Are you struggling with hills?

Let’s talk about the dreaded long and steep hill that keeps many cyclists up at night. The good news is we don’t have to dread it; we just need to know how to tackle it.

1. Do it often, if possible. It’s a challenge; challenging yourself to push your limits is one of the best parts about cycling, and they usually have great views at the top.
   
   

2. On longer climbs, say more than 15 minutes, remember to eat and drink. On extremely long climbs, get a little regimented about this. Take sips of water and eat something like Gu packets while staying on the saddle.
   
   

3. Become aware of what’s involved in the climb. Ask someone who’s ridden the climb already or look at the segment of the climb on Strava. It’s good to know what you’re in for.
   
   

4. If you want to ride faster, there’s only one thing you need to keep in mind: weight-to-power ratio. So, either lose weight or produce more power. Ideally, both. Weight loss tends to happen as you ride more and more (just pay attention to your calories). For power output, structured training can do wonders - we suggest interval training.
   
   

5. If you have a long climb near you, start tracking your efforts to measure progress over time (Strava is awesome for this). Try setting goals, and then learn to push yourself to your limits to see if you can make yourself steadily faster on that climb.
   
   

Anyway, we hope that helps. In no time, you’ll be able to tackle any hill that comes your way!