more stability. Moving the cleat back reduces the length of the foot acting as a lever arm and thus reduces flex. More power goes to the pedals rather than being lost in a bendable foot.

Also, according to this view, the calf doesn't do much to assist the pedal stroke. Because biomechanical studies show that this is so, you don't need to pedal on your toes with a forward-positioned cleat to "get your calf into the pedal stroke." Research tells us that, basically, calves don't count. As a result, a more rearward cleat position than is traditional helps rather than hinders performance.

This is by no means a cut-and-dried issue. The traditional position with the ball of the foot over the pedal axle is a good place to start. Depending on your bike fitter's recommendations—or your own experience—you can try moving the cleats rearward. Doing so may also reduce "hot foot," the burning sensation that can occur on long rides and is often attributed to pressure on the ball of the foot. But doing so also may cause your feet to contact the front wheel when making sharp turns at slow speed.

Gearing and Cadence

Gearing is often controversial. How often have you heard an experienced rider talk about "grinding" up a hill "in the 21"? He's referring to a gear of 39x21 teeth. The implication is that successful climbing is done in relatively large gears and the accompanying slow cadence. Bull-like strength is the essential attribute and miserable suffering is the norm.

Thanks to the use of on-bike power meters we now know that the most efficient way to climb fast is to use a relatively high cadence—80 to 100 rpm. A slow, plodding cadence will make your climbing, well, slow and plodding.

Let's look at the numbers. If you climb a hill in a gear of 39x25 (chainring x cog) at 100 rpm and then climb the same hill in a much bigger gear of 53x17 at 50 rpm your road speed will be exactly the same. The rear wheel turns 1.56 times with each pedal revolution in the 39x25. It turns 3.12 times with each pedal revolution in the 53x17.

27 So if speed is identical, why is a 39x25 gear at 100 rpm better than 53x15 at 50 rpm?

Great question, and it's key to the whole question of climbing better. The reason has to do with physiology:

It takes the same amount of work to get up the hill, at, say 10 mph no matter whether you pedal rapidly or slowly. But when you grind a big gear, your leg muscles do a large percentage of the work on each pedal stroke. Your quads are taxed almost like you're doing squats in the weight room.

When you spin a small gear with a fast cadence, the work is divided into more pedal revolutions. Each quad has to work more often but at a lesser resistance. As a result your cardiovascular system is stressed but your quads are spared.

It's easier to train your body to tolerate a high aerobic load than a high muscular load. So pedaling fast makes sense. As a bonus it's also easier on your knees.

It follows, then, that you should choose gearing that enables you to keep your cadence at least 80 rpm while climbing seated on just about every grade you encounter. Sure, if you ride in hilly terrain an occasional extra-steep pitch may put you into the 70s for a short time. That's not a problem. And if you spend significant time standing, a lower cadence while out of the saddle is okay. But it shouldn't dip below 70 rpm for more than 30 seconds or so.

Until recently it was difficult to get a quality bike with sufficiently low gears. "Pro" bikes came with 53/39 chainrings and a 12-23 or 12-25 cassette. For recreational riders in hilly terrain this gearing is too high to allow an efficient climbing cadence.

Look at it this way: Power meters tell us that an elite pro rider can climb for 20- 30 minutes at a power-to-weight ratio of about 6. This means that a 70-kg (154- pound) pro can average around 420 watts for such a climb.

In stark contrast, a fit recreational rider's power-to-weight ratio is likely to be closer to 3.0. Suppose he weighs 80 kg (176 pounds). He'd need to put out 480 watts to achieve the same power-to-weight ratio as the pro. That's impossible. His power output is probably closer to 240 watts—and maybe less. One estimate of wattage at lactate threshold for the average recreational male triathlete is 220 watts.

Now let's look at the elite rider's gearing. He probably climbs a steep hill in a gear of 39x23-teeth and a cadence of 90 rpm. If our recreational rider tries the same

28 gearing with half the power output, his cadence will sink below 50 rpm. He'll be much happier (although much slower) with a gear around 30x32 (or lower) to achieve the same efficient cadence as the pro.

But because of vanity or being stuck with what bike companies provide, many riders struggle up climbs with a knee-wrecking, quad-burning low cadence. Com- bine pro-level gearing with a recreational cyclist's power output and tendinitis lurks on the next hill. Not to mention mental anguish.

Fortunately, since about 2005 more and more quality bikes are providing a solution. They're coming with a "compact" crankset having chainrings of 50/34 or 50/36 and a wide-range cassette, most commonly 12-27. Recently 11-28 has become available, allowing a 34x28 low gear along with a 50x11 top end for fast descending. These provide much more realistic gear ratios for most riders in hilly terrain, and you no longer need a triple-chainring crankset to get them.

The moral is to choose your gearing based on your power-to-weight ratio. You don't need a power meter to figure it out. Simply observe your cadence on the climbs that make you use your lowest gear.

Are you able to pedal at 80 rpm or above on most of them? Fine. If not, go shopping for gearing that will allow you to climb at that rate on all but rare exceptionally steep sections.

Your local bike shop can help you make these gearing changes. One common method is to swap a standard 53/39 crankset for a compact 50/34. Then all you need to do is remove a link from the chain and lower the front derailleur to accommodate the smaller chainring diameter.

If you're using Shimano 9-speed components you can also lower the gear range by changing the rear derailleur to a long-cage mountain bike model such as Deore XT and put on a wide-range MTB cassette—an 11-32, for example. This drivetrain will work fine with any Shimano 9-speed shifters. A shop can suggest other solutions based on your current equipment.

Some riders go one step farther and install a "bail-out" gear. This is a really low gear for emergencies such as exhaustion or cramping on long rides or coming upon an extraordinarily steep hill. You won't often use this gear but having it can save your ride.

One way to get a bail-out gear is to use a triple crankset. You may not need the little inner ring (30 teeth or smaller) very often, but it offers several really low gears for special occasions.

If you have a compact crankset, simply install a cassette with a larger low-gear bail-out cog. With Shimano 9-speed as just described, you can go to an 11-34

29 cassette. Normal climbing may be done in 34x30 but when you round a bend and are unexpectedly facing a wall, the 34x34 will limit the suffering.

Does installing lower gearing mean admitting defeat? I've heard riders pro- claim that they won't put on low gears because then they'll use them. The implication is that once they begin compromising with age or lack of fitness, they are on a slippery slope leading to decrepitude.

But it doesn't work like that. The best way to gain climbing fitness is to pedal uphill hard and fast, not slog slowly and painfully in a too-big gear.

Think about what happens in flat riding. You may have a friend who has just come to cycling from running. I bet she complains that she can't get a good workout on the bike—and yet she's grinding down the road in a large gear at a cadence of 60-70 rpm. So you patiently explain that in order to work her cardiovascular system and become a better rider she needs to reduce her gearing and spin the pedals with a higher cadence.

The same is true on climbs but many riders don't see the parallel. And they continue to grind uphill in hopes of getting stronger.

Another View of Cadence

While descending the steep road to Colorado's Black Canyon National Park I saw a rider laboring upwards. He was working hard in a gear that was too big, rocking his shoulders, grimacing and pedaling maybe 50 rpm.

My first thought: He's an unskilled rider. Good riders, as we have seen, generally climb at an 80+ cadence and lose only a few rpm on even on the steepest pitches.

Later I dug out an old video to watch while riding the trainer. It was on the history of the Tour of Flanders and contained fascinating archival footage from the "heroic" era of bike racing.

The flickering old movies took me back to the 1930s. Europe was about to explode in war but tough men in ragged wool shorts, goggles perched on cloth caps, and spare tires laced in figure-8s over their shoulders were racing on dirt roads and wet cobblestones, jumping tram tracks in Belgian towns and grinding up the famous short,

steep, cobbled bergs of Flanders.

Grinding is the operative word. Early racing bikes weighed 25 pounds or more and had only one gear. In order to have a suitably big ratio for speed on the flat roads, riders sacri- ficed the ability to climb easily. Because most of the Flanders course was horizontal, it was worth it to suffer on the relatively short vertical sections.

So in the video I saw the best riders in the world looking a lot like the guy climbing Black Canyon—faces in pain, shoulders heaving and what any of us would immediately label incredibly bad form.

It got me thinking: Have we placed so much emphasis on low gears and spinning up climbs that we've lost the strength that can be gained by pedaling slower and more forcefully?

Sure, the cycling heroes of the early ‘30s used that big gear on horrendous climbs because it was the only one they had. But what if the current popularity of low gears is a mistake, the wrong approach to climbing? What if it's better to attack the hardest climbs in a 21 rather than a 27 or even a 34, pedaling slowly and maybe somewhat raggedly but in the process building the strength that oozed from the quads of those oldtime racers?

Well, don't rush down to the workshop to change your gearing. As we are seeing in this eBook, there are plenty of good reasons to climb with a supple, rapid cadence. If your knees are healthy and you think you need more power on short climbs, training with a bigger gear and slower cadence is okay on rare occasions, and we'll be discussing this.

But in nearly all situations, spin fast to climb better.

Hand Positions

Use a variety of hand positions while climbing. Moving your hands on the bar reduces strain on various muscles in the arms, shoulders and back, and it provides different body angles for changing gradients.

When the hill isn't very steep and you're in the saddle, leave your hands on the brake lever hoods in your normal position. As the grade steepens, slide them back slightly so your palms are in the rounded curves on the top part of the handlebar. When it gets really steep, grasp the bar on top near the stem.

Each change in sequence allows you to sit higher and farther back. The higher you sit, the easier it is to breathe deeply. Moving to the rear of the saddle improves leverage using back muscles. So the steeper the grade, the farther to the rear on the handlebar your hands should go.

When standing, most riders are comfortable with their hands on the brake lever hoods. This position provides a wide grip for maximum control as the bike rocks slightly side to side with your pedal strokes.

Out-of-saddle climbing with hands on the handlebar drops or in the hooks wasn't recommended for many years. The thinking was that you're too bent over, compressing the diaphragm and restricting breathing.

Think again. In the 1990s, Italian pro Marco Pantani began dropping everyone when he climbed out of the saddle with his hands in the drops. It looked like he was sprinting on flat roads. The lower hand position gave him more leverage for his relatively low-cadence climbing style. Ten years before Pantani, American Pete Penseyres was climbing this way but not as many people noticed. Pete was only winning the Race Across America (twice) while Pantani was seen around the world winning the Tour de France.

Both Penseyres (photo below) and Pantani (now deceased) were lightweight climbers with a large power-to-weight ratio. They were comfortable climbing while standing for long periods. Holding the drops came naturally to them because of their lithe builds. And because they were going up hills so fast, their lower position might even have provided an aero advantage.

32 Their climbing technique certainly doesn't work for everyone. Many riders are too heavy to stand for lengthy por- tions of any climb. Large people—those whose weight in pounds is more than twice their height in inches—waste energy when they stand too much because they need to support their weight as well as battle gravity. A light climber supports less weight so more power is available for motor- ing. And if you aren't limber and thin, bending over excessively will keep you from breathing easily and naturally. Experiment to see what works; don't go by the old taboo against using the drops.

Shifting Techniques

A quarter century ago, before the advent of Shimano STI and Campagnolo ErgoPower indexed shifting, changing gears required much more technique. With old-style friction shifting, the down-tube-mounted lever had to be moved until the shift took place, then moved back slightly to align the derailleur under the cog to quiet the chain.

Obviously this couldn't be done very well under load. Anticipating the shift was crucial. Riders learned how to look ahead at the terrain, factor in their fitness and fatigue at the moment, and decide in advance which gear would get them up the hill in good order. Shifting while straining on a climb wouldn't work. You had to back off pedal pressure and hope for an accurate shift as the bike slowed dra- matically.

Adding to the importance of anticipation, shifting with down tube levers had to be done from the saddle. If you were standing and bogging down, you needed to sit before attempting to find a lower gear. Talk about losing momentum.

Enter indexed shifting, and nobody has benefitted more than riders going up hills. Suddenly you could change gears while standing. And you could shift under sub- stantial pedaling loads and get away with it—most of the time. But not always. It's still best to anticipate shifts so you can make them under a light-to-moderate

33 pedaling force just like the friction-shifting old timers. The best explanation I've heard comes from my colleague at RoadBikeRider.com, Jim Langley:

"Keep in mind that when you push on the pedals the chain becomes a solid steel bar and it does not want to move sideways. Only when you take pressure off does the chain get flexible and gain the lateral play to shift smoothly."

Now let's look at examples of shifting technique and gear selection for a variety of hill types.

• Short hills (50-200 meters). Many hills are short enough to sprint over in the same gear you're in on the approach. Generally you can simply stand to deliver more power to the pedals while keeping your cadence high.

If a short hill is steeper, you may need a lower gear. Shift to it just past the bottom as the grade increases and you sense your cadence slowing. You'll be able to spin slightly faster for the first part of the hill, then your cadence will drop to the normal range as the road steepens and you stand to reach the top.

Need a lower gear part way up? With practice and modern shifting systems you can go to the next larger cog while remaining out of the saddle.

Shifting Under Load

If you're using a brake lever shifting system such as those made by Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM, it's possible to shift while standing on a climb. But it's also possible to break the chain by forcing a shift while exerting the power that standing allows.

To reduce the risk, ease off pedal pressure for the stroke it takes to make the shift. This reduces tension on the chain and, as Jim Lang- ley explains above, it allows the lateral flex that's necessary for it to climb onto larger cogs.

Back when 7- and 8-speed cassettes were the norm you could often get away with shifting under full load. Those drivetrains had relatively wide, strong chains. Newer 9-speed systems reduced chain width, and current 10- and 11-speed systems have made chains even narrower and, unfortunately, more fragile. They can break under hard shifts—we see it happen in pro races every season—so easing pedaling force at the moment of the shift is especially important when standing.

34 • Medium hills (200-400 meters). It looks like you'd be able to power over these hills but they cause your cadence to bog down around halfway. The trick is to anticipate the shift to a lower gear so you can make it before your cadence and momentum slow appreciably. When your legs start to lag, shift immediately to the next larger cog and spin the lower gear. De- pending on the climb's length and grade, you may need to do this 1 or 2 more times.

• Longer hills (400-2,000 meters). These climbs are real momentum killers. No matter how fast you start up, ol' Mo leaves the area in a hurry. So for these hills, which take 1-5 minutes to ascend, start in a slightly lower gear than you think you'll need to reach the top. Spin and stay relaxed. In the second half you may be able to shift to the next smaller cog (higher gear) while keeping a reasonable cadence, thereby maintaining or even increasing your speed. When you're feeling good you can shift up again, stand and sprint over the top.

The trick is to remember that good climbing requires a snappy cadence. Bogging down in a big gear is the antithesis of fast ascending. Cycling coach Chris Carmichael talks about climbing "like a carpet unrolling," fairly steady at first then faster and faster as the hill continues. That can be done only if you keep your cadence high throughout the climb by using appropriate gears.

• Consecutive rolling hills. These are a tougher challenge. If you attack the first one too hard you'll have little left for those that follow. So remember that you're in it for the long haul and parcel your energy. Consider spinning lower gears all the way up early hills, sparing leg muscles so they'll have some zip left for later ones.

A good way to save energy on successive climbs is to use what cycling coach John Teaford calls the miracle shift. I've seen Teaford teach this technique at Carpenter-Phinney Bike Camps, and when riders got the hang of it they often agreed it was a real miracle.

Here's how: As you approach the bottom of a hill that takes a minute or 2 to climb, shift to a gear that's lower than you would normally use. Stay seated and spin fast for about 2/3 of the hill. If you're in a group, the others might get slightly ahead here if they're standing and going hard in bigger gears. But you're sitting and saving your legs.

In the final third of the hill shift to a larger gear (smaller cog), stand and apply pressure. Your legs will still have snap thanks to the spinning you did till now, so you'll be able to handle the larger gear. You'll usually roll by your companions as they suffer the effects of their early exuberance.

Shifting to Maintain Rhythm & Momentum

On any succession of rolling hills, maintaining momentum is important and your shifting technique is key to doing so.

Here's the basic rule when you have a wide difference between the large and small chainrings, such as with a traditional 53/39 crankset or a compact 50/34:

When you need to go from the large to small chainring while climbing a hill, shift the rear derailleur before shifting the front derailleur.

If you do the opposite—shift first from the large to small ring—the suddenly lower gear leaves you spinning too fast with no pedaling force. By the time you make a rear shift to find a better gear ratio, you'll have upset your rhythm and lost some momentum.

Here's the right way: As the road tilts up and pedaling resistance begins increasing, shift to a higher gear in back (the next smaller cog or 2) and then shift to the small ring. Yes, the gear will be too hard briefly until the front shift is made, but that's better than feet flailing.

You want the resulting gear to be just a bit lower than when you were on the big ring so your cadence and speed won't change markedly. As you continue to climb, shift to larger cogs (lower gears) in back as necessary. This approach keeps your cadence from changing too much over the course of the climb.

Similar thinking holds when going back to the large chainring after a hill. As your cadence increases on the descent and you've already shifted down the cassette to higher gears, go onto the large ring and then shift back to the next larger cog or 2 if necessary so pedaling resistance and cadence will stay about the same. Then re- sume shifting to smaller cogs as downhill speed increases.

The number of cogs you'll need to shift is determined by the difference in chainring sizes. If you are running 53/39 chainrings (14- tooth gap) you can usually shift to the next larger or smaller cog without getting an excessively large change in gear ratio. But 50/34 compact chainrings (16-tooth gap) often require shifting 2 cogs.

It may seem complicated as you read this, but on the road your legs

will make it obvious. In most situations when climbing, you want pedaling rate and force to vary only moderately from shift to shift. This is the key to riding efficiently and preserving momentum.

• Alpine climbs. Long and often at high altitude, these climbs require steady aerobic efforts unless you're racing. (We'll look into how to acclimate to high altitude climbs in Chapter 6.)

Even if the grade changes, effort should stay the same. Because these climbs are long (more than 5 minutes and sometimes more than an hour), put emphasis on your aerobic energy system by using a gear that enables you to keep an 80+ cadence. Constantly monitor your breathing and how your legs feel. Adjust the gear if you wander out of the optimum zone defined as working hard but having something in reserve. Shift when necessary to accommodate changes in grade.

It's not uncommon to have a "bad patch" on long climbs. You're feeling fine one minute and seeing black spots the next. Often this power outage is due to failure to eat and drink enough just before the climb or, if it's especially long, on the way up.

But sometimes a bad patch just happens. If you shift to an easier gear and reduce effort slightly, you can usually ride through it without losing much time. As you start feeling better again, work back into your optimum rhythm.

We'll talk more about how to gauge intensity on climbs in Chapter 3.

• Hills with surges. Pure climbers can "surge" several times on long ascents. One will jump from a small pack, often out of the saddle, and go hard for several hundred meters. Then he'll settle back into a steady rhythm calculated to maintain his lead. If riders with less ability surge to catch him, they may blow up and lose large amounts of time. Pure climbers can throw in several surges on the same hill in attempts to shed their competitors.

It's possible to train your ability to surge, but for most riders it's difficult— and unnecessary. A steady pace on long climbs is better. It usually means that you'll get to the summit faster than if you try to surge. Surging can easily expend too much energy, and then you can't maintain your best climbing rhythm.

37 • Hills with switchbacks. Instead of going directly up, roads may snake to the top in a series of bends designed to lessen the grade (photo). These switchbacks (also called hairpin turns) are often 120 degrees or more. On extremely steep mountainsides where there isn't much room laterally, the road is often piled on top of itself. It's possible to be ascending on one level and look over the edge at the pavement you've just ridden directly below.

On such a road Spanish pro Oscar Pereiro could have died while descending in the 15th stage of the 2008 Tour de France. He fell over a stone wall on the Col de Agnelo and landed on the road 20 feet (6 meters) below. He was lucky to sustain only a broken arm.

Switchbacks are often banked so cars can negotiate them more easily. If you're going up, the road is steeper along the right edge of a right-hand bend and the left edge of a left bend. You can make the grade shallower by riding as far toward the opposite side of the road as traffic and safety permit. Although this line is longer, it's more efficient and often faster. The shallower line eliminates the extra effort required to get through the steeper section deep in each bend. Going anaerobic on a mountainside is definitely to be avoided.

38 Stand or Sit?

Should you stand on climbs or remain in the saddle?

This is a question that's been asked since bike designs gave riders a choice. It's certainly not a black/white issue. Each cyclist has a more-efficient climbing style. It depends on body size, muscle fiber type, general fitness, specific training and several other factors, including, of course, the nature of the hill being climbed.

In general, larger riders tend to spend more climbing time seated. Smaller riders can stand more frequently because they're supporting less weight. More of their available power can be used to propel them up the hill.

Also, for many riders climbing heart rate rises about 5 bpm for the same speed while standing compared to sitting. This increased exertion is often worth it because standing uses different muscles and gets weight off the butt, increasing comfort when ascending extended grades.

Just before rising from the saddle, shift to a bigger gear—the next smaller cog or 2—to counteract the slower cadence of standing. Doing this will help you maintain your speed.

Climbing Efficiency Test

You have probably developed a preference for seated or standing climbing. But is it really the most efficient style for you? Here's a way to find out:

On a hill that takes about 3 minutes to climb, ride to the top while standing. Record your time, average heart rate, perceived exertion, gearing and, if you have a power meter, the average watts. Recover for 10 minutes and ride up again, but this time stay in the saddle. Record the same data.

Several days later, after you have recovered, climb the hill twice more but reverse the order—sit on the first ascent, stand on the second. Again, record the data.

After doing this several times you should see a pattern in elapsed time relative to heart rate, perceived exertion and power. When these 3 gauges are kept equal whether standing or sitting, your more efficient climbing method is

the one that gets you to the top in the shortest time.

Be careful in your analysis. Most good climbers don't climb only one way. They stand and sit on most hills of any length. A standard pattern is to sit for steady sections and stand when the grade steepens for any reason.

Alternating techniques rests some muscles, brings others into play, improves comfort and gives your mind a break.

So, if you're like many riders and climb more efficiently in the saddle, it's worth- while to train yourself to stand. One way is to do "Mosers." I use this term because it's a technique favored by Francesco Moser, the Italian champion of the 1970s and early '80s. He used it in the early spring to break away from small- gear spinning and reintroduce his legs to the resistance created by big gears and climbs.

Mosers also condition you for standing on hills even if you don't have hills to stand on. Here's how: On a flat road, shift to a large gear and rise from the saddle. Don't accelerate, just begin turning the cranks at 60-70 rpm, letting your weight rhythmically push the pedals around. You'll probably need a gear of 53x12 or 13 unless there's a headwind. Continue for 5 minutes, sit for a couple of minutes spinning in a lower gear to rest, then repeat.

Back in the hills, alternate sitting and standing during climbs as a way to become comfortable with both techniques and with making the transition between them. On longer ascents train by switching from one to the other every 30 seconds.

By the way, the same standing methods work well on a tandem. In fact, the coordination and smoothness required for standing on a tandem will hone your single bike skills too.

40 Foot Position

Some coaches teach riders to drop their heels while climbing in the saddle. This move is supposed to bring the calf muscles into the pedal stroke and improve power.

Biomechanical studies show that every rider has a natural foot position while pedaling. Some riders point their toes down. A good example was 5-time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil. Other riders pedal with a horizontal foot like another 5-time Tour winner, Eddy Merckx. And some riders do push through the bottom of their pedal strokes with heels lower than toes. Greg LeMond, Amer- ica's 3-time Tour champ, was often seen climbing this way. It's my style too, as this photo shows.

If you try to change your natural foot angle to look like your favorite pro, you're likely to get injured. For example, intentionally dropping the heel during the power phase of the pedal stroke can lead to Achilles tendon injuries and calf soreness.

The most efficient foot angle, and the one least likely to create injuries, is the one that you employ naturally after your cleats are correctly positioned.

Upper-Body Movement

Generally, great climbers have minimal upper-body movement during seated climbing. They sit steady in the saddle while their legs spin beneath them. This is especially true on long climbs because excessive upper-body movement wastes energy. A light grip on the handlebar helps develop relaxation.

On small-but-steep climbs like those in the hilly Belgian classics, you'll see riders using more upper-body movement, pulling forcefully on the handlebar as they stomp the pedals. While this technique works for short climbs and may be un- avoidable during full-gas racing, it uses massive amounts of energy. For most recreational riders, staying smooth is the best strategy.

When standing you'll need to move your upper body more to stabilize the bike. But again, a little side-to-side rocking goes a long way. Don't intentionally exag-

41 gerate it. The bike should move only slightly from the vertical—just a few centi- meters left and right—in a natural rhythm. If the bike is rocking in a pronounced way and your shoulders are heaving, you are probably using too large a gear.

Concentrate on a smooth spin even when standing. The goal is to use the least amount of energy to achieve the speed you want.

Efficiency on Hilly Courses

Suppose you want to ride a section of road as fast as possible. The road has 3 hills in succession, each taking several minutes to climb and each followed by a downhill of the same grade and length.

Is it better to work very hard on the climbs and freewheel on the descents to recover? Or should you try to maintain a steady but less intense pedaling effort going up and going down?

Pedaling hard when you're going much over 25 mph (40 kph) is largely wasted effort. The reason is wind resistance, which increases quickly and forcefully at descending speeds. If you continue pedaling, much of your power is used against the wind with minimal improvement on speed.

I know some randonneurs—riders who need to parcel their energy over 6, 8 or more hours—who make it a rule to tuck and coast as soon as their descending speed reaches 28 mph (45 kph). They get a chance to rest and conserve energy without sacrificing much speed.

On the other hand, at slow climbing speeds wind resistance is minimal so almost all effort pays off in going faster.

To maximize your speed on a rolling course like I've described, it's more efficient to climb at a strong-but-controlled pace using the techniques suggested in this eBook.

Then when you begin to descend, pedal at a moderate intensity to keep your speed, should it not exceed 25 mph (40 kph) or so. Don't try to power through the wind to eke out a few more mph—you'll merely squander energy.

By pedaling moderately you'll recover from the previous climb and be ready to push strongly up the next hill. By coasting at faster descending speeds you'll conserve maximum energy.

Of course, it's important not to go too hard when ascending. Find an intensity that feels "hard" but not "all out" so you don't exhaust yourself. Experience is the best

42 teacher. It's why time trialing on rolling courses is such an art. Riding a TT fast requires you to tread on the red line that separates fast from too fast. If you ride the climbs a bit slower than you're capable of, you won't achieve your best performance. But go too hard uphill and you'll blow up before the finish and lose massive amounts of time. The trick is riding on the border, a balancing act that takes years to learn.

Whenever you ride roads with successive hills, pay close attention to how fast you recover on the descents compared to how much effort you put into the climbs. The more attentive you are, the faster you'll learn to get the most from your engine.

One way to help gauge your intensity on hills is to follow the advice of Pete Pen- seyres who won the Race Across America twice during its heyday. His average speed for the 1986 win—15.4 mph (24.8 kph), including sleep breaks and more than 100,000 feet (30,330 m) of climbing—is still the RAAM record. Pete is one of those rare cyclists who excels at ultra distances but is also an accomplished road racer with several U.S. masters championships to his credit.

Pete is well known for his climbing so you might expect him to counsel riders to keep a fast pace uphill. And he does, but with a caveat: "Never go anaerobic." If you do, he warns, the effort and energy consumption will cost you dearly on every climb that follows. His basic advice for maximizing performance in long events is to push the pace on climbs and rest on the descents. The logic is simple and the math can't be refuted: It takes much longer to climb a mile-long hill, for example, than it does to do a mile-long descent.

Lessons from a Climbing Machine

In 1993 I got the opportunity to learn firsthand about climbing from Pete Penseyres. It happened on a transcontinental PAC Tour from western Washington to eastern Virginia.

We were on a 142-mile (228-km) day in Wisconsin from Prarie du Chien to Beloit. It was great road cycling country featuring scores of consecutive short climbs that added up to 6,400 vertical feet (1,940 m).

On PAC Tours rest stops are spaced 25-30 miles (40-48 km) apart. Fifty or so cyclists are on these rides, and often several will leave a stop together and form a paceline to the next one. When this happens among competitive roadies

43 the pace has been known to pick up—sometimes to leg- searing proportions.

I was with a group of 7 riders that left the second rest stop. Pete was there along with his brother Jim (also a RAAM veteran), a strong Irish rider named John Bayley and RBR's Ed Pavelka.

This combination of riders made for a volatile mix. On every hill the intensity picked up until we were going at race pace. Looking ahead, I could see an endless series of rollers stretching across cornfields to the horizon.

Pete was pushing the pace on every hill and all of us were beginning to feel the strain. But no one wanted to cry uncle or get dropped. I noticed that although he was climbing very fast his form never deteriorated. He was showing no strain. His pedal stroke was perfect and his upper body was nearly motionless.

When Pete stood he did it so smoothly that you could barely tell. On each downhill he pedaled just hard enough to sustain the group's momentum into the following climb. Then he ripped up the hill in the same controlled but fierce style.

After an hour we were close to the next rest stop but the relentless pressure had shrunk our group to 4 riders. We rounded a downhill bend and started up the next curving hill, jamming hard. I was barely hanging on. Then we realized that instead of the 100- to 200-meter-long hills we had been zipping over out of the saddle, this one was considerably longer.

Without a word Pete sat down, dropped back to a sustainable pace and spun to the top. It was like a truce had been declared. The rest of us were happy to honor the white flag.

Pete was experienced enough to know exactly how hard to go on a hill based on its length and his subjective feelings of strength or fatigue at the moment. He also knew how to harness the adrenaline that even friendly competition like this can produce, using it to animate his climbing but not so much that the effort exceeded his abilities.

I learned a lot from Pete in that hour. I learned how a talented climber handles successive hills. I learned how to stretch my own energy by using descents to recover. I learned how it was possible to go hard hill after hill—and day after day, as on this 3,400-mile (5,470-km) tour—like pro riders in their 3-week stage races.

Sometimes, the best way to learn about climbing is to allow yourself to get roughed up by a top climber. It's a painful but highly effective learning tool.

Breathing

Some coaches suggest that a patterned style of breathing might improve your climbing.

One technique is to breathe from the abdomen rather than the lungs. If you examine photos of climbers from the side they often look as if they have a pot belly. Their stomachs are distended. How can a guy with 5% body fat have a gut? The answer is that it's not fat you're seeing but their diaphragm, extended as they breathe in. They look like bullfrogs in full voice.

It's important to keep your breathing controlled. Don't let your respiration run wild and degenerate into panting and gasping. Combine "belly breathing" with a steady ventilation rate and you'll climb more efficiently.

A helpful technique was advocated by Alexi Grewal, an accomplished American climber in the 1980s who sprinted well enough to win the Olympic Road Race in Los Angeles. Grewal's breathing method on climbs was to emphasize exhalations to empty the lungs and then passively let them refill. Most people do the opposite under climbing pressure, forcefully pulling air in while not thinking about pushing air out. Try the Grewal way in synch with pedal strokes—example: actively exhale on 2 strokes and passively inhale on the next 2—to establish a climbing rhythm and maximize air exchange in your lungs.

Another technique is to alternate how your breathing coordinates with your pedaling. Pay attention to this the next time you're climbing at a steady pace. Perhaps your exhalations naturally take place when one foot (let's say your right foot) is coming over the top of the pedal stroke. Some coaches suggest consciously altering the pattern so you breathe out when the right foot is going over the top for half-a-dozen strokes then switch breathing so the out-breath is coordi- nated with the left foot for another half-dozen strokes. Back and forth. This works

45 to keep you mindful of maintaining a measured breathing pattern, although you may find it difficult to master.

Most riders simply breathe deeply and naturally while climbing and only focus on it when they're going really hard and feel their respiration become inefficient. In other words, when they begin panting and gasping. When this happens they back off the intensity slightly and focus on steady, deep, rhythmic breathing with improved air exchange.

Chapter 3 Training

Reading about training plans for climbing can be a dreary exercise. You've seen the articles—do 5 repeats up a hill at a specific intensity. Two days later you're on another hill, forcing yourself to endure similar miseries.

Maybe you've paid for a program from a famous cycling coach, hoping you could learn to climb better without riding the same accursed hill over and over. But when you look at the new training schedule, the same workouts rear their ugly heads once more.

The fact is that you can't improve your climbing without riding some hills at intensities varying from pretty hard to leg buckling. But many training plans are blunt instruments. They send you out to hammer yourself several days each week. They don't help you mix the 4 most important elements of any training program:

• intensity • rest • patience • variety

So in the training advice that follows, I'll show you how to make the necessary hard work pay off in improved fitness and better climbing. I won't, however, suggest any day-to-day training plans. For that you can hire a coach or learn to set up a program that works for your unique combination of goals, time available to train, physical talent and psychological profile, as well as available terrain. I am certainly biased but I recommend the RBR eBook, Fred Matheny's Complete Book of Road Bike Training, for your guide. I've written it with the goal of helping you become your own best coach.

46 Training Elements

• Intensity. Training too easy guarantees that you won't improve much. Getting better takes work, so your body needs a jolt of reality occasionally. If you don't ask it to go fast, it won't be able to go fast. Conversely, if you go hard all the time you'll burn out. So knowing exactly how intensely to perform a given workout is one key to success. I'll detail the best methods of gauging intensity.

• Rest. Intensity must be balanced with recovery. If you train too hard for too long your body's adaptation mechanisms will be overwhelmed. You'll become overtrained, a situation in which your body can't sustain the cycle of working hard, recovering and growing stronger. At that point in your cycling history, more training won't make you better, it will simply make you more tired. Finding the right mix of intensity and rest is another important aspect of getting better.

• Patience. Improvement comes slowly. You can't go from world-class couch potato to winning the Mt. Evans Hill Climb in 2 months. Just tuning your aerobic motor for flat rides is a long-term process, and only then can you work on making that motor powerful enough to handle tough climbs. In some ways, patience is a more important attribute of a good climber than sheer physical talent.

• Variety. Climb everything. Some riders fancy themselves power climbers so they attack short hills with abandon but avoid anything longer than a few hundred meters. This is a recipe for becoming a one-dimensional cyclist. If you're good on short climbs, by all means keep honing that skill. But you should also work on improving your ability on longer, more aerobic climbs.

In the same vein, train with a wide range of gearing and cadence. As we have seen, good climbing means relatively fast pedaling. The range starts around 70 rpm and goes over 100, depending on a number of factors. Ca- dence is usually slower when standing, for instance. Muscle fiber type can make a rider more efficient at certain cadences. Determining your most efficient cadence is part of the voyage of self-discovery that climbing provides.

Resistance Training

Some cyclists are tempted by the weight room in their quest to become better climbers. It seems obvious: Powerful climbing requires lots of leg strength, and the fastest way to get stronger legs is to do squats or leg presses.

47 But we know that even low-rpm climbing on the steepest hills doesn't require excessive strength. Force-measuring pedals show that we push down with a force equaling only 40-60 pounds (18-27 kg) during the hardest climbing efforts. Leg presses with 500 pounds (227 kg) aren't a very specific way to improve ascending.

Climbing: A Test of Aerobic Capacity, Not Strength

Some of the best pro climbers have unimpressive leg musculature and relatively low levels of weight-room strength.

For instance, Team Garmin-Slipstream director Jonathan Vaughters was a top pro climber and once held the record for the ascent of Mont Ventoux in France. But he told me it was all he could do to leg press 300 pounds (136 kg).

I raced a hillclimb in Denver some years ago. Vaughters was there too, home from Europe for a break between stage races.

I started in the 45-54 age group before the pro men. Near the top of the 50-minute (for me) climb, as I worked hard at keeping my pedals turning at a reasonable cadence in a 39x23-tooth gear, Vaughters came flying by. He had passed most of the masters field.

He was spinning fast but I could see that he was in the big chainring! I was astounded because I had always equated powerful climbing with great leg strength. How could this stork-legged guy push that gear at that cadence?

As Vaughters' climbing prowess proved, aerobic power trumps sheer strength.

That said, there are good reasons to include resistance exercises in your year- round program. Core and upper-body strength are important for crash protection and to counteract the effects of rather passively leaning against a handlebar. As we age, retaining muscle volume is important for what's termed functional strength—the ability to perform the tasks of daily living.

48 But because good climbing doesn't depend on sheer strength I won't go into resistance training in this eBook. If you're interested, an excellent resource is the Strength Training for Cyclists program developed by former U.S. Olympic weightlifting coach (and roadie) Harvey Newton. Meanwhile, I'll concentrate on building strength on the bike.

Ideal Training Terrain

If you live in flat country, choosing good training hills might be simple— just head to a highway overpass! Or you might live in a place like Silverton, Colorado, deep in the San Juan Mountains where your only paved choices are straight up to Molas Pass in one direction and to the summit of Red Mountain Pass in the other.

In a perfect situation for improving climbing, your training terrain would include:

• Short, steep "sprinter hills" for working on explosive power.

• Climbs of about half a mile (one kilometer) with a moderate grade of 5-8%.

• Climbs of 5-8% that take about 10 minutes to ascend.

• Long climbs that require an hour or more, preferably at an elevation higher than 5,000 feet (1,517 m).

• A long, gradual grade that's shallow enough to handle in the big chainring.

• At least one "killer hill" that's so hard you don't ride it except when you're feeling particularly brave.

• Dirt climbs of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty for variety and bike- handling practice. It helps if they're little-traveled so you can avoid traffic.

• Flat roads. Why? Because you need recovery days where all you do is spin easy. Ideally you'd have an hour-long loop of dead-flat pavement starting at your house for twiddling slowly to help your legs recover. If all you have are hills, use an extremely low gear and "walk" the bike uphill. On recovery days you should pedal so easily that, as the saying goes, you don't "feel the chain."

Not very many riders are lucky enough to have this total package at the end of their driveways. I'm fortunate to have hills, mountains and some flat valley roads within riding distance of my western Colorado home. Across the Rockies in Boul-

49 der, the mixed terrain has made that town the base for numerous pro riders. Same for the Santa Rosa and Solvang areas in California.

But if you're not as blessed by nature, you can become a better climber with only a few hills if you use them effectively to work on your skills.

For example, suppose your only lumpy terrain is a gradual half-mile grade of about 3% followed by a short downhill and then a steep hill about 100 meters long.

• You can do sprints up the short hill. • You can compensate for the relatively shallow grade of the long hill by using a larger gear. • You can train for long climbs by riding the hills consecutively. Keep intensity high by using a big gear on the downhill, then immediately turn around and repeat going back. • You can work on rolling hills by riding the first climb hard, coasting on the downhill, then sprinting up the shorter climb.

What if you have only one climb but it's 6 miles (10 km) long? Use the initial slopes for shorter intervals. When your training schedule calls for longer efforts, simply ride farther toward the top.

Suppose you want to do hard efforts on a short, steep slope but the only tough section is 20 minutes up a long, gradual climb? Spin easily in a low gear to the steep part for a warm-up, then do your intervals there.

See? If you have any hills at all you can probably create the necessary variety. But here's the real test—you live in an area that's as flat as a billiard table for miles around. Solutions:

• Climb highway overpasses. • Ride in a big gear into the wind. • Ride a mountain bike on loose surfaces. To increase resistance even more, keep tire inflation low. • Do a lot of big-gear time trialing. • Use high resistance on an indoor trainer or spinning bike.

I discuss special circumstances in more detail in Chapter 6.

Always remember that good climbing depends on improving your power-to-weight ratio. Any hard training, even on flat ground, in-

50 creases your power, and that translates to better performance on hills. With a little ingenuity, you can train for climbing anywhere.

Gauging Intensity

How do you know how hard you're working as you climb? There are 4 ways to gauge intensity:

POWER METERS. These instruments usually work via strain gauges in the crankset or rear hub. A stem- or handlebar-mounted monitor shows you exactly how many watts you are producing at any time during a ride. The information can be stored, downloaded and analyzed. Power meters are extremely accurate and they have revolutionized training.

However, at this writing, strain gauge-based power meters cost $1,000 or more. Many of you reading this eBook haven't made the investment and don't intend to. So I'll tell you how to figure your intensity using other methods. If you do have a power meter, you have probably learned how to use it. If not, a helpful book is Training and Racing with a Power Meter by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan.

HEART MONITORS. These devices show heart rate via a chest-mounted sen- sor that wirelessly beams beats per minute (bpm) to a stem- or bar-mounted display. Heart rate is a useful number to know but it doesn't accurately tell you how hard you're going. This is because heart rate can vary widely for a given power output due to things like hydration status, the amount of glycogen in your leg muscles, your mental state, the air temperature and other factors.

For instance, suppose you have a power meter on your bike and you climb a 1- km, 5% hill at an average wattage of 250. That number, 250 watts, is an objective measure of your performance. It tells exactly how much work you did.

But your average heart rate on the climb may vary considerably from day to day. On Tuesday it might be 155 bpm while on Friday it dips to 150 or climbs over 160, due to the factors just mentioned.

Here's an example: In multi-day events such as the Race Across America or long stage races, riders routinely see heart rates drop each day for several days until the highest rate they can sustain is 15-30 bpm lower than it was on day 1. This doesn't mean that they're producing less power a week into the race. It simply means that their heart rate is lower due to a combination of physical factors. It's as if the body realizes it's being hurt, so it compensates by cutting down on heart rate.

51 Bottom line: If you plan on replicating intensity by riding at similar heart rates, you can be off by 10-20% or more.

SPEED. Generally, speed is a poor way to determine intensity. On flat roads there's a big difference in how hard you're working to go 25 mph (40 kph) into a headwind compared to riding the same speed with the gale at your back. Going up or down hills also will change your intensity at a given speed.

On steep climbs, however, many effects of wind are negated. If you climb at 8 mph (13 kph) on Tuesday and again on Thursday, you're probably generating about the same number of watts. So your time to the top of a tough climb is a pretty good indicator of your fitness.

PERCEIVED EXERTION. This can be a great tool for experienced riders who know exactly when they're at their lactate threshold (LT)—the maximum level of intensity that can be maintained for about an hour. LT is signaled by specific feelings in the legs as well as increased breathing rate, which l discuss below.

Good time trialists can tread on the fine line between blowing up and going as fast as they can for the distance. They have an intuitive feel for their body's red line. But developing this sense of perceived exertion takes time. It also takes attention. You can't merely ride along and think about what's for dinner. You have to focus on your body's reactions to various levels of effort.

By relating your intensity to the following numbers, you'll soon develop a sharp sense of perceived exertion.

Ratings of Perceived Exertion

1-2 Resting quietly. 3-4 Moving around gently—from the couch to the kitchen for instance. 5 Fast walk or easy spin on the bike. 6 Endurance pace that you could maintain for several hours; breathing is steady and not forced; conversation with riding buddies is easy. 7 A pace you could maintain for 2-3 hours but with some difficulty. You begin to notice your breathing; talking is in shorter sentences.

8 Lactate threshold pace that you could maintain with great difficulty for at most one hour. Breathing is forced and just short of panting; talking is almost impossible. 9 Hard effort sustainable for only 1-3 minutes. 10 Flat-out sprint.

Another way to think about intensity: Listen to what that little voice inside your head is saying as the workload increases.

At a PE of 6 you can enjoy the scenery and your self-talk might concern the clouds, weather, deer in the fields or the mountains in the distance.

At a PE of 7 a small, insistent voice begins to override your mental wan- dering: “This is getting harder.” It’s still in the background, like a cricket in the basement:

At a PE of 8, your internal loudspeaker becomes insistent, obnoxious and rude. "Stop!" it says.

At a PE of 9, your only focus may be on how much longer you have to endure the pain.

Paradoxically, a PE of 10 is fairly easy to endure, psychologically speaking. You can sustain that level of exertion for so short a time that it's over before your head starts echoing with negative reinforcement.

Many programs use training zones defined by heart rate or power. For instance, you might be instructed to do a 10-minute effort at your lactate threshold heart rate or at the average power you can maintain for an all-out 20-minute test. There are often 5 or even 7 different training zones for different levels of exertion.

But there's a simpler way that uses only 3 different intensities. It works well for most riders. The baseline for calculations is the intensity you can maintain for 20 minutes. This can be measured in watts, heart rate or perceived exertion.

20-Minute Intensity Test

Establish your LT intensity—and practice gauging perceived exertion—by going as hard as you can for 20 minutes.

You can do this on a trainer or a suitable road. Ideally it will be a gradual climb (up to 5% grade), but you can do it on a flat or rolling road as well. For safety and also to keep effort consistent throughout the test, use a road with no traffic signals and few or no intersections.

Warm up for at least 20 minutes. Include several 30- second harder efforts during the last 5 minutes to open up your legs and get all systems ready for a hard time trial-like test. Then ride for 20 minutes like you were riding a competitive TT or hillclimb. If you have a heart monitor, set it to provide your average bpm for the 20 minutes.

Most important, observe your perceived exertion and your breathing.

Start at a hard but controlled pace and increase the effort during the first 5 minutes. Steadily move from a perceived exertion of 5 to 8. You'll breathe harder and faster. The slight burn in your legs will intensify with the pace.

Both breathing and leg discomfort will increase linearly for several minutes. Then suddenly, both will change markedly—your controlled breathing will become panting. Your legs will feel "dead." That is, even if you wanted to push harder, you couldn't.

If you're using a heart monitor, your heart rate also will hit a wall. It will stop rising even though you try to work harder. It's as if your legs are too fatigued to drive up heart rate.

This abrupt demarcation is your marker. It's an 8 on the scale of perceived exertion and is headed towards 9. You're going over the red line that indicates your lactate threshold.

Now reduce intensity slightly until your breathing becomes

regular again and your legs don't burn quite so much. Your heart rate should drop about 5 bpm from the "wall" you just encountered. The effort should feel like 7.5.

As you finish the 20-minute test, play around with your intensity. Go slightly over the red line then drop a bit below it. Pay close attention to your reactions at different intensities.

It's important to get a good feel for this line of demarcation. I'll call it your lactate threshold (LT) in this eBook, although that's not completely accurate in a scientific, laboratory sense of the term.

The intensity for all the workouts I suggest will be listed in terms of perceived exertion. If you prefer using a power meter or heart monitor, fine. But it's still worth your time to become a keen judge of your perceived exertion. A finely tuned analysis of how your body is reacting is better than a number.

Hill Intervals

Intensity is the key to training for climbing. If you do short but high-quality interval workouts you'll improve on hills of any length. You don't need long, grueling ascents for effective training.

The reason? Short, intense training raises your cruising speed over longer distances. You'll be able to climb at a faster pace by using the same effort it once took to climb more slowly. A time trialist does repeats of 3-5 minutes in order to ride a 40-km TT faster. In the same way, a climber does intervals on 5-minute hills in order to be faster on those that take 30 minutes or more.

Of course, there's a place for long climbs in your training program. They are best ridden on days when you're going long either alone or with a group.

Three cautions about this training:

• Before doing this or any hard riding, get a physician's approval. Be certain there are no health issues that extreme exertion could exacerbate.

• To reduce the chance of injury, warm up thoroughly before beginning.

• For safety, train on hills that have little traffic and no significant intersections.

55 Here's how to do the 2 types of climbing intervals that are most effective:

Sprinter Intervals

Find a hill about 200 meters long with a moderate grade. This is termed a "sprinter hill." Roll into it in a fairly large gear and brisk pace—about 15 mph or 24 kph (PE = 6). When the grade steepens, stand and sprint not quite all-out (PE = 9). At midway increase your intensity a notch. During the final 50 meters give it all you have.

Remember to cultivate a good habit by "finishing the hill" —continuing your effort over the top. Then soft pedal for half a kilometer, turn around and ride back to your starting point. Repeat as many times as your schedule suggests.

Depending on the hill's steepness and length you may need to shift to an easier gear (larger cog) partway up to avoid bogging down into a slow labored cadence. Don't let your rpm fall. This is a sprinter hill not a plodder hill. If you're using brake lever shifters this is a good time to practice shifting while standing.

Standard Intervals

These efforts are the bread and butter. They are extremely effective for improving your climbing. They are also very tough, so it requires high motivation to do them well. And you must rest sufficiently between workouts.

An ideal hill for these intervals has a 5-8% grade and takes about 10 minutes to climb. Longer hills are fine—just go partway up. Shorter hills work too if you can eke out at least 3 minutes of climbing.

These intervals are usually 1-10 minutes. The effort is distributed in a similar way regardless of length. Divide the climb into thirds:

• During the first third keep PE at about 7.

• During the middle third raise PE to 8.

• In the final third push above your lactate threshold and explore a PE of 9 or even 10.

Beat Boredom

Climbing intervals can be deadly boring as well as highly effective.

56 Back and forth on the same hill . . . working hard on every ascent . . . watching the same dog watch you from a front yard—you probably won't maintain your enthusiasm for climbing intervals very long. But there are ways to reduce the mind- numbing aspects.

• Vary your technique. Effective work can be done standing, seated or with a combination. You can use a relatively low cadence of 75-80 rpm or a fast spin over 100, with gearing to match. These decisions will depend on your training program and the weaknesses you want to address.

• Dedicate a circuit. Find the best combination of hills and flats in your area. Then save it for interval days. Only go there when you're primed for hard work. You won't see the circuit often and never when you're riding easy.

• Train with a partner. Ask a like-minded friend or 2 to meet you for interval training. Competition makes it easier to work hard. You'll push yourselves to levels that are difficult to reach when training solo.

• Use a different bike. It's amazing how changing the bike can make a familiar circuit feel different. I discovered this one day on my favorite hill loop. I'd recently begun interval training but spring weather had turned nasty—sleet, wind and rain. So I used my 30-pound (13.6-kg) winter bike with fenders and wide tires. It certainly changed the nature of that workout compared to doing it on the light bike I'd been riding.

• Nix the structure. You don't have to do formal hill intervals to get a great training benefit. It can be just as beneficial to ride a hilly route with a variety of climbs. Of course, it may be fairly far between hills so you won't get one of interval training's big advantages—a short recovery between efforts. But you can compensate by pushing hard on the flats some of the time between hills. This workout combines the advantages of "just taking a ride" with interval training. It's a great change of pace.

• Get dirty. Hill intervals don't have to be done on pavement. Off-road climbs offer several advantages in addition to new scenery. You'll learn to spin against the resistance of a loose, dirt surface. Your weight distribution will improve as you move forward on the saddle when the grade steepens or move back to absorb bumps

57 on rough surfaces. And on the descents you can work on your bike handling.

You don't need a mountain bike for these off-road excursions. A road bike with wide tires works fine for dirt roads and mild singletrack. In cities look for trails in parks. A good example is the singletrack through Grand Ridge Park in Sammamish, Washington, east of Seattle. These trails wend their way through northwest rainforest, over slippery roots and through boggy stretches. I've ridden them on an old Bridgestone X0-1 equipped with a drop handlebar, bar-end shifters and 1.4-inch tires with inverted tread. A great workout and a sure way to beat boredom.

• Climb inside. It's possible to duplicate any outside hill workout on a trainer simply by adjusting gearing and cadence to mimic what you'd normally do in the real world. This is best saved for winter when you can't ride outside.

Some coaches suggest raising the front of the bike to replicate the grade of your usual climbs. The benefit is debatable but at least it provides the il- lusion of riding uphill. It also helps keep your weight back on the saddle, which may increase comfort during indoor workouts. So does spending a good portion of each workout out of the saddle.

Measure Progress

It's natural to want to know your improvement on hills. As we've seen, becoming a better climber represents a considerable amount of work. How can you measure the payback?

Be wary of doing it on group rides. Suppose you go with the local club on a route that usually includes hills. If you've trailed off the back of this bunch for months and now find yourself able to stay firmly in contact, you're bound to think you've improved. Maybe, though, your ability to hang is due not to your increased power but simply to a slowing in the group's pace.

We come back to power meters as the ideal way to gauge progress. If you put out more watts on a climb you're getting stronger, simple as that. But because many riders don't have a power meter we need another reliable way to check improvement.

For testing, choose a hill that requires at least a 20-minute warm-up ride to reach the base. You're going to time yourself between specific landmarks at the bottom and top. If you do this climbing test once a month, you'll get a good measure of your improvement.

58 The test isn't infallible. Wind can make a difference, although the effects are mini- mized on most climbs. Rain or temperature extremes can mess up the results. You'll need to use the same bike for each test and be sure it and your body weigh the same—the same amount of fluid in your bottles, the same items in your seat bag, the same clothing.

Motivation is a big factor too. You should do your test climbs all-out, but some days you'll be fired up and other days you'll find halfway up the hill that you just don't have it. So a climbing test is a good indicator of your form but it isn't as certain as using a power meter.

OK? Now let's see how to determine power and VO2 max on a hill without any complicated or expensive instrumentation. This requires a bit of math.

1. Use a test hill that takes 8-10 minutes to climb. Shorter climbs mean you'll rely too heavily on your anaerobic energy system. For longer climbs simply stop after riding the required distance. The grade should be at least 5% so you'll go slow enough to negate the effects of wind.

2. Determine the total elevation gain in meters. The best way is with an altimeter such as found in cyclecomputers, GPS devices and some sports watches. You can also use the contour lines on a topographic map, although this is less accurate. Even on a fine-detail map it may be hard to know exactly where you're starting and ending the climb.

3. Weigh yourself and your bike. Wear the clothes you'll have on during the test and include the items on your bike (water bottles, frame pump, seat bag). The idea is to determine the exact weight in kilograms that you're toting up the hill. Stand on a scale while wearing your riding clothes and holding your bike. To convert pounds to kilograms divide by 2.2.

4. Warm up well. Ideally, the warm-up will be identical before each test.

5. Climb all-out. Begin the test from a standing start or from a very slow roll to negate the effects of a balky clip-in. Climb with any technique you want—standing, sitting or a combination—as long as you give it your all. Ride just as hard as you can.

Cool down while riding easily home. After you've showered and recovered, get out a calculator to figure your watts and VO2 max (the amount of oxygen your muscles can consume at maximum effort, a good measure of endurance talent).

To calculate average watts for the climb:

1. Multiply the vertical meters in the climb by your total weight (bike and body) in kilograms.

59 2. Divide the result by the elapsed time of the climb in seconds.

3. Multiply by 10 and add 60 (a constant for rolling resistance, chain friction, and so on).

Example: If you climbed 186 meters in 10 minutes and your total bike/body weight is 80 kg, your average wattage is 308.

To calculate VO2 max:

1. Divide your average watts from the above calculation by an efficiency factor of 72 to get your total oxygen consumption in liters per minute.

2. Multiply by 1,000 to get milliliters of oxygen consumed.

3. Divide by your body weight in kilograms to get VO2 max expressed in the standard ml/kg/min.

Example: If your average wattage was 308 (as in the first example) and your body weight is 70 kg, your VO2 max is 61.1 ml/kg/min.

Generally speaking a VO2 max over 70 is outstanding and anything over 60 is excellent. VO2 max tends to decrease about 5% per decade in trained cyclists after the age of about 40, so cut yourself some slack if you're not a pup anymore.

Chapter 4 Advanced Advice

Climbing isn't only about power-to-weight ratio or how many intervals you do. As in other aspects of cycling, good technique makes an enormous difference in your performance level. An aerobic beast with lousy technique can get soundly beaten up a hill by a more modestly gifted athlete who pays meticulous attention to the nuances of climbing.

I talked about an important aspect of climbing technique—shifting—in Chapter 2. More advanced techniques will help you hone your climbing ability so they're what I'll discuss here.

Climbing technique becomes even more important in a group because the dynamics of riding change when you're surrounded by other riders. You also don't

60 want to get dropped. So I'll talk about the whole new set of skills required while ascending in a pack.

Short, Steep Hills

These climbs take less than a minute to get up but it's amazing how far into oxygen debt and general exhaustion you can fall in such a short time. If you doubt this, try going all out on a trainer. See how long you can keep that intensity. I bet it's less than 30 seconds, maybe a lot less.

Thirty seconds is the length of the infamous Wingate Test used in exercise physiology labs. As any test subject will tell you, this exercise in applied physiology isn't any fun. Going as hard as you can for 30 seconds is guaranteed to leave you a gasping, slobbering wreck.

KNOW THYSELF. On short hills you need to gauge your abilities carefully. Un- restrained sprinting at the bottom leads to utter misery by the top. It's better to start conservatively enough so you can finish strong.

It takes skill to judge your strength for such short periods. It takes experience to distinguish the subtle difference between sprinting all-out (a pace sustainable for only about 10 seconds) and throttling back about 5% so you can sustain it to the top of a 30-second climb. Both levels of exertion feel the same to beginning riders as well as to those with more experience but who rarely have pushed themselves as hard as they can.

That's why it's important to get a feel for what's not possible so you can ease off slightly to find the sweet spot of what's barely possible.

You may have to employ "error analysis." This is a fancy term for making mistakes and then evaluating the results. In cycling you can use error analysis by sprinting too hard too early on a few hills, blowing up and suffering to the top. Then try it again with slightly less juice at the beginning. Soon your body will send you much more legible signals about your ability.

MO IS YOUR FRIEND. A bicycle and rider don't maintain their momentum very long when the road tilts up. You've probably had the experience of flying down a hill and thinking your speed would rocket you to the top of the short rise just ahead, only to find speed being scrubbed off incredibly fast.

To enhance mo's help going into a short hill you need to balance 3 factors: how fast you're going, the length and steepness of the hill, and your fitness. It takes practice to accurately determine this complicated calculus to know if your speed will carry to the top.

61 To learn this technique, find a short climb that has a fast downhill approach. A common scenario is a small stream crossing. You descend to the culvert and almost immediately begin climbing the other side of the valley.

Enhance your momentum by pedaling a bit harder on the descent and the short flat just before the climb starts. Many riders make the mistake of waiting to bear down until they've begun climbing. They lose speed on the run-in. A little extra effort here will extend the distance you can travel up the hill without working overly hard—maybe all the way over the top.

SPEED FOLLOWS FORM. Good pedaling form helps on short hills just like it does on long climbs. Some riders think that because they're making a short, hard effort, they can just stomp on the pedals and flail their way to the top. That's certainly possible but it wastes energy that may come in handy on the next hill—or the next dozen hills.

So even if you're out of the saddle and going hard, keep the basics in mind. Don't let your cadence drop, keep your pedal stroke smooth and apportion your energy properly. Of course, if the finish of a race is on top of a short hill, you can throw caution to the wind and blast up to the line, spitting and snarling. Don't worry about style points when you're so close to the end.

Gradual Grinds

The big challenge here is mental. Short, steep hills are relatively easy on your head because they're over quickly. But a long slog up a gradual grade can seem endless. Add a headwind and your mind may fail long before your legs.

The Endless Road

A good example of a mind-numbing gradual climb is the road from Benson to Sierra Vista in southern Arizona. It has 4 lanes with a wide shoulder and heads straight south at a shallow but persistent grade. This is the high desert so there are no trees to block the prevailing headwind.

Adding to the mental challenge, you can see miles ahead to the Huachuca mountain range just to the west of Sierra Vista. That's where you're going, but no matter how long you ride it never seems to get any closer. The cactus slides slowly past, the wind blows dust devils across the road and

motorists cruise toward town in air conditioned comfort.

If you focus on your snail's pace across this beautiful but stark landscape, the desert will break you. You'll end up sitting in the ditch with your thumb out.

A good technique for handling this or any long uphill slog is to set intermediate goals. Don't think about getting to Sierra Vista, think about getting to the top of the next roller. Then target the billboard a mile farther. If you divide the task into doable chunks, it's much easier to accomplish.

STEADY DOES IT. Apportioning your effort is especially important on gradual climbs that proceed in a series of stair steps. The grade is often a steady 2-3% punctuated with 5% pitches of perhaps several hundred meters. But unlike on flat terrain enlivened with rolling hills, these pitches are not followed by a downhill where you can rest, if only for a moment. The most you can hope for is a false flat before the steady grind continues.

A tempting tactic is to push harder on the rises without shifting to a lower gear— just power through and recover on the flatter sections. The result, however, is usually a leaden plod on those shallow sections where, because of their length, you could gain significant time if you went only a little faster.

Because steeper sections are a small percentage of a long climb, there is relatively little to gain by pushing through them, and it uses a greater percentage of your energy. By using your gear system to keep a steady cadence and effort over the whole length of a long, gradual climb you'll finish it faster.

63 Long, Steep Climbs

Dividing the climb into shorter bits also works as well on long mountain ascents. Often you'll have intermediate landmarks to reach—switchbacks, guard rails, scenic overlooks, elevation signs, waterfalls, gnarly cliff faces, other things up the road like in the photo above.

The longer the climb, the more important correct gearing becomes. A gear that's just slightly too large may be manageable early in the climb but you'll eventually begin struggling to keep your cadence, often overtaxing leg muscles before you realize it.

As we have seen, legs fatigue before breathing so you should be trying to preserve your legs as long as possible. How? Use a smaller gear so you can spin early in the climb. If you have something left and the ambition, you can shift to a larger gear to increase speed near the summit.

Unpaved Climbs

Sometimes even confirmed roadies encounter climbs on dirt or gravel. Unpaved ascents may be due to road construction. Maybe an event promoter decided to include a dirt stretch for additional challenge. Or a ride may require an au naturel section in order to close a scenic loop.

There's no reason to avoid unpaved climbs. They're fun and challenging, and they won't hurt your bike or tires if ridden with finesse.

TRACTION on loose dirt or gravel is helped by sliding to the rear of the saddle to put more weight on the rear wheel. Smooth pedaling helps too. If you push down hard, the resulting power surges can make a skinny road tire slip. A round stroke with power distributed more evenly eliminates this problem.

64 PICKING A LINE can be challenging too. Pavement generally presents a uniform surface if you don't count the occasional crack or pothole. But a dirt or gravel surface may vary widely. A 20-meter section might include gravel, smooth dirt, washboard, big holes and sharp rocks. Choosing the right line can improve your climbing ease and speed considerably.

Look well ahead to determine the best path through the obstacles. Don't be afraid to use the whole road, assuming traffic allows. Car wheels may have made a smoother, packed-down path similar to a section of singletrack. Look for these superhighways through the rubble and use them.

VISIBILITY can be a safety issue on some unpaved roads. If conditions are dry, passing cars will kick up dust that may obscure you from subsequent cars. This is particularly dangerous when climbing because your speed is even slower relative to motor vehicles. Besides, it's no fun breathing the stuff. It's better to avoid dusty roads until rain settles the surface.

Finish the Hill

On any climb, accelerate over the top. Or at least don't lose speed. This is re- ferred to as "finishing the hill" and it's a great habit to learn.

If you use so much energy early in the climb that you're exhausted by the top, you'll slow to a crawl near the crest and on whatever comes after. Slowing is the only way you can recover and it'll cost you lots of time. So gauge your strength as you climb, keep a bit in reserve, and don't let up before you've finished the hill.

One way to visualize this technique is to divide the climb into thirds:

• In the first third your goal is to spin quickly and stay a bit under your lactate threshold. In other words, your breathing should be steady and controlled, your quads shouldn't burn and the intensity should feel "brisk" rather than "hard."

• During the middle third increase the intensity a notch. This doesn't mean shifting to a much harder gear and hammering the pedals. Assuming the grade stays constant, simply pedal a bit faster in the same gear you've been using or shift to the next smaller cog (higher gear) and slow your cadence about 5-10 rpm. Intensity should increase to "hard." Your breathing will become a bit labored but still in control.

• In the last third give it almost all you have for the remaining distance, short of going anaerobic. Perceived exertion should be "very hard" and your quads will burn. Breathing will increase to one step below panting. As the crest nears, keep the pressure on. Here's where you can gain time on

65 other riders that physically and mentally finish the hill when they see the top, not when they actually crest it.

Of course, if the hill is 3 miles (4.8 km) long dividing it into thirds doesn't work well. Most of us can't sustain a very hard climbing effort for a final third as long as a mile. So on lengthy climbs, save the increased intensity for the final 200 meters up and 100 meters after the top. But this "principle of thirds" will help you apportion your energy properly over climbs of various lengths.

Making a habit of finishing the hill pays big dividends on solo rides but it's even more important when riding with others. It'll help you stay with your friends on climbs or catch up near the top if they're like typical riders who slow markedly near the summit.

Remember—a climb isn't over till it's over!

Climbing In a Group

Now we come to the situation where improved climbing ability really pays off. Now you’re riding with others and often the pressure is on.

Groups on flat or rolling roads normally form pacelines that have definite rules. However, put a racing pack or any group of riders on a hill and an orderly paceline will become more like a swarm of bees with riders all over the place, apparently without organization.

But even in a pack of riders working up a climb, there are unwritten rules to follow in order to make it safe for you and those around you. This isn't the place to discuss the intricacies of paceline dynamics, but let's look at general do's and don'ts for riding in a group as well as special situations for climbing.

Group-Riding Rules

• We're all in this together. Riding with other people—whether it's one person or one hundred—means that everyone has to be responsible for each other. Using roads is an exercise in trust. When you drive a car you need to trust oncoming drivers to stay in their lane, signal turns and avoid distractions. In the same way, when you're in a group of cyclists everyone has to have confidence that other riders know what to do and what not to do.

Cyclists ride close together for many reasons—socializing, to take advantage of the draft and to occupy as little of the road as possible for legal

66 reasons, to name but 3. Because of this proximity, the margin for error is small. So it's crucial that all riders be on the same page.

• Be predictable. Experienced riders expect specific behavior in a pack. Unexpected moves freak everyone out. A wobble in the front of a paceline can send a tsunami of concern back through the group. Even little things, like fooling with food in a jersey pocket while in the middle of the bunch rather than at the back, get the attention of other riders.

• Ride a straight line. Moving laterally risks taking out other riders. Prac- tice riding straight by yourself. Try riding the white line at the edge of a road with low traffic. Tip: Don't look directly in front of your wheel. Instead, look up the road about 10 meters. This makes riding straight and steady much easier. You should be able to ride without wobbles while pedaling fast, standing, reaching for a bottle or glancing behind.

• Be responsible at the front and back. When you're at the front of a paceline or a less-organized group that's climbing, you're the eyes and ears for everyone. You're responsible for warning of potholes or other road debris that following riders can't see. When you have the right-of-way at intersections you must check right and left to make sure cars aren't running the light or stop sign. Attacking dogs, gravel in turns, joggers coming at you—it's your job to call attention to all these hazards of the road by pointing or verbally warning your fellow riders.

When you're behind the others you have a similar responsibility. On narrow roads call out "car back" to warn of vehicles coming from behind so riders can single up to help drivers can get safely past.

At the back is also the right time to drink, eat, take off arm warmers and do the other housekeeping tasks that might cause problems for riders behind you. Of course, pro riders eat and change clothes frequently in the middle of the peloton. They have to when racing among dozens of competitors. But pros have the bike-handling skills to make such activities both accepted and safe. That's not likely to be the case among cyclists on local group rides or centuries.

• Don't accelerate at the front. Some riders get fired up when they reach the front of a paceline. The resulting adrenaline rush makes them pedal faster than the bunch has been going. When you're second in line, check the speed on your cyclecomputer and keep the same steady pace (allowing for changes in terrain or wind) as you take the lead. Your job at the front isn't to show your strength but to help the group meet its objectives by using energy efficiently.

67 • When dropping back, stay close to the line. Don't wander out into traffic. Staying close saves energy too because you'll get some draft from the riders moving toward the front.

• Don't overlap wheels. This is the cardinal rule. If you are overlapped, any abrupt move by the rider you're following can take out your front wheel and cause a crash. There are situations when overlapped wheels are un- avoidable—mainly when fighting a crosswind in a staggered line called an echelon. Echelon riding is an advanced technique that takes lots of practice, ability and trust among everyone in the group.

These paceline rules apply when the group begins to climb, at least for as far up the hill as the line can stay intact. Expect organization to fall apart rather quickly because riders usually must climb at their own pace. Some who were pulling well on the flats may be poor climbers who migrate to the back as the stronger ascenders roll by them. But the basics are still important: Ride a straight line, don't overlap wheels and be predictable.

Standing Safely

Speed is slow on climbs but crashes still happen. Probably the biggest cause is riders standing suddenly in a dangerous way.

Because pedaling action is interrupted when a rider stands, his momentum is broken and the bike slows rapidly. Some riders pull hard on their handlebar as they stand, making the problem worse. To the closest riders behind, the offending rider's bike seems to lurch backward. If it hits a front wheel, that poor guy usually goes down.

Some riders say "Standing!" a couple of seconds before they get out of the saddle. This sounds a warning to riders directly behind. It isn't a substitute for standing correctly, but in some groups it's considered bad form not to give verbal notice.

68 I've seen some riders use a gesture instead. They lift a hand with palm upward like a waitperson carrying a loaded tray. This isn't necessary and creates a lot of unnecessary motion while making the signaler ride with one hand for few seconds. That in itself can be dangerous with other riders nearby.

When you stand, do it smoothly in one motion:

• If necessary due to the grade and circumstances, shift to the next smaller cog (higher gear) just before rising from the saddle. This helps maintain speed because cadence slows when standing.

• Stand as a pedal moves through the power zone, as shown in the photo above. This way you can push down with a full stroke, again with the goal of keeping the bike moving at current speed.

• Push the bike forward slightly as you stand.

If you're behind other riders anticipate them standing. Watch their body language. If you're feeling the need to get out of the saddle others probably are too. It's always wise to allow more distance to their rear wheels so their bad technique won't take you down. Don't let the slower speed of climbing fool you. A crash still hurts.

Don't panic if your front wheel is bumped. It doesn't automatically mean you're going down. Upon contact, steer into the offending wheel, not away from it. This is counterintuitive so you'll need to practice until it's a reflex. A good place is on a grassy field at slow speed. Ride behind another rider and intentionally bump his rear wheel with your front. Get a feel for how your bike reacts.

Many mountain bikers are adept at this move because a standard off-road trick is to whack wheels. Knobby tires make a loud buzz when this happens. A rider will playfully steer into his buddy's rear wheel to startle him. You too can learn to do this without crashing, then use the same reflexes to avoid falling on the road.

You'll find it helps a lot to relax your upper body. A bump to the front wheel can have a big effect on steering unless loose arms diminish it. If you can relax and let the bike move under you, it's easier to steer into the rear wheel that's violating your space. This reaction and confidence comes only one way, though: Practice!

Positioning

You've probably been told you should start hills at the front if you're not as powerful as other climbers in the group. Then as you lose speed relative to the stronger ascenders you can drift back. You may be last over the top but you'll still be in contact.

69 That's good advice. But it means you need to anticipate hills and get to the front. Done wrong, this can waste lots of energy and make your predicament worse.

Don't exhaust yourself by moving up in the wind. Stay as protected in the group's draft as can. If you blow your engine moving up you won't slide back through the bunch slowly on the climb, you'll fly back like a paper cup tossed out the window of a speeding car.

If the hill is fairly long or the pace is high you may find yourself losing contact before the summit. In this case don't panic and go anaerobic in a vain attempt to hang on. Keep a steady pace to minimize your losses. Except in races it should be quite easy to catch up on the descent as the climbers take a break after put- ting the hammer down—or look around to gloat about how much damage they've done.

Look for others in your situation. Don't try to chase alone if you can join them and form a paceline. Take short pulls and keep the pace steady. You'll soon be back in the group.

What if you're barely hanging on at the back of the bunch during the approach to a hill? Is it still worth the effort to move up? Probably not. If you're in over your head on the flats you'll really be in trouble on the climb. Go up at your own pace to save energy. Look for other dropped riders, form a new group and continue.

Surging

Good climbers tend to surge on long hills. They suddenly accelerate, ease off, then increase speed again. Some riders do this unconsciously—it's something they've adopted because of their physical or mental traits. Pure climbers often do it on purpose because they know that riders who favor steady energy expenditure will often try to follow their surges and blow up in the process.

The best way to handle a surging rider is to keep your own steady pace and ride up to his wheel when he backs off. If he's so strong that he never comes back you're still much better off at a steady pace. You'll lose some time but not nearly as much as when you're forced into oxygen debt.

Of course, you can train yourself to go with surges—or impose surges yourself— but to really be successful you need a superior power-to-weight ratio combined with excellent anaerobic capacity. If you're not so blessed, keep it steady.

70 Headwinds, Tailwinds

Headwinds make hills seem even steeper. In a group, find shelter a few riders back just like you would when facing a headwind on flat roads. Because of the slow speed of climbing, drafting isn't as effective but you can still save valuable energy at 6-10 mph (10-16 kph) when climbing behind another rider.

If you're climbing solo into a headwind, modify your usual upper-body position. Like most climbers you probably sit relatively upright, gripping the handlebar top near the stem. Because climbing is slow, the resulting increase in wind resistance is too small to matter much. But when a headwind howls, it's better to get a bit lower. Move your hands to the brake lever hoods and bend your elbows to lower your profile. Try using the drops if it's comfortable enough. It may be a little harder to breathe in a lower position but the aero advantage in headwinds is usually worth it.

Tailwind climbs can be tough for 2 reasons. First, if the wind is with you it won't help cool you. You'll be riding in dead air while sweat pools on your arms and chest rather than evaporating. On a hot day you can overheat quickly. Even in winter you can work up a sweat that wets your base layer and makes you cold when the wind turns against you.

Second, a tailwind encourages riders to go faster. It has the effect of reducing a hill's steepness so average climbers can up the pace. It also makes it easier for strong climbers to use their power. The result is that groups often ascend very fast with tailwinds, making climbs feels tougher than they would in calm conditions.

If a tailwind is blowing, the back of the group is a bad place to position yourself because a split is more likely, leaving you to chase. As in most group situations, the best place to be on a hill is near the front.

Consecutive Rolling Hills

Most cyclists have trouble with short hills that follow one another quickly. It's common to underestimate the situation, go too hard on the early climbs and have nothing as the rollers keep coming.

Near New Glarus, Wisconsin, is a series of short hills that look like furrows in a plowed field. Lon Haldeman's PAC Tour bases camps in the area. I've coached at them and have ridden these steep bumps several times. Well over a dozen come in rapid succession. Apportioning energy is important if you're going to reach the town's ice cream shop with enough energy to handle a cone.

71 They key is to pace yourself on the initial rollers of a succession. Your riding buddies may be gapping you early but don't worry—by the end you're likely to be gapping them because you have more left.

Spin lower gears to help save your legs. The temptation on short, steep climbs is to stand and power over them in a big gear. But if that's your approach as the hills mount up, you'll be reduced to a low-cadence slog that saps quad power and motivation. Sitting and spinning is a better choice, at least during the initial going.

Eating and Drinking

A rookie mistake that even experienced cyclists can make is not eating or drinking enough while climbing. On successive shorter climbs the pace may be too high to do so conveniently. On long mountain ascents the steady stout effort discourages distractions like grabbing a bottle or bar. Riders simply forget about food and fluids.

On a ride with short climbs, eat and drink between them when your breathing and heart rates are lower. Any time the road flattens, remember to grab your bottle. Good bike handlers can take in food and fluids on descents too.

On longer climbs, you'll have to get nourishment at the same time you're ascending and breathing hard. This can be difficult because it's easy to inhale food and choke or be forced to slow because chewing and swallowing leaves you struggling for sufficient air. Remember to clear your nose and throat before dining so your airway is clear.

Distractions such as other riders, grade changes, road hazards and scenic views take up what little brain capacity isn't being used to maintain the effort. Some riders set the timer on their sports watch to beep every 15 minutes as a reminder nibble or sip. Another trick is to watch experienced riders and when they stuff something in their mouths, do the same.

But experience may be the best reminder. Bonking ferociously with many minutes still to climb is a powerful learning tool. It may seem inconvenient and difficult to stay fueled but it's vital to do so, especially on rides with calorie- consuming climbing.

Psychological Ploys

Not surprisingly, given the disparities of uphill ability among riders, some clever cyclists have figured out how to outsmart better climbers. Or at least try to.

72 Although even the sneakiest subterfuges won't overcome deficiencies in power or technique, if your ability is fairly close to that of your riding companions some of the following mind games might work. Some probably won't. And at least one is better forgotten.

• Keep a poker face. You may be hurting badly, but if you let the pain show in your expression, clever climbers will increase the pressure even more. On the other hand, if they think that despite their efforts you're just cruising along rather than choking on your lungs, they might ease off. It takes practice to avoid wearing your misery on your face.

Learning to keep facial features calm has another benefit: A placid expression requires relaxed facial muscles. That's a big benefit to climbing because the opposite—tight, contorted muscles in your face, neck and shoulders—saps energy that's better used to power your legs.

Conversely, you can fake agony on a climb, lulling your competition into thinking they have you on the ropes. When they get overconfident, attack. This is the technique that Lance Armstrong used in the 2001 Tour de France. He lagged at the back of the bunch looking miserable so Jan Ull- rich and his other rivals thought he was having a bad day. Then he went to the front on the stage-ending climb of Alpe d'Huez, glanced back to see the reaction of the group—a glance so famous it rates its own moniker, "The Look" —and accelerated up the road, never to be seen again.

• Climb at the front. If you can get to the front before the climb and set a brisk but steady speed that's within your capabilities, sometimes better climbers won't come around. They'll be content to let you dictate the pace because it's fast enough. In this way you can control the speed of the bunch, keeping it within levels you can handle.

If better climbers eventually get antsy and dart off the front, don't chase. Keep your pace steady and they may come back. Chasing them has the risk of dynamiting the bunch as other riders think that the race is on and surge as well.

• Make 'em talk. If you ask a better climber questions he may lose focus and ride at your manageable pace. This ploy requires short questions on your part and presupposes long answers from the fast guy. If he's a person of few words, it's not likely to work unless you find a subject close to his heart. Sometimes your target will seem as laconic as Cal Coolidge until you hit the right topic, and then you'll get your ear pounded for half an hour as you climb at a nice, steady speed.

• Don't be a soprano. No, I'm not talking about the gangster family. I'm referring to riders who think that if they sing or whistle while climbing, the

73 fast guys and gals will assume they aren't hurting. Of course, the budding baritone usually has to sing up a few octaves due to the effort of warbling and pedaling at the same time, so even the most testosterone-enhanced rider ends up sounding like a diva.

This technique is misguided for another reason—singing takes energy and breath. So if you're having trouble hanging on, it's better to use your re- serves to pedal faster rather than sing and hope the riders hammering at the front will fall for your trick. This is a tough hill, not the Met.

I remember a singing rider who got squirted with water bottles from half the bunch during a climb a few years ago. He got the message.

Chapter 5 Descending

What goes up must come down. And some riders really dig that.

They're the people who think that going downhill fast on a bike is one of life's great joys. Certainly the roar of the wind and feeling of g-forces in fast bends can create a kind of fierce joy that more mundane pleasures can't equal.

Descending is unique in another way. In what other sport do you get such won- derful compensation for hard work? Maybe Nordic skiing—but the joy ride is usually over quite quickly. On a steep mountain descent you can tuck and enjoy the feeling of flying for minutes or even miles. It's all gravy.

But fast descending is arguably the most dangerous aspect of road cycling. Speeds are greater, obstacles come at you faster and a failure of equipment or judgment can have dire consequences. So learning to descend fast but safely is a vital complement to climbing.

Equipment Safety

Before you risk life and limb on a fast descent, always ask yourself: Is the bike up to the challenge?

Make it a habit to be meticulous in bicycle maintenance, especially if you ride in hilly terrain. If you don't have the time, inclination or know-how to service your bike, find a trusted shop mechanic and take it in for tune-ups.

74 Good descending depends on confidence. You don't want brakes to fail halfway down a mountain or realize that the front quick-release is loose. Only when you're certain that your equipment is trustworthy you can enjoy the plunges.

The alternative is lack of confidence and hesitation, a dangerous combo on descents. Apprehension leads to rigid arms and shoulders, riding the brakes and cornering made clumsy by fear. You don't want your mind crowded with misgiv- ings. It should be open, flowing and relaxed.

Before each ride, do these quick checks:

• Brakes. Squeeze both levers hard. This ensures that the cables don't slip and the levers don't reach the handlebar. Check the brake pads. Are the pads equidistant from the rim? Are they centered on the rim? Are the bolts secure?

• Tires. Check for proper inflation, generally 90-95 psi front and 95-100 psi rear for 700x23 tires. Are the sidewalls free of cuts and bulges that indi- cate casing damage and the potential for a blowout? How about the tread? Spin each wheel and hold your hand (or a rag) on the tire to feel for bulges and find thorns, glass shards or anything that's embedded and might work through to puncture the tube. How worn are the tires? Replace them before the tread wears through to the casing.

Pay particular attention to the front tire. If the rear tire goes flat it's usually possible to control the bike because that wheel doesn't affect steering. Bike handling becomes much sketchier when a front tire blows.

• Headset. Stand beside the bike, squeeze the front brake lever firmly and rock the bike back and forth to feel for looseness in the headset. This is a primary cause of dangerous speed wobble (shimmy), which I discuss below.

• Wheel quick-releases. Be sure they're snug in the closed position.

• Add-on equipment. Check bags, racks, fenders and so on to make sure nothing is loose, flapping or could find its way into the spokes.

75 Descending Position

You've probably seen scary pictures of pro riders on fast alpine descents. Exhibit A: this photo by Graham Watson of Alessandro Bertolini in the Giro d'I- talia. The positions are exotic and dangerous. A favorite these days is what Bertolini is doing—slide forward off the saddle and virtually sit on the top tube. His hands are beside the stem, far from the brake levers. His face is almost ahead of the front wheel. His toes nearly scrape the pavement.

You know the standard TV admonition: Don't try this at home!

Sure, these pros may be a bit more aerodynamic but their descending positions are hazardous for a number of reasons. Stopping quickly is impossible. The ab- normal weight distribution means the bike won't handle as the designer intended. You could even have a problem getting off the top tube and back onto the saddle if the crotch of your shorts catches on the saddle nose. That might be comical if it weren't so dangerous.

For a good descending position, slide your butt back slightly on the saddle. Grasp the handlebar in the drops with the brake levers in easy reach of a finger or 2. Keep your back flat but don't get so low that seeing up the road requires contorting of your neck or eyes. A good descending position looks similar to the

76 one you'd assume if you were time trialing on flat roads. You don't need to sit on the bike in a radically different and risky way to descend fast.

• Stay balanced. With the crankarms horizontal, distribute your weight evenly among the saddle, pedals and handlebar. About one- third of your weight should be on each of these contact points. Rise up slightly from the saddle but keep the nose firmly between your thighs for added stability (photo).

• Touch the top tube. The best way to prevent shimmy is to damp vibra- tions by touching the top tube with one or both legs. On traditional bikes the horizontal top tube will make contact just above the knee on the pear- shaped muscle called the vastus medialis. It's harder to reach a sloping top tube, but simply resting a calf against it will quiet most oscillations.

• Keep your hands wide. You can put your hands almost together on the bar top next to the stem for better aerodynamics, but any advantage is small and you'll have a long reach to the brake levers. Save this grip for long, straight descents where you can see down the road clearly and the danger of unexpected traffic or obstacles is minimal. In most cases it's better to be in the bar hooks for easy brake access. A wider grip also means more steering control in case sudden action is required.

• Look ahead. At speeds of 40 mph (64 kph) or more, obstacles come at you at video game speed. Looking far ahead is crucial to seeing a problem in time to avoid it. Don't stare at the road surface 15 meters ahead. Sweep your eyes side to side to spot squirrels, woodchucks, armadillos and other 4-legged booby traps that like to cross roads.

• Relax. A bicycle can absorb hard impacts to the front wheel if your arms and shoulders are loose. But a tight upper body means that such forces have nowhere to go; they get stopped by rigid muscles and are returned to

77 the wheel, jeopardizing control. So even if danger suddenly looms ahead of you, don't freeze. The bike will behave much better.

• Ride like a cat. I owe this comparison to Laurie Brandt, a national-class mountain biker who lives in my hometown. She's the multi-time winner of the epic Leadville 100 (mile) mountain bike race. One of her techniques is to envision a cat on a bike, emphasizing suppleness, relaxation and a "pounce" position on the pedals. Observe a cat playing or stalking a bird. It's flexible but coiled at the same time, always ready for action. It can fall from a great height and land like a feather. Envision a supple feline as you descend, weight balanced on your hands, saddle and pedals.

Another useful mental picture is of what football coaches call the "hit position." Check out a linebacker just before the ball is snapped. He's balanced on the balls of his feet, knees bent, head up, ready to move forward, backward or laterally with equal ease. If he's hit from the side, his weight is balanced so he can fend off the blocker and follow the play. That's the feeling you want while descending—poised, balanced, relaxed and ready for anything.

• Pedal for stability. A bike is more stable if you're pedaling rather than coasting. So it can help on long descents to keep pedaling even if you aren't applying power because you've run out of gear. Sometimes shimmy can be prevented simply by turning the pedals easily without force (i.e., soft pedaling).

Does this advice contradict my earlier comments about the futility of pedaling down hills due to wind resistance? No—you don't have to pedal hard to make the bike stable. Just keep your legs moving even as slowly as 30 or 40 rpm. This also stops muscles from stiffening after the exertion of climbing.

Now, if you ride where descents tend to be windy, applying power while descending can make the bike more stable. This requires a large gear. You may not be able to push a 53x11 on the flats without hurricane-force winds behind you, but it'll come in handy when you need to pedal down a 40-mph descent for stability.

Follow a Leader

One of the best ways to hone your ability is to follow a skilled descender.

Go to a downhill that has a mix of straight sections, gentle bends and sharper corners. It should be long enough to let you get into the flow.

78 Ask your mentor to proceed at a controlled pace that's within your comfort zone. As always when descending, stay back several bike lengths to get a clear view and to have room to think and maneuver. Then mimic his position on the bike and line through the corners. Notice when he pedals and when he tucks and coasts for greater speed. When does he brake or let it run? How does he handle obstacles such as gravel or potholes that materialize in his line?

When you're comfortable with a moderate speed down the hill, go again but a bit faster. Don't exceed your comfort level, though. You're learning to descend better, not rival Evel Knievel.

Then reverse positions. Have your mentor follow you and offer suggestions. Real-road feedback like this is vital in helping you improve your skills.

Make Fear Disappear

It isn't irrational to fear descending. After all, you'll be going 2 or 3 times faster than usual on an improbable machine with very skinny tires, staying upright only because of your ability to balance. Your safety depends on the ineluctable truths of physics. No wonder non-cyclists think we're crazy as we careen down mountain passes at automobile speeds (or faster).

But descending isn't as dangerous as it looks if done right. Some would argue that it's safer than riding on flat roads where it's easy to get lulled into inattention by the apparent lack of danger, only to be rudely awakened from reveries by patches of glass or attacking dogs. When beginning a descent, though, even the most experienced rider goes on full alert. That roar of wind is the signal to pay attention.

Let's look a several ways to reduce apprehension during descention.

• Analyze why you're fearful. Have you fallen in the past? Does the sound of wind rushing through your helmet vents freak you out? Do you visualize tires popping or suicidal woodchucks throwing themselves into your front wheel? If you can identify why descending makes you nervous you can formulate a plan to overcome your fears.

• Gain experience. When we get good at an activity we feel much more comfortable doing it. Maybe descending at 25 mph (40 kph) seemed scary when you began riding. But as you gained skill on your bike your threshold was bumped up to 35 mph (56 kph). With the increased confidence that comes from greater expertise, there's no reason you can't feel at ease when descending at 50 mph (80 kph).

79 • Don't go (much) faster than your comfort level. Pushing the envelope too far is a sure way to keep descending scary. If every downhill requires maximum courage you'll soon be limiting your rides to flat roads. That's no fun and it sure won't make you a better climber. You will gain confidence by descending as fast as your skill allows, and that requires keeping something in reserve.

• Relax. There's that word again. One of the best pro descenders of recent years was Italian Paolo Salvodelli. Nicknamed "The Falcon" for his swooping style, he routinely dropped the peloton on downhills, a skill that helped him win the Giro d'Italia twice.

If you watch video of Salvodelli descending you'll be struck by how relaxed he looks. He's taking corners at maximum speed and using every available inch of road. His knee is almost brushing the guardrail. Yet he looks as unconcerned as a recreational rider tooling along on the flats. Sal- vodelli's secret was relaxation, the ability to stay completely in the moment.

Another attribute of top descenders is confidence. Salvodelli wasn't thinking about what could happen if he messed up. He knew he wasn't going to mess up. Despite plunging down hills faster than anyone, he kept just a bit in reserve. This leads to confidence, relaxation and better descending.

Crosswinds

Wind from the side can be dangerous because of its effect on steering and stability.

Crosswinds have different effects on different parts of the bike and rider. Your body and much of the bike are solid units that don't move around an axis. If these were the only things to feel the wind, a gale could blow you across the road but it wouldn't affect balance.

However, when a crosswind catches the front wheel it causes it to pivot around the steerer tube. Most of the bike and rider gets shifted across the road together in one unit while the front wheel develops a mind of its own.

One way to reduce this danger is to avoid using aero front wheels with a deep V- profile rim. The taller the rim, the more surface area the wind can hit.

Relaxing the arms and shoulders is especially important during crosswind descents. If you fight the tendency of the handlebar to turn, the front tire could scrub against the pavement and take you down. It wastes energy too. A relaxed upper body allows you to move a few inches left or right with the gusts but still retain

80 control. It also helps to keep pedaling, as mentioned earlier, to aid stability.

Shimmy (Speed Wobble)

If you ever experience shimmy on a fast descent you won't soon forget it. In severe cases the shaking quickly turns violent. The handlebar twitches back and forth in a spasmodic rhythm. The bike becomes uncontrollable and veers left or right. You may be scared to death if you don't actually crash.

Shimmy can't be tied to one specific problem even though bicycle engineers and physicists have proposed some highly technical causes. Most cases come down to these factors:

• Mechanical. Check the headset. If it's too tight, the bike will be unable to accommodate the continual slight steering corrections that even straight- ahead riding requires. The resulting vibration gets transferred to the frame and amplified. Conversely, a loose headset can cause shimmy as a shud- dering fork begins the cycle of oscillations.

A wheel (either one) that's out of true or out of round can send its oscillations into the frame. So can a tire that has a bulge caused by casing damage or being improperly seated on the rim.

Some frames or forks are out of alignment due to crash damage or poor manufacturing, causing them to crab down the road. The front and rear wheels aren't in the same track. Steel frames can be re-aligned but the process is difficult or impossible for other materials.

• Load. A lightweight frame is a poor choice for rear panniers. Their load is cantilevered above—and to some extent behind—the rear wheel, causing a "tail wagging the dog" effect. Good touring bikes have stiff top tubes and a longer rear triangle to counter this problem. It may help to carry the load in low-rider front panniers or balance the rear load with a handlebar bag.

Handlebar bags can have an adverse effect, though. It depends on the bike's geometry. Without going into the intricacies of steering geometry, bikes with fairly high trail measurements (over 40-45 mm) are usually poor candidates for a handlebar bag compared to low-trail bikes specifically designed to accept a front load.

Handlebar bags are popular with randonneurs—long-distance cyclists who travel at steady speeds in timed events ranging from 200 km (124 miles) to 1,200 km (744 miles). It's good to save time by riding continuously between checkpoints, so it helps to have food, clothing and other items right in front of them and accessible from the saddle. Frames built for randon-

81 neuring and touring should have forks with the low-trail geometry that fos- ters stable handling.

• Environment. Crosswinds aren't the only natural inducer of shimmy. For instance, a cliff along one side of the road on a steep descent can spell danger if it makes the wind deflect in unexpected ways. A great example of this phenomenon is found near the bottom of the Tombstone side of southeastern Arizona's Mule Pass, where riders on previously stable bikes have reported sudden cases of shimmy.

Be aware of road surface conditions such as pavement that's grooved to add traction or help rain run off. This siping wiggles the wheels and that can shake the frame.

• Rider. A "death grip" on the handlebar can cause shimmy because the front wheel isn't free to move, as described above when the headset is tight. Rigid arms and shoulders have the same effect on the bike as a mal- adjusted headset. Similarly, shivering on a cold descent can cause shimmy as the tremors are passed from the rider to the handlebar and front wheel.

Finally, beware of extreme descending positions. Sliding your hips behind the saddle or crouching forward on the top tube puts weight distribution outside the parameters anticipated by engineers and framebuilders. It's no wonder this can result in wild oscillations.

What should you do if despite all precautions the bike begins to shimmy?

• Don't panic. If you do, chances are you'll tighten up in the arms and shoulders and make the situation worse. You need to resist a death grip and actually lighten up, hard as this may be.

• Clamp the top tube between your legs. Or rest one leg against the top tube as a matter of course on all descents when not pedaling. A problem with most folding bikes and mixte frames is that they lack a top tube so this technique can't be used.

• Feather the brakes. Braking hard will sometimes stop shimmy but it can also make the episode worse. It's better to feather the brakes with more emphasis on the rear to ease the speed below the point where the shimmy started.

• Keep pedaling. Bikes are more stable when they're being pedaled. This is a counterintuitive measure because when a bike starts to shimmy it's natural to want to go slower, not faster. But if you can pedal throughout

82 the descent—even though you may be applying minimal force—shimmy is unlikely.

• Look for an escape route. If you can't regain control, scan the roadside for soft landing places. This takes a cool head but often you'll have a few seconds to choose between rocks and grass. Falling off is never a pleas- ant experience, but aiming for a cushy landing can be the difference between injury and just a good story.

Cornering

When a descending road runs straight, not too much technique is required. You've probably seen videos of pros going downhill at 50 mph (80 kph). On the screen it doesn't look like they're doing much besides sitting on the bike. But when the road is curvy a lot more technique is required to maintain speed.

Downhill corners take many forms. Some are easy bends (often called "sweepers") that require just a minor weight shift to get though. Other corners are switchbacks that turn back on themselves nearly 180 degrees. But regardless of the tightness of the bend, this basic cornering technique works for them all:

• Coast into corners with the outside pedal down. For instance, if the bend is to the left, the right pedal should be at the bottom of the pedal cir- cle. Put most of your weight on the down pedal to lower your center of gravity. Doing so also allows the bike to be laid over in the turn without risk of a pedal hitting the road. If you did the opposite—corner with the inside pedal down or try to pedal while the bike is at a sharp angle—the pedal could strike the pavement, making the bike hop and break rear-wheel traction, very likely causing a crash.

• Stay balanced. Your hands should be on the drops or brake lever hoods. Your posture should be low, closer to parallel to the ground than upright.

• Keep your head up so you can see down the road. Obstacles come at you fast on descents and you need to deal with them as well as pick the right line through each corner.

• Relax your hands, arms and shoulders.

• Brake before turning. It's possible to brake while the bike is laid over, but it will want to take a straighter line than the one you're on. And if you brake vigorously, the tilted wheels could lose traction. So it's safer to brake to the appropriate speed before entering the bend, then release the levers just as you begin leaning in.

83 In some corners—especially steep mountain switchbacks with extended curves—you'll need to brake in mid-corner. If you don't, the bike will gain speed all around the bend and be going too fast. In a situation like this, feather the brakes by applying them lightly for just a second or 2 to temper speed.

Some riders like to feather the front brake on descents, arguing that it's more effective because weight is shifted forward, pushing the front tire into the pavement and providing more grip. Be very careful here. The front wheel is more prone to slipping sideways when the bike is laid over. While front braking may work for sudden stops when the bike is vertical, it is dangerous for slowing in curves. A better approach is to feather the rear brake.

One more word of caution: Most road bikes have rim brakes. Because the bike is slowed by friction between brake pads and rims, considerable heat can build up if you brake steadily on steep descents. This can cause the air in inner tubes to expand, sometimes so much that tires exceed their maximum inflation pressure and blow off the rim. You can imagine the consequences on a fast decent.

To avoid this, don't hold the pads against the rim for extended periods. Instead, let the bike roll un-braked on the straights, then brake smoothly and forcefully just before corners. Let off as you enter the bend and sweep through. This technique greatly reduces the chance of dangerous heat buildup.

Countersteering

Traditionally, cyclists have cornered by pointing their inside knee into the turn (left photo). This technique, combined with having weight on the downward, outside pedal and appropriate body lean, allows easy cornering.

84 But some talented riders argue that a technique called countersteering works better (right photo). In the U.S. it has been advocated by Davis Phinney, the winningest road racer in American history. He teaches it at Carpenter-Phinney Bike Camps and in cycling books and magazines.

Countersteering isn't a risky, high-speed maneuver better left to the pros. It can make any rider a more secure descender. Let's look at how to countersteer and then see if it's a better technique for you. (Note that this "countersteering" is not the method that goes by the same name in motorcycling, which is to set up for turns by briefly steering in the opposite direction.)

• Practice in a safe place. A large, empty, slightly sloping parking lot is ideal. Set up several traffic cones, water bottles or paper cups (with a little gravel in the bottom to keep them from blowing away). They should be about 30 feet (10 m) apart and staggered, not in a straight line, so you need to make slalom-like turns past them.

• Set up for the turn. Hold the handlebar in the drops for greater stability. Slide your butt back slightly and bend your elbows so you can get your back close to flat along the top tube, a position that ensures you'll have the same amount of weight on each wheel. Don't sit up while cornering because it will put too much weight on the rear wheel. But bending your elbows and getting your torso low without sliding rearward will weight the front wheel excessively. Either situation can cause the less-weighted wheel to slide out unexpectedly.

• Weight the outside pedal just as in traditional cornering. Press the pedal toward the road. Downhill skiers do the same thing by weighting the inside edge of their outside ski in a turn.

• Pull your inside knee toward the top tube, the opposite of the traditional cornering technique. Pulling your knee in rotates your hips toward the outside of the turn and causes the bike to dive into the turn. But because your weight is evenly balanced and you're weighting the outside pedal, the tires will stick to the road and you'll be in complete control.

• Simultaneously press the thigh of the outside leg against the saddle. This also helps push the bike over, into the turn, as does pulling up slightly with the outside hand. The bike will arc smoothly around the corner. It will lean as much as it has to while your body remains relatively upright.

With countersteering you can easily adjust your line to avoid gravel, potholes or errant squirrels. Just relax the outside hand so you aren't pulling on the bar as much. The bike will straighten so you can avoid the obstacle. Then pull on the bars again to complete the turn.

85 I realize that countersteering may sound complicated. But if you take it step by step in the parking lot you'll find it's quite intuitive. Many riders who learn to countersteer never go back to the traditional style.

Don't worry, however, if you can't quite get the hang of it. Plenty of pros use the traditional technique. If you watch races you'll see them bombing through switchbacks and sweeping curves with inside knees pointing the way. It works.

But other riders who have learned countersteering swear that it improves not only their speed through tricky bends but their sense of security and safety. I recommend that you try to develop the appropriate reflexes. I think you'll like the way your bike handles, and you'll have a great weapon in your descending arsenal.

Choosing a Good Line

Sitting on the bike properly and having the ability to swoop around a corner using either the traditional technique or countersteering is just the beginning of safe cornering. You also need to choose the best line through the various real-world obstacles that often loom like minefields on the most innocent looking roads.

The best line through a corner is the one that makes the turn as shallow as possible. Because it's less sharp you don't need to lean the bike over as much. The less lean, the less risk of losing traction and crashing.

The overriding rule is not complicated:

1. Approach the turn wide 2. Cut close to the apex on a relatively straight trajectory 3. Exit wide

That's if traffic allows, of course. In a race when roads are closed to non-event traffic and corners are swept, you can use the whole road when cornering. That's why riders in a criterium can have such a high average speed despite numerous corners per mile. Using the whole road converts 90-degree turns into wide sweepers. With no need for braking (at least by the riders in front), cornering happens at nearly the same speed as on the straightaways.

However, in the real world we don't rides on closed roads. We share them with traffic, pedestrians, other riders and the occasional furry critter. Corners aren't swept clean either. They're often littered with gravel or sand or even broken glass. Painted lines become slippery in rain. Manhole covers lurk at the very apex of the turn. And when you're going downhill these challenges come at you fast. The best (fastest) line isn't often the one you can actually take.

86 In these circumstances you need to "read" the corner before you enter. If you can analyze the bend before leaning the bike, you can adjust your speed and your line to get around safely.

Here's the checklist for reading a corner as you approach:

• How sharp is it? Experience is the best teacher for knowing how fast you can go without mishap.

• Is the turn banked or off-camber? Steeply banked turns let you zoom around like you're on a velodrome or BMX course. Off-camber turns (where the road slopes away, the opposite of being banked) must be taken at much slower speeds.

• How's the road surface? Is it clean and dry or damp and slimy? Even on roads you know, corner with a safe margin for error in case an obstacle can't be seen until the last second. Oil slicks are notorious in this regard, hard to see until you're on top of them. They have bagged so many riders that there's even a name for sliding down on one—"greasing out."

• Are there any obstacles in the corner? This is the biggie. Anything could be lurking—broken pavement, potholes, rocks, gravel, sand, glass, animals, sewer grates, wet leaves, ice in winter . . . name your worst night- mare. Spotting these things in time to avoid them is even tougher when the turn is dappled with shade or shadows. Never take for granted that the road will be clear.

Cars are another dangerous obstacle. Sometimes you'll be laid over in a bend and a driver will pull alongside, attempting to pass. If you sense this may happen, you can usually prevent it by riding in the middle of the lane until you're out of the turn. But if the vehicle is already overtaking you, hold your line and look for an escape route off the road in case the driver cuts in and cuts you off.

Don't panic and brake in the turn. As we've seen, grabbing the stoppers while the bike is laid over tends to pull the bike upright and that could have terrible consequences in this situation. If the car is close, stand hard on the outside pedal and lean through the turn on a line that's tight with the road edge.

Consecutive Bends

Most riders can descend around one corner with no difficulty after they've learned basic technique. But problems can arise when several bends come consecutively. You must look—and think—at least 2 corners ahead. If you exit one sloppily you probably won't be well set up for the next. Anticipation is essential.

87 • Anticipate. The best line out of one corner doesn't necessarily lead to the best line into the next one. This is why you need to be thinking as far ahead as you can see. Be like a mogul skier that's negotiating the bump under his skis while envisioning his route through the next several.

• Practice. Like when learning to countersteer, practicing on a slanted parking lot can work wonders for your ability in consecutive corners. Sla- lom courses set up with traffic cones, paper cups or water bottles allow you to experience a variety of cornering situations you might meet on twisty descents.

• Be prudent. You won't get a prize for speeding though corners unless you're flying down a French mountain trying to preserve your lead in the Tour. So always leave a solid safety margin. Don't bomb through corners 1 and 2 only to fly off the road on No. 3 because you're going too fast to keep the correct line.

Switchbacks

The Alps' infamous Stelvio climb of grand tour fame, with 48 switchbacks.

Mountain roads often are built with switchbacks—S-bends that allow a road to meander up a steep hill at a reasonable grade rather than going straight up at an impossible slope.

88 Switchbacks (also called hairpins) can make a road look like a coiled snake. Sometimes you can look down the fall line and see several levels of the road directly below.

Some switchbacks have "decreasing radius" turns, which means the curve gets sharper as you go around. If you lean the bike at the correct angle for the beginning of the bend, it may not be enough at halfway when and the curve tightens. You'll need to make a quick adjustment, but it could be impossible if entry speed was too fast. You'll be cursing the highway engineer as you fly off the edge.

Descend safely through switchbacks with these tips:

• Look ahead. Gauge the steepness and radius before you enter a switchback. If you can't see the whole turn, scrub more speed than normal until you know what you're getting into. Remember that switchbacks often follow close together so the techniques used for consecutive corners also come into play.

• Take the right line. The correct line for a switchback is the same as for any corner. Enter and exit wide while cutting the apex tightly. But remember to check for cars and road hazards. You'll rarely have the whole road, or even the whole lane. The narrower your usable space, the slower you’ll need to go to negotiate the corner safely.

• Beware of gravel and sand. Motorists aren't very good at staying on the road around switchbacks. Their wheels often run off the inside of the apex and kick gravel and dirt onto the pavement. Be ready for this danger. Gravel can act like ball bearings under your wheels.

In spring and early summer, mountain roads often retain a layer of sand that the highway department has used to provide traction in the snow. This produces a loose surface that's hard to see. Don't assume that the gray pavement in the next corner is bare asphalt.

Broken Pavement

Mountain roads take a beating in winter. Moisture from snow melts and re- freezes, expanding into the road's cracks to break the pavement. Especially dangerous are ruts running parallel to your tires' path. They can trap your wheels and make steering impossible. You can jump the bike sideways to get out, but this is a tricky technique that involves hopping vertically and laterally at the same time. Back to the grassy field! Looking ahead and avoiding obstacles is definitely the preferred solution.

89 The most dangerous situation occurs when visibility is poor and broken pavement is hard to see. This can be due to fog, rain, steamed-over glasses, blinding glare or shade. Eyes can't adjust quickly enough as you ride from sunlight into shadows, so those suddenly dark areas can hide dangerous obstacles. Slow down when approaching a shaded section.

Cattle Guards

When riding in the western U.S. you'll need to contend with cattle guards. These consist of a trench across the road with metal bars on top. The bars are spaced several inches apart, the idea being that cows won't try to walk across them so they'll stay in their section of grazing land. Cattle guards are like a horizontal fence embedded in the road.

Most cattle guards are relatively smooth and you can ride over them, even at speed, simply by rising slightly off the saddle and holding the pedals horizontal. Unweighting your bike like this lets you float across the metal bars with only a loud buzz.

But some cattle guards, especially on back roads, have a rough transition with the pavement. You can jump the bike over all this if you have sufficient speed and skill. Better is to simply slow down and roll across, standing just off the saddle with weight balanced. Be careful if there's a seam in the bars running in the direction of travel. If it's open, it's a wheel trap. And, of course, any metal is slick when moisture is involved. You won't be blamed for dismounting and walking across a cattle guard if it or your tires are wet.

Animals

Dogs, squirrels, groundhogs, armadillos and bigger animals such as deer are among the dangers that can end a descent quickly. They tend to dart (or in the case of elk, lumber) into the road when you least expect it. I suspect that small animals are more dangerous than big ones simply because they're more plentiful, move faster and are harder to see. If one gets into your front wheel you'll probably tumble head over squirrel. Plowing into a big mammal is like hitting a furry brick wall.

90 Every experienced cyclist has a creature anecdote. Some are happy stories (at least for the bike rider), others less so.

Squirrel Tale

My wife and I were descending on our tandem from Grand Mesa on a back road when a squirrel darted out from a hedgerow.

I saw the movement out of the corner of my eye but held our line. The squirrel ran alongside for several meters and then hung a left directly under the front wheel. I heard a thump as we ran over it followed by another thump as the rear wheel hit it.

Although we were going over 30 mph (48 kph) there was minimal danger of crashing because I hadn't risked control by taking emergency evasive action when the squirrel popped into my vision. Often flinching and veering can make matters worse.

Luck played a role too because Rocky had sprinted in front of the wheel rather than into it. If he had gotten caught up in the whirling spokes he would have been flung into the back of the fork, jamming the wheel and possibly causing it or the fork to buckle. A foreign body in the front spokes makes a crash almost inevitable.

Big animals are dangerous because of their bulk. Deer and elk are unpredict- able—they'll run into the road and stop as you bear down on them. It's impossible to figure out which way they'll go next and if you try to steer around them, away from the route you think they'll take, they inevitably confound your predictions. In addition, deer in particular seem to travel in numbers. If one bounds across the road in front of you and disappears into the trees, don't think you're safe. One or more could follow just as you reach the flight path.

Deer, elk, cows and sheep have hooves, and hooves don't have much traction on pavement. A deer trying to change direction could slip and fall in front of you with 4 legs flailing wildly.

The secret to avoiding creature encounters is basic to any descending— look ahead, think ahead, anticipate, don't overreact.

91 Dirt Descents

Earlier in this eBook I suggested climbing on dirt roads or paths to improve your balance and weight distribution. If you do, you'll quickly learn that descending dirt roads on a skinny-tire bike is harder than skimming down smooth asphalt. Dirt road surfaces are uneven, washboard abounds and bits of gravel act like ball bearings, waiting to make you slide out in corners.

But descending on dirt is a sure way to get better at paved descents. You'll improve your overall bike handling too. In fact, I recommend riding singletrack on a road or cyclocross bike to hone your skills. It's fun and you'll be going slower so the effects of toppling over are less.

You probably won't want to use your best road bike on dirt. A good second bike for this purpose has an older steel frame that won't break your heart when it gets dirty and dinged. A "sport touring" bike from the 1980s or '90s is likely to have the clearance necessary for wider tires. Look for one at yard sales, among bike club members or ask at your local shop. Then tune it up and be conscientious about duplicating the position you have on your main bike. You can also use it as a wet-weather training bike on the road.

As mentioned, I have a Bridgestone XO-1 from 1992 that works perfectly for this sort of riding. It has 26-inch wheels, a triple crank, bar-end shifters and enough clearance for 1.4-inch tires. It also has assorted dings and chips from years of hard use. This bike has been on many of the jeep roads and mild singletrack around my Colorado home.

A cyclocross bike will work fine too—if it's not a dedicated racing machine. Models meant for competition often don't have bottle cage mounts, the steering is quick and the bottom bracket and gearing are too high. They're meant to be ridden fast around a short circuit and carried when the going gets steep. Instead, look for a 'cross bike that mixes road and off-road features. It'll work better for all- around riding. A good example is the Gunnar Crosshairs.

There are also dedicated "all road" bikes designed to mimic those old sport tour- ers while using modern tubing and components. A good example is my Rivendell Atlantis. It uses 26-inch wheels and has clearance for knobby MTB tires. But unlike a mountain bike it has a drop handlebar and bar-end shifters. I have a second set of wheels with 1-inch road tires for pavement rides in bad weather.

Some all-road bikes use 650B wheels, midway between the diameter of a 26- inch wheel (the mountain bike standard) and a road-oriented 700C. These were popular in Europe for years but tires and rims were hard to get in the U.S. That's changing and now some wide 650B tires are effective for riding dirt roads and trails.

92 When you have a suitable bike, find dirt- or gravel-surfaced climbs and singletrack that isn't too rocky or infested with wet roots. You want to be able to ride, not spend your time clambering over gnarly sections with the bike on your shoulder.

Here are my tips for handling this terrain:

• Focus on where you want to go. Mountain bikers quickly learn that if they look at a rock in the trail they'll ride right into it. For some uncanny reason bikes follow eyes. So the trick is to look where you want to go, not at what you want to miss. Of course you'll notice an obstacle, but that's not the same as focusing on it. When descending on dirt roads full of things you want to avoid, you'll hone your ability to find the good line. This skill transfers directly to pavement.

• Emphasize technique, not speed. There's no need to bomb down dirt roads or trails. Take it easy and work on technique. Don't get in over your head. It's easy to find yourself carrying too much speed when you get to a bend. Because traction is less on dirt you could skid and slide down.

East of my town is a 2-mile (3.2-km) dirt road descent whose surface varies from packed dirt to gravel, depending on the season and the ministrations of the county road crew. From the top there's a steep, straight drop leading to a series of bends. Pickup trucks brake hard for the corners, leaving tooth-rattling washboard. If I enter a curve too fast, the bike chatters across the washboard and toward the outside of the corner. Guess what? I almost always come in too fast. It's a natural reaction for a road rider who is accustomed to being able to brake hard before a corner on pavement. Don't get carried away by the speed and forget what surface is under your wheels.

• Keep your weight balanced. There should be equal weight on the wheels. Otherwise the lighter one can slide out more easily. Grip the handlebar in the drops, move your hips back on the saddle and bend until your back is almost parallel with the top tube.

• Countersteer for better traction. The countersteering cornering technique means the bike is laid over while your body is more upright. Intuitively this seems less stable on dirt—surely the greater slant of the bike makes it more likely to slide out. But in practice this isn't true. Be- cause your weight is pressing firmly on the outside pedal, the bike acts like a downhill ski and carves the turn.

I didn't believe this either until I followed Davis Phinney on some classic Colorado singletrack above Crested Butte some years ago. He rocketed down the twisting trail, countersteering fluidly around each bend. I tried to

93 stay with him using the conventional cornering technique of leaning into turns with my body and keeping the bike relatively upright. After about 4 bends I was riding up out of the trail's groove on each corner. Next I was getting way too personal with the aspen trees that lined the trail. In the meantime Davis was disappearing below me, countersteering through bends in a smooth blur.

• Use an outrigger. Mountain bikers in tight, fast corners often pull their inside foot off the pedal and hold it to the side. Their leg serves as an outrigger so they can slide around a corner without falling. However, if the foot catches on a rock or root, the result will be a much more rapid turn than the bend requires. A cloud of dust and a tumbling bike is usually the result.

The trick is to dab the foot and let it slide along with the bike's speed until you can straighten again and clip back in. With practice you'll get it right and then it'll be among your skills. It's not a common road-riding technique but someday it could save your skin.

Skidding isn't a death sentence. If you skid on a road bike, instant panic sets in. It usually means you're going down. But if you relax and ride it out you can often avoid crashing. Riding on dirt is the best way to develop the reflexes to deal with skids.

There's no need to skid on purpose. Skidding, even on narrow road tires, is bad for the trail. Let it happen naturally. If you ride in the dirt, occasionally you'll corner just a bit too hard, feel slight skidding and automatically make the correc- tion. Eventually you'll get more comfortable with the skidding sensation and the right response will become ingrained. It'll transfer to potentially more dangerous skids on the road. Don't over-think this. Let the anti-skid device in your brain kick in as needed.

Descending in Cold Temperatures

Shivering is among the causes of bike shimmy. If your arms are shaking, the movement gets transmitted to the handlebar and then into the frame. When the frame picks up this oscillation, the bike will begin to shake violently and be hard to control. Often the bike is blamed. The headset must be loose, we think, or the frame is badly aligned. But it's a case of rider input rather than mechanical mal- function.

You may feel plenty warm after a climb's exertion but it takes just a couple of minutes of fast descending to initiate shivering. The second law of thermodynam- ics is often demonstrated on mountainous descents.

94 Avoid shiver-induced shimmy by taking a moment at the top to put on warmer clothes. If you're planning to ride climbs and descents longer than a mile or so in spring or fall temperatures, I recommend carrying these items:

• arm and knee warmers • long-finger gloves to slip over short cycling gloves • light jacket or vest with windproof front panel • hat, skullcap or balaclava for under the helmet

These items don't take up much room in a seat bag or they can fit in jersey pockets. They will stave off shivering in most descending conditions.

In colder conditions or when it's raining, wear shoe covers, an additional layer for the upper body and a rain jacket. The goal is to stay warm enough so that you don't shiver. This often takes more layers than you'd anticipate.

Keeping Control

All through this chapter I've explained how to stay upright on descents, even during emergencies. The techniques I've covered will keep you safe in almost all situations. But occasionally even the best descenders get victimized by gravity, teetering on the ragged edge of control. It's one of the most frightening experi- ences any cyclist can have—still upright but headed for the pavement.

How can you save it when it feels like you're going down for sure? And what can you do to protect yourself if you fall?

• Don't give up. Sometimes you can keep the bike up even when it looks hopeless. Don't panic and bail too soon. Let your bike-handling reflexes take over.

• Scrub speed. But don't grab the brakes and lock the wheels. Modulate lever pressure to reduce speed just this side of skidding.

• Avoid cars. On descents you should always keep a tally of the location of cars in your vicinity, those behind and oncoming. Knowing the traffic situation may allow you to safely cross the centerline to regain bike control. Otherwise you won't dare.

• Keep weight back. Hold the crankarms horizontal and get low. Falls to the side are usually less damaging than headlong flights over the handlebar.

95 • Stay loose. Remember the admonition to ride like a cat. If you do fall it's better to be a rag doll than a porcelain figurine.

• Try for a soft landing. Most falls happen so fast that you won't have a choice of landing strips. But when you know you're going down, do what you can to avoid things that will make matters worse. Hopefully there will be a bush in your path and not a sign post.

Crashproof Yourself

Falling off a bike might not be as damaging if you've done tumbling drills in your backyard. Tumbling builds reflexes that allow you to roll and protect your head and collarbones without thinking about it.

Head for a soft grassy area or a gym with mats. It probably won't be necessary to wear your cycling helmet for head protection, but having it on makes the drills more realistic.

• Start by squatting and rolling forward gently across your shoulder. Roll so that if the right shoulder hits you'll come up on your left thigh and shin. Do it to the right and left so you're comfortable with either direction. Increase the speed as you get the hang of it.

• Next, start the roll from a crouch. Then take a step before heading for the ground. When you can do shoulder rolls this way, gradually increase the speed and length of the approach. Some riders add a short dive over the fat cushion from a lawn chair or a tumbling partner on her hands and knees.

• When you have mastered the shoulder roll, try the forward roll. It's the same idea but now you're tucking your head and rolling forward, coming up on your feet.

Work on these rolls several times a week until they become instinctive. Cyclists that have a background in sports such as football or gymnastics already have these reflexes. They just need to be sharpened. If you crash, you want to be rolling without thinking.

96 Chapter 6 Special Circumstances

Every ascent is different no matter how many times you've climbed a given hill. Sometimes the road is wet. Sometimes there's a headwind. Sometimes a raging tailwind makes you feel twice as strong as you normally do. At least one U.S. climb tops out higher than 14,000 feet (4,250 m) while others rise up modestly a hundred meters from a sea level start. And maybe you live where there are no hills at all. How do you deal with this variety in the climbing experience?

Training for Climbs on Flat Terrain

Suppose you live in the flatlands but are planning a lumpy tour or hilly cross-state ride. How do you train for the mountains when you live on the plains?

• Headwinds. Most prairie riders I know hate the wind that whistles relent- lessly across the unprotected expanse. But climbing is about overcoming resistance and a nasty headwind provides plenty. Treat it like a long hill. Use gearing that slows your normal cadence slightly, sit up like you're climbing and work hard as if you're toiling up Grand Mesa. It's not ideal, but plenty of riders have found that their wind-honed legs are more than a match for the mountains.

• Gradual rises. Even predominantly flat areas often have gently sloping roads, sometimes rising out of river bottoms. The grade may only be 2-4% but it's better than nothing. Compensate for the lack of steepness by using a larger gear.

• Highway overpasses. Most overpasses provide a few dozen meters of vertical gain on each side. Ride hard to the crest and then keep intensity high with big gears as you go down the other side. In this way the sus- tained effort simulates a longer climb. Make your U-turns quickly so you're climbing again with minimal delay. This keeps your heart rate high and the training effect maximal.

• Indoor trainer. By using the appropriate resistance and sitting up in your climbing position, you can simulate climbing on any trainer. Some coaches suggest raising the front of the bike on a 4-inch (10-cm) block to mimic a moderate grade. At least it'll make the psychological experience more realistic.

97 Dealing with Altitude

I'm lucky to live at nearly 6,000 feet (1,820 m) above sea level in a protected western Colorado valley. I train at that altitude or higher every day, so riding into the mountains holds no fears. But what about riders who live much lower and want to ride at elevation on a vacation? Is there any way to prepare?

The higher you climb, the lower the barometric pressure, so your blood absorbs less oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, the percentage of oxygen in the air doesn't change but the air's density does. The result is that there's less oxygen to breathe. In fact, at the top of a Colorado pass there's one-third less oxygen available in a given volume of air compared to sea level. No wonder riding Rocky Mountain roads is so demanding.

Because your blood can absorb less oxygen at altitude, your VO2 max (the amount of oxygen your muscles can absorb and use) is negatively affected. At 5,000 feet (1,517 m) VO2 max decreases about 5% compared to sea level. If you climb Mount Evans at over 14,000 feet (4,250 m), your oxygen uptake will de- cline 25%.

Rare Air

For a number of years I coached at medical recertifica- tion clinics in Crested Butte, Colorado.

People in the medical profession would come to the 9,200- foot (2,800-m) base of the ski area, stay in condos and ride mountain bikes on Crested Butte's fabled singletrack each morning. In the afternoon and evening they'd attend lec- tures on various sports medicine topics.

The attendees were fit and enthusiastic cyclists but most were from California, the Midwest or the East Coast. They lived at elevations 9 or 10 times lower than where they were riding. Some trails went up as high as 12,000 feet (3,640 m).

The result was usually misery. Strong, skilled riders found they had trouble carrying their bags to the second floor of the condo, much less riding uphill on singletrack. It always took several days before they felt better—and by that time the conference was over.

98 Cyclists differ in the way altitude affects them. My brother Mike and his riding friend Doug, both from low-elevation Ithaca, New York, have ridden with me in Crested Butte. They're quite fit and neither suffered from the unaccustomed altitude. But I've ridden in Crested Butte with cyclists from Denver, the mile-high city (1,600 m), who went anaerobic while brushing their teeth.

In general, the more fit you are the fewer problems you'll have with altitude. Most riders acclimate quickly. Here are some suggestions to make your own Rocky Mountain High less stressful:

• Arrive early or late. Experts used to suggest arriving at a high-altitude venue at least 3 weeks before an event in order to acclimate. This is usually impractical, and recent research indicates that it isn't necessary. A commonly used approach now is to show up the day before, do the ride, and head home to the oxygen-saturated lowlands. The thinking is that you can trick your body into working hard before it realizes how little oxygen is available. Some bodies aren't so easily fooled, however.

• Hydrate. You lose considerable fluid through perspiration while riding at high altitude but you may not realize it. The air is dry so sweat doesn't lin- ger on skin; it evaporates before you know it. You'll get dehydrated without realizing that you haven't drunk enough. At Colorado cycling camps we encourage attendees to carry a water bottle at all times off the bike and sip frequently. Then they should drink every 15 minutes while riding.

The general rule: If you're not getting up twice a night to urinate, you're not drinking enough during the day.

• Use sunscreen. Sun exposure at high altitude can cause a severe burn, bad enough to end your vacation right there or compromise your performance on multi-day rides. Slather on the sunscreen and consider wearing a lightweight long-sleeve jersey if you're beginning to burn. Cycling clothing is now available in fabrics designed to block burning sunrays.

• Ride easily at first. You can acclimate during a high-altitude multiday event if you start gently and gradually increase the intensity of your efforts. Hold back the first couple of days to promote this adaptation.

• Don't go anaerobic. If you keep effort under control at altitude you can do quite well on even tough climbs. If you don't, you'll go anaerobic quickly, gasping and panting with little warning. Even worse, once you go over the edge this way you'll probably feel miserable for the rest of the ride. The mountain gorilla jumps on your back fast and won't let go. Keep him away by not crossing your red line.

99 • Sleep high, train low. Studies have shown that the best way to acclimate to altitude and enhance your sea level performance is to sleep at high elevation and train at low elevation. You can generate more power at sea level than at altitude so you get a greater training stimulus. Then by sleeping high your body is coerced into creating more oxygen-carrying red blood cells that improve your performance.

(Traditional high-altitude camps have cyclists living and training at altitude around the clock. But because a person can't work as hard in thin air, what's gained in altitude adaptations can be lost in quality of workouts.)

Of course, there are few places in the world where you can find high altitude for sleeping and low elevations for training within easy daily commuting distance. That's why altitude-simulating hyperbaric chambers ("altitude tents") have become popular among pro cyclists and some serious amateurs. Their use raises ethical and legal considerations, however. Some argue that using an altitude tent constitutes doping because it raises red blood cell levels. They argue that manipulating blood in an artificial way—as opposed to actually being at altitude—is no different than taking an illegal performance-enhancing drug. The jury is still out on this issue.

Heat, Wind and Cold

All the rules about handling heat while riding on flat roads—reduce the intensity, stay hydrated, zip down for cooling—apply on climbs. But they’re even more important. Your exertion is elevated and you aren't going fast, so there's less breeze to assist the cooling effect of sweat evaporation. For these reasons, your body can overheat on a hill faster than on flat roads.

One hot-weather climbing situation deserves special mention: If you're climbing with a tailwind you'll overheat even faster than you would in still air. If the breeze is light—say around 8 mph (13 kph)—and that's how fast you're climbing, you are essentially riding in still air. It's like riding an indoor trainer in a hot room with no fan blowing. If you've ever done that you know how rapidly your core temperature

100 rises to unbearable heights. On a climb the only remedies are to slow down, drink a lot and look forward to a cooling breeze on the descent.

Hot, howling tailwinds on climbs may be even worse. Sure, the wind pushes you up the hill so you're going faster than you normally would. But this feeling of climbing prowess is illusory. It's the wind talking, not your legs. Don't be suck- ered. Back off a bit and keep drinking. You'll still get to the top faster thanks to the wind assist but you won't arrive dehydrated and exhausted.

Note about drinking while climbing: It's a difficult trick, the reason riders often dehydrate on long ascents. You have to reach for the bottle and take a slug while at the same time breathing and pedaling at the elevated levels climbing demands. You might choke on gulps or drop the bottle in a fumbling, breathless attempt to get it back in the cage.

The solution is to ease off slightly for a dozen pedal strokes before you go for the bottle. It's amazing how even this small amount of rest can stabilize your breathing. Then focus on getting the bottle out of the cage, drinking and replacing the bottle. At climbing intensities concentration is on other things, so if you don't think about drinking you can mess it up. Briefly slackening your effort won't cost you much time (or distance in relation to other riders) but it will allow you to get a good drink without drama.

Cold temperatures make climbing easier because you are less likely to overheat. But you can still build up significant perspiration on a climb, particularly if you're in the dead air created by an easy tailwind. Reduce the risk of excess sweating by moderating your effort and pulling down your jacket zipper. Then leave it down for the initial few seconds of the descent to let the cold air blow away excess heat and put a quicker end to sweating.

Consider carrying extra clothes in anticipation of long, cold descents. It's easy to stuff a wind shell and dry gloves in jersey pockets or a seat bag. Another trick is to carry a folded 2-foot-square (60x60-cm) piece of plastic cut from a shopping bag or garbage bag. At the summit, pull the plastic from your pocket, unfold it and tuck it under your jersey or inside your jacket to keep the wind off your chest. It's amazing how much extra warmth such a small piece of material can produce. It's why pro riders cresting an alpine summit look for spectators who are handing up newspapers. A few sheets of newsprint work the same way.

You can fabricate a more permanent wind barrier by cutting out the back of an old jersey. It takes slightly more room to carry but it's a more durable solution. Such garments are made commercially by several companies.

101 Wet Descents

Descending on wet roads requires a subtle feel for tire adhesion. This is challenging because wet pavement and things on it (gravel in corners, oil slicks, manhole covers, leaves) don't have consistent traction. They can make your chances of staying upright vary wildly in the space of a few feet.

Proper technique is the key to descending—and cornering—safely in roads wet with rain or snowmelt.

• Get out there. If you never ride when it's wet you won't develop the reflexes and techniques necessary to deal with slimy roads. Many people never learn because they don't want to get wet or have their pristine bike get gritty. But if showers deter you it's impossible to get the experience needed to feel confident.

One good solution is a dedicated rain bike with fenders. If it's old and already a bit battered you won't care if it gets muddy. Then when it rains you'll have a bike that you feel good about riding.

Truth be told, I almost never ride in the rain because it's so rare in arid Colorado. But when it does rain it's usually a thunderstorm with a short, torrential burst that soaks the roads quickly. This creates different patterns of traction than a climate like, say, in the Pacific Northwest where a steady light rain can fall for days. I've ridden in Seattle enough to appreciate how skilled those cyclists are on wet roads because they ride them so often.

• Protect your eyes. If you can't see, you can't ride safely. In dark and gloomy conditions a yellow lens improves visibility. Some glasses made for cycling, such as the Oakley Radar, have lenses that shed water effectively. A billed cycling cap under your helmet helps keep rain out of your eyes. Sometimes you'll see road riders, even pro racers, using a mountain bike-style visor on their helmets for the same reason.

Fenders all but eliminate road spray that can blind a rider who is following another. In some rainy areas of the country you'll be discouraged if you show up for a group ride without fenders. SKS and other manufacturers make clip-on fenders for bikes with insufficient clearance for the real thing, but clip-ons don't provide as much protection.

• Reduce tire pressure. When you're starting a ride in the rain or will be on wet roads for an extended period, reduce inflation about 10 psi in each tire. This will present a wider contact patch to the road, theoretically increasing traction. It also allows the wet tires to absorb road imperfections better. They'll be less apt to chatter and lose traction.

102 • Be wary when rain begins. Roads are often slipperiest when the pavement first becomes wet and dust, oil and other grime combines with water to make a slick film. Continued rain dilutes this stuff or washes it away, improving traction. When it begins to rain take it easy for the next few minutes.

• Test traction. You can get a feel for tire adhesion by wiggling the bike gingerly as you ride at an easy speed. Steer an imaginary slalom course about a foot wide. Accentuate each small turn with your hips. Feel for a slight loss of traction. You'll get a sense of tire adhesion and whether you can ride through corners at normal speed.

• Avoid slick things. Painted lines are slippery when wet so don't cross them when cornering if you can avoid it. Be careful riding over pedestrian crosswalks and all other markings. Also, anything metal—manhole covers, metal plates, bridge decks, cattle guards, railroad tracks—becomes slick as ice when even a little moisture is involved.

Frosty Bridges

In colder weather beware of slick bridge decks.

I once attended a November cycling camp with 3-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond when he lived near Sac- ramento, California. The narrow roads in the hills east of town dipped into small valleys with streams, crossed one- lane bridges and climbed out the other side.

As we rocketed down to one such bridge on an early- morning ride, LeMond yelled a warning. The bridge, hard to see because it came just after a corner, was coated in white frost. Fortunately everyone got across safely with only some incidental skidding.

Next I learned that it's hard to ride fast uphill with my heart in my mouth.

• Brake early. With rims and brake pads wet, braking friction is nonexistent for the first few wheel revolutions after the stoppers are applied. Anticipate this by braking earlier than you need to and using a light touch until the pad/rim interface dries enough for the bike to begin slowing. Then braking

103 response will be nearly normal. In fact, be ready to lighten your grip so a wheel doesn't lock and skid when the pads take hold.

• Use an outrigger. If a tricky wet corner approaches, one that's off camber or looks extremely slippery, try unclipping your inside foot as you coast in. Hold it out as you press hard on the pedal under the outside foot. Downhill mountain bike racers often use this technique to prevent sliding down, and it is seen among some road riders as they descend through very technical corners. It does require practice, so try it on grass or dirt first.

The Bonk

Most experienced cyclists have bonked at least once in their careers. It's the term used to describe the depletion of glycogen (the primary fuel source for muscles) and, in worst-case scenarios, glucose (the brain's only fuel source).

Bonking feels awful. You quite suddenly lose your strength, pedal slow squares and see black spots. Often, bonked riders need to stop. They sit in the ditch won- dering why cycling was ever a good idea. A stranger passing by could buy a bike at a bargain price. The only remedy is lots of calories and enough time for the stomach to refuel the muscles.

Once the bonk hits, don't expect to feel good again until at least the next day no matter how much you eat. Some respected cycling coaches argue that if you've had a full-scale bonk the strain on the body is so severe that you shouldn't train hard for the next 2 weeks.

Bonking is especially threatening on rides with long, tough hills because climbing burns calories at such a rapid rate. And it's difficult to eat enough while making full efforts. The solution is to anticipate so you can eat and drink sufficiently in the milder terrain between the climbs. This is a situation where energy gels come in handy. They're quick to ingest and won't sit like a rock in your stomach as you start the next ascent.

If the hill is so long that you need food on the way up it's easier to squeeze a gel into your mouth than to chew an energy bar. However, it's possible to eat solid food if you use the trick I mentioned for drinking on climbs—ease off your intensity for a dozen pedal strokes to get your breathing under control. Then dig into that bar with small bites that are easier to breathe around.

104 Chapter 7 Interviews

For diverse perspectives on climbing I interviewed 4 very accomplished riders with years of cycling perspective:

Lon Haldeman, a big and strong record-setting endurance cyclist Jan Heine, a fast long-distance rider known for his climbing prowess Will Frischkorn, a professional road racer with all-round talent Pete Penseyres, in his 60s and still one of the most talented U.S. climbers

Some of their advice supports what's contained in the first 6 chapters of this eBook. Some of it varies. But it's all worth considering as you strive to become a better climber. What works for them may be a key to helping you improve too.

Lon Haldeman 2-time solo Race Across America winner 6-foot-1, 200 lbs. (1.85 m, 91 kg)

I first met Lon in the early 1980s at a stage of the Coors Classic. He was already famous as a long-distance cyclist but was virtually incognito among the road racing crowd. He'd won the first 2 U.S. transcontinental races on the heels of setting the double transcontinental record—that's right, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again—in 24 days, 2 hours and 34 minutes. He actually rode the second half faster than the first to break the 11-day barrier for a coast-to-coast ride.

Lon and his wife, Susan Notorangelo, herself a RAAM winner, started their touring company, PAC Tour, to take adventurous riders across the U.S. at a rapid pace. Since their inception in 1996, I have coached each spring at the PAC Tour endurance training camps held in southeastern Arizona.

In 1993 I rode Lon's PAC Tour northern route from Seattle to the Virginia shore— 3,400 miles (5,470 km) in 24 days. Then in 1996 Lon served as director of a Bi- cycling magazine-sponsored team in the Race Across America. I was a rider, as was Pete Penseyres (see below), Ed Pavelka and Skip Hamilton. The 4 of us, all 50 or older, set a still-standing senior record of 5 days, 11 hours, 23 minutes. Lon was instrumental in that success.

105 Lon is famous for his dry humor as well as his low-tech approach to cycling. (See for instance, his description of his "power meter.") He can fix anything on a bike using the junk found during a quarter-mile walk along any U.S. highway. I've seen him do it.

As a climber, you may relate to Lon if you are big and sturdily built. His style is steady and powerful based on a relatively low cadence and big gears. He climbs at a relentless pace that never seems to slacken. Interestingly, he does most of his riding nowadays on a single-speed freewheel with a gear or 42x17 or 15.

How do you determine your intensity during climbs?

For me breathing is my limiting factor. I know I can go really hard for about one minute, which is fine for climbs less than 1/4 mile (400 m) in length. For longer climbs I need to pace my breathing better and stay at a pace hard enough so I can't talk but slow enough so I can maintain that effort for quite a while.

I know you don't use a power meter or heart monitor but have you re- considered recently?

I don't have a power meter, but my right pedal clicks at 400 watts of power. I know from past hills I can maintain that pace for about 3 miles (4.8 km) or 15 minutes. I think using a watt meter is a good mental tool to help you maintain your pace.

How do you employ perceived exertion?

My perceived exertion usually tells me I am working too hard on hills. Then someone passes me and I need to work a little harder.

How do you use that information in long rides? In training?

If I am riding brevets I make sure I stay at a pace I know I can finish the event. For training, sometimes I go really hard and blow up. Then I recover and go really hard and blow up again. It is difficult to push that hard without riding with a group of faster riders.

At what cadence do you climb?

I ride a single-speed bike a lot. Sometimes my cadence is so slow I need to weave and tack back and forth across the road. I expect my cadence is below 30 rpm. If my bike has gears a good standing cadence for me is 60 rpm. Sometimes when I am standing I try to dance on the pedals. If my cadence gets too bogged down below 60 rpm I struggle too much. When I stay seated I try to maintain 70 rpm.

106 How do you improve power-to-weight ratio?

When I weighed 192 pounds (87.3 kg) I was 7% body fat. I could maintain 500 watts for quite a while. To be a better climber I should have weighed 180 pounds (81.8 kg). When I gained 10 pounds (4.5 kg) my watts of power didn't improve enough to make me faster on hills.

Do you have suggestions on weight loss or power gain?

Weight loss seems to improve my climbing. Losing 5 pounds (2.3 kg) is worth 1 mph (1.6 kph) on a climb. A light bike helps. Losing 10 pounds off my belly helps more. For power training I like riding my touring bike with pannier bags. Carrying an extra 20 pounds on that bike really makes me feel fast when I get back on my regular bike.

What are your best techniques for improving?

It depends on what you are training for. I think you can be skinny, which is fine if you want to be an elite cyclist. If you are a regular club rider it isn't much fun to go on a breakfast ride and then not eat pancakes because you feel guilty about gaining 2 pounds. Maybe having fun on club rides is more of a priority than being a good hill climber.

Do you think that specific climbing intervals are useful?

Climbing uses different muscles than riding on aerobars. If you want to strengthen climbing muscles you should simulate the position and intensity you want to maintain. If you are going to climb a mountain that takes 2 hours you should practice climbing for 2 hours. Sometimes hill training is as much mental as physical. You can't be afraid of the hills.

What are the important mental aspects of climbing? How do you handle pain? How do you keep your morale high on long climbs?

I like to imagine myself climbing well, like Eddy Merckx finishing a mountaintop win. My breathing is controlled and I enjoy the burn in my quads. I am in my own zone and my feet are going around, but I am barely aware they are pushing the pedals. I am invincible as I near the summit. Then someone passes me and brings me back to reality.

How do you retain focus on climbs coming late in long rides?

Short-term goals are good. In Peru there is a mountain that gains 16,000 feet (4,850 m) in 50 miles (80 km). It is an 8-hour climb for me. I focus on the next hairpin turn or guardrail. Above 14,000 feet (4,250 m) I lose the ability to do simple math in my head and my power output is cut in half. I need to pace myself

107 and eat and drink every 15 minutes. Climbing takes at least twice the calories as riding on the flats, so I need to keep eating even if I don't feel like chewing and breathing at the same time.

What climbing techniques have been especially helpful to you?

Depending on the event, sometimes you need to be ready to suffer. Going to the front of the pack at the start of a climb and drifting toward the back going up the grade is a good theory for poor climbers, but when 50 people have the same strategy I still get dropped. For longer events I make sure I can ride at a pace that I know I can recover before the next climb. The longer the event the more concerned I am about recovering.

What is the biggest mistake that you see other riders make on climbs?

I see a lot of riders trying to pass me on the hills. They need to learn that my pace on hills is the correct speed. No one should pass me and they should wait behind me until the top.

What's your best climbing tip?

Probably my best tip is to know how to pace yourself all the way to the top. Save enough for the final 25% so you can maintain your speed or even increase your pace to have good momentum over the summit.

Jan Heine Randonneur and editor/publisher of Bicycle Quarterly magazine 6-foot, 155 lbs. (1.82 m, 70.5 kg)

Jan founded Bicycle Quarterly, one of the most interesting cycling publications anywhere. It's unique because instead of featuring the latest carbon gizmo or ultimate training plan, BQ is aimed at randonneurs who love long rides and sturdy, practical bikes.

BQ also offers detailed reflections on cycling history with articles about the beautiful purpose-built bicycles of the French con- structeurs, whose touring bikes revolutionized the industry from the 1930s to 1960s.

108 Jan is also an accomplished long-distance rider, having ridden the 2007 Paris- Brest-Paris randonnee in 50 hours flat to lead all Americans. And he rode those 744 miles (1,200 km) with 35,000 feet (10,620 m) of vertical gain on a 1973 Alex Singer randonneuring bike.

A celebrated climber in randonneur circles, Jan's analytical personality makes him an ideal source for climbing techniques.

How do you determine intensity during climbs in brevets and training?

I raced for 10 years, starting in 1989. I was a category 2 racer before moving on to randonneuring and long-distance cycling. Over 20 years, you get to know your body and what it can do.

Have you considered using a power meter or heart monitor?

When I last used a heart-rate monitor, I could tell within 5 beats what my heart rate was without looking at the readout. That is when I stopped using it. Over a long ride, or a multiday stage race, my heart rate fluctuates depending on my state of fatigue. When I first got my monitor, I was worried when I could not get my heart rate up during a time trial on day 3 of a stage race. Then I learned that I should listen to my body, which said that it felt good and was giving it all it had. In fact, I moved up in the general classification, so I was going faster than the other guys even if my heart rate was lower than it should have been.

How do you employ perceived exertion?

From experience I know how hard I can work without going into the red. I sometimes go a bit harder in training to see whether I can maintain a harder pace. Either I can, which allows me to recalibrate my "perceived exertion," or I bonk, and thus confirm where the limits are. Getting in tune with your body is important, so you eat and drink correctly on long rides, and you push harder when your body can go faster, and back off when your body needs a break.

At what cadence do you climb?

About 90 to 95 rpm. I usually pedal at 110 rpm on the flats. Some bikes encourage a higher cadence than others. I prefer those bikes.

Have you purposefully increased cadence or do you pedal at a rate that seems natural?

I try to get in tune with the bike. My cadence seems natural to me, and I can maintain it for a long time. Paris-Brest-Paris took 50 hours of almost non-stop riding and I did not feel like I was bogging down.

109 Years ago I used to do a mile or so at a really high cadence. Generally, during the winter months, I rode one gear lower than I usually would. That helped me develop a good spin. I also did not shift on short downhills but spun to stay on top of the gear. I sometimes still do this when riding with friends, as we play around on the bikes.

How do you improve power-to-weight ratio? Do you have suggestions on weight loss or power improvement?

I am lucky/unlucky that my body does not digest fats well, so weight is not a problem. Once you are relatively lean, it appears easier to improve the power part of the equation than the weight part. You become a better climber by climbing. It's that simple. It's amazing how quickly hill intervals pay off.

I read a training piece you wrote in BQ where you emphasized climbing intervals. Why do you think they're important for long-distance riders? How do you do yours?

The higher your top end, the faster is your sustainable speed. To prepare for a Paris-Brest-Paris I do hill intervals like I did when racing. I pick a good hill that takes about 3-5 minutes to climb, with little traffic, then go up and down at close to maximum effort. After 3-6 repeats I take a break. If I feel good I do another set.

Even though my training has not changed much since I raced, my mindset has. So today my maximum effort is not as hard as it was when I raced. My body knows that it doesn't need to be able to counter attacks on steep climbs any longer.

What are the important mental aspects of climbing? How do you handle the pain of hard climbs?

I think the most important mental aspect is the joy of cycling. There should not be much pain. Endorphins do create a mild euphoria. Fédérico Bahamontès is one of my idols. He was nicknamed the "Eagle of Toledo." Think of yourself as an eagle soaring above the valley, drawn up the mountain by thermal updrafts. When I look back and see the valley far below, my body working as hard as it can, completely in unison with my favorite bike, it's the best moment in cycling. If there is a technical descent following, it just adds to the fun. Even late in a long ride I look forward to the hills, which are a break from the monotony of flat roads.

That is on a good day. On bad days, you need to employ some tricks to keep yourself motivated.

We have a local climb called Zoo Hill that climbs for almost 2 miles (3.2 km) at an average of 10%. I time myself. At the halfway point, when my motivation starts to flag, I set myself a goal: "Less than 16 minutes." On a good day, I will change

110 this to 15:30. On a very good day, I will try to beat my best time that year. These artificial goals help me wring the last bit out of myself. I also like to train with a friend. We do a handicap where one guy gets a head start based on last week's performance. Then the race is on. The slower rider does not want to be caught, the faster one has somebody to catch. Basically, the most-improved rider reaches the top first.

What climbing techniques have been especially helpful?

The most important thing is applying power at the right times. Many riders shift before a hill and lose crucial momentum before they even start climbing. Increase your power output as you start the hill, then keep it up while you climb. Push hard over the top, then coast in an aero tuck to recover on the downhill. You will be much faster over a set of rollers than if you pedal at the same power output over hill and dale.

What is the biggest mistake that you see other riders make on climbs?

I see many randonneurs shift too much. Increase the power output a little and you'll get over that crest without shifting and breaking your rhythm.

Descending is part of speed in the mountains too. There, I see many people pedal and waste their energy. You are faster if you coast in the aero tuck than if you pedal. Bicycle Quarterly's wind tunnel tests found that the aero tuck has 37% less wind resistance than the drop bar position. At speeds above 30 mph (48 kph), few riders have enough power to overcome that aerodynamic disadvantage. Use the opportunity to catch your breath and rest.

What's your best climbing tip?

Get a bike that climbs well for you. This has less to do with weight and more to do with the right flex characteristics of the frame. The bike should work with you, not resist your pedal strokes. On a good bike you can find a sweet spot where climbing just seems natural and almost easy.

Will Frischkorn Pro road racer for Team Garmin-Slipstream 6-foot, 150 lbs. (1.82 m, 68.2 kg)

I first met Will in Andy Pruitt's office at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine when Will was a young rider with big potential—and a bad back. He had come to see Pruitt, as most injured cyclists eventually do. Will was friendly, articulate and determined not to let the injury block his career path.

111 Later, Will was riding for the Saturn pro team and I attended its training camp in Solvang, California. I was impressed with his easy demeanor, professional approach to his job and his smooth style on the hills. Since then he has become a seasoned and successful pro with Team Garmin-Slipstream. Among other climbing qualifications, Will led the climber's classification at the 2009 Volta ao Al- garve.

How do you determine intensity during climbs in races and training?

Racing with a power meter provides a great source of information and makes it easy to determine hard and fast numbers for what you need to do to stick with the leaders, and what you're currently capable of. Starting in the range where you're currently comfortable and slowly increasing intensity over subsequent training sessions is the best way to ramp up your steady-state ability.

At what cadence do you climb? Have you increased cadence recently or do you simply pedal at a rate that seems natural?

I generally climb in the mid-80s. I've tried higher and lower but tend to come back to what feels the most natural, comfortable and efficient. Too low and I lose power, bogging down on the pedals. Too high and I have trouble sustaining the effort.

How do you improve power-to-weight ratio?

Both power improvement and weight loss are important in this ratio. While power is the primary thing to focus on, in the end it is easier to lose weight. Like in so many things, balancing the 2 aspects seems best.

What are the important mental aspects of climbing? How do you handle pain?

When in a group, focusing on the wheels ahead and disassociating is often helpful. When by yourself or on the front, thinking about your rhythm, flow and finding that "zone" is a great way to boost yourself mentally.

What climbing techniques have been especially helpful?

In training, climbing with those just a bit stronger than yourself is a great way to push just a bit harder than you might normally, but not dig too big a hole.

112 What is the biggest mistake that you see other riders make on climbs?

Surging is the one thing that most often does a rider in while climbing. For most of us, climbing at a steady output is far more efficient that surging up and down, and far more sustainable.

What's your best climbing tip?

Remember that once over the top you get to enjoy the way down. That's the one thing that gets me over even the toughest hill.

Pete Penseyres 2-time solo Race Across America winner; multi-time U.S. road champion 5-foot-8, 140 lbs. (1.72 m, 63.6 kg)

As described in chapter 2, I rode across America with Pete in 1993, less than a decade after he'd won RAAM twice and set the still-standing average speed record of 15.4 mph (24.8 kph). Pete had the reputation of being the finest climber the U.S. had ever produced who didn't ride profes- sionally. He certainly demonstrated his uphill talent on that rapid tour and again in 1996 on our record-setting Team RAAM.

But Pete is more than just a natural climber; he is also an analytical and thoughtful climber. He can teach others how to climb better, a talent he has used at numerous cycling camps and with local riders around his home near San Diego. Now in his mid 60s, Pete is still highly competitive and rides in Team RAAM.

How do you determine intensity during climbs in events and training?

When I started racing in the 1970s we had no speedometers, no heart monitors and no power meters, so climbing intensity was based solely on perceived exertion. It didn't work very well for me, especially during mass-start races because I didn't know how hard to push on unfamiliar climbs to keep from blowing up. It worked better in training when I was alone on familiar climbs.

In retrospect, I didn't train or race as well as I could have until heart monitors came along and pioneering cycling coach Tom Ehrhard provided our 1996 RAAM Team with his customized Vipercoach training program.

113 That was a magical year for me, because it was the first time I trained with a structured interval program. The results were spectacular! I was able to increase my power at any heart rate, and to increase the maximum heart rate I could sustain for long periods of time.

The increase from both efficiency (lower heart rate at any power level) and from sustainable increases in threshold heart rate amounted to 35% measured in an exercise physiology lab.

I started using power as soon as the PowerTap became available. (I still have the original PowerTap CD with serial number 0000002.) I now use Polar power meters. The primary reasons are that I can use any rear wheel, they are now wireless, include more information, and cost less. I installed both systems on the same bike and found that the Polar is as accurate and repeatable as the Power- Tap. It just has a longer response time, so peak wattage values are lower.

Having both power and heart rate makes training easier, at least in terms of being able to maintain the proper exertion level for intervals. Both are important because heart rate response lags behind effort. Using it alone on a climb sometimes results in going too hard at the beginning and then not being able to recover. Having power eliminates this problem, but without a steady-state heart rate number to look at, it is difficult to pinpoint the correct effort level. This is partly because power fluctuates more than heart rate, and partially because efficiency in terms of watts per heart beat changes with training and even weather conditions.

A word of caution: Using power and heart rate during races works best for time trials or when riding alone in a mass-start race. Looking at heart rate and/or power while in a group endangers everyone.

At what cadence do you climb? Have you increased cadence recently or do you simply pedal at a rate that seems natural?

I generally climb at about 70-80 rpm seated and about 60-70 rpm standing. These are cadences that have seemed natural to me for over 30 years and I haven't tried to change them.

How do you improve power-to-weight ratio?

I have always been a "stick man," so reducing weight has never been a good idea to improve performance. I have used hill intervals to improve power.

How do you do hill intervals?

The more specific the intervals are to the target event, the better they work. For example, for the last 3 years I have been a member of an 8-person RAAM team.

114 We planned to exchange riders about every mile on extended climbs. Our training intervals took place on a one-mile section of a local climb that was roughly comparable to most long climbs in RAAM. We tried to do as many as 9 intervals (one session per week) as hard as possible while riding each one just a few seconds faster than the one before. This provided a great training effect and helped with the pacing we needed to be able to climb repeatedly during the race.

What are the important mental aspects of climbing? How do you handle pain?

Everyone suffers on climbs, so I convince myself that I climb well because of my relatively low weight. Giro d'Italia winner Andy Hampsten was quoted as saying he "never met a hill he didn't like." I use the same positive outlook for climbs, especially during road races, because they are the only place I have been successful in breaking away from a peloton.

I love long climbs because of the feeling of accomplishment, the view from the top and the excitement of the descent. I don't lose my enthusiasm for climbs coming late in long rides for the same reasons. During races, the late climbs af- ford the best chance of breaking away and then staying away to the finish.

What climbing techniques have been especially helpful?

I have always climbed faster by standing with my hands on the handlebar drops, even for climbs lasting an hour or more. I prefer the drops because I can use my shoulders to pull up better from that lower position. There was a time when almost everyone held onto the brake hoods while standing, but several successful Tour de France professionals, including Miguel Indurain and the late Marco Pan- tani, were observed using the drops, so now it is not as rare to see riders using that position.

Regardless of whether you are more efficient standing or sitting, you are better off learning to do both well, since you are likely to encounter situations where one method or the other is preferable. On very long rides you will welcome the opportunity to spend some time standing just to relieve saddle pressure.

One of the reasons Lon Haldeman and I were successful in avoiding stops for saddle sores during our 1987 transcontinental tandem record was that we could stand for an hour or more on long climbs. If there is a strong headwind on a relatively gradual climb, then aerodynamic drag becomes a factor and seated climbing will be faster.

The most important aspect of both seated and standing climbing technique is developing a smooth rhythm at a power level that is sustainable for the duration of the climb. I try to go easier at the start of a long climb then increase effort slightly

115 throughout the climb with the hardest (and hopefully fastest) effort saved for the last quarter of the climb.

What is the biggest mistake that you see other riders make when climbing?

Going too hard at the beginning of an extended climb. If they go over their threshold they can't recover without slowing substantially. Then they suffer mentally and physically while watching folks who paced themselves better ride by. That's a pain that hurts the legs and the head.

What's your best climbing tip?

Find out which climbing method works best for you: sitting, standing or a combination of both. Then pedal, pedal, pedal using your preferred method on lots and lots of climbs.

Cycling coach and author Arnie Baker told me once that he had asked me how to improve climbing speed when he first started racing. I didn't recall our conversation so I asked him what answer I had given. He said I told him, "If you want to climb hills fast, then practice climbing lots and lots of hills as fast as you can." I still don't recall saying that, but it does seem like a good tip!

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