Training and Nutrition :
March 2017 | 141
Climb Well
by Tim Ramsden . Tim is an Association of British Cycling Coaches ( ABCC ) Level 3 Coach and owner of www . blackcatcyclecoaching . com
A
frequent question I receive is “ how do I improve my climbing ”? With the Tour of Britain happening this month , it seems pertinent to address the specific issue of improving climbing on UK , rather than mountainous European , gradients …. you don ’ t find climbs of 1 hour at 6-7 % gradient in Britain , they are shorter and steeper ! The first thing to consider is the amount of weight that has to be transported uphill . At an elite racing level , power-to-weight is the crucial factor in races with any significant climbing : advances in training methods mean that the top riders are at a similar physical level to each other , and all but the smallest gains in power are difficult to attain through training alone . Cyclists have always been lean , and followed strict diets in order to improve , but recently the term “ watts-per-kilo ” has been synonymous with success . This magic number – over 6.2 W / Kg for a top TDF rider on a 30:00-40:00 climb – can be improved by gaining a few watts … or by losing a few kilos . So W / Kg is the name of the game at the top of the game , but even when dealing with a recreational rider just wanting to go that bit quicker up the hills I always come back to this obvious “ coaching point ”: if you are enjoying a bit too much of your own company , you will not cheat gravity !! Similarly , if you already watch what you eat but are riding a bike where the wheels weigh more than the rest of the machine … reduce the rotating weight by upgrading the hoops , you should notice a significant difference . Standing up vs sitting down ? Well , the smart answer would be sitting down and spinning a lower gear , and that would certainly be better for longer climbs … but in the 80s the Tour of Britain featured a climb known as Rosedale Chimney in North Yorkshire , and it ’ s 33 % sections reduced some of the peloton to walking - even a fit rider will need to be able to climb standing up on 20 % plus British slopes in order to keep moving . So – how do you improve ? Find a hill , one that always challenges you . Have a good warm up . Over 40 ? Have 45 seconds warm up for each year of your age , including 3 x 6 second “ jumps ” at around 90 % effort . Aim to ride the hill 3 times the first time you do this session . Alternate in and out of the saddle – stay 15-20 bpm ( beats per minute ) below your max heart rate until 45 seconds from the top . At that point go at 100 % to the top . The best way to do this on a shallower climb is to sit and rev hard in your lowest gear : on a steeper climb do this part out of the saddle on a bigger gear . Make sure that you have at least 3 x the time it took you to climb the hill as recovery – a 2:00 climb would have 6:00 recovery , next time reduce the recovery / add to the reps . If you can do 5 reps , then you are not working hard enough …. and twice a week is absolutely all you need for this 155 session . May the road rise to meet you ……
GB Special