WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The gran fondo rider dreading the big col
You blow up on the first real climb of every sportive and lose large amounts of time.
The cyclist climbing with a stronger group
You get dropped on every climb and want to understand whether it's fitness or pacing.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
Almost every amateur cyclist blows up on long climbs for the same reason: they start at the pace of the riders around them rather than their own pacing zone. The first 2 minutes of a col always feel manageable — everyone is fresh, the gradient hasn't fully registered, and it's easy to match faster wheels. But a col that takes 40 minutes is not measured in its first 2 minutes. It's measured in its last 10.
Jack Burke — one of the fastest hill climbers in the country — talked about this on the podcast. The discipline of climbing at your own pace, even when it means letting riders go, is what separates cyclists who finish climbs strongly from cyclists who limp over the top. The riders who dropped you in minute two will often be the riders you pass in minute thirty.
The practical fix is simple: set a power or RPE ceiling and stick to it for the first half. If you're on a 45-minute climb, don't push above 82% FTP until you're 25 minutes in. It will feel slow. It will feel too conservative. That's the correct feeling. Use the final third to assess whether you have more to give.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Jack BurkeFormer British national hill climb champion
The most common error in long climbing is treating the first section as a warm-up for going hard, rather than as the most critical section of the entire climb. What you do in the opening 3–5 minutes dictates what the final 10 minutes feel like.
Hear it: Secrets Of The Worlds Fastest Hill Climber - Jack Burke - Dan LorangHead of Performance, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe
Professional climbers pace entirely by power. Speed on a variable gradient tells you almost nothing useful — the same effort produces 8kph on a 12% section and 20kph on a 4% ramp. Amateurs who pace by speed get caught out every time the gradient changes.
Hear it: Roglic's Coach Builds A Training Plan For Amateur Riders | Dan Lorang
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Set a power ceiling for the first half of the climb
Before you reach the base, set your upper limit: 80–85% of FTP for climbs of 20–40 minutes, 75–80% for climbs of 40+ minutes. Cap your effort there for the first half regardless of what others are doing. Assess in the final third.
Eat and drink before the climb, not on it
Eat your last gel or bar 10–15 minutes before the climb begins. Working at near-threshold effort while trying to open a gel wrapper and chew is a recipe for GI problems. Drink at the base and again at any hairpin where speed is low.
Stay seated to conserve energy
Standing increases power output by 10–15% but costs more energy. On a long climb, sit down as much as possible and stand only briefly to stretch, vary muscle recruitment, or push through a short steep ramp. Save standing for the final push.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKEMatching the pace of faster climbers at the bottom.
FIXLet them go. Set your ceiling and ride within it. You'll often see those same riders again in the upper third.
MISTAKEPacing by speed on a variable-gradient climb.
FIXUse power or perceived exertion. Speed on a climb is determined as much by the gradient as by your effort.
MISTAKENot eating before the climb starts.
FIXEat 10–15 minutes before the base. Eating while climbing hard is difficult and slow to absorb — fuel proactively.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What percentage of FTP should I climb at?
Should I sit or stand on long climbs?
How do I know if I've gone out too hard on a climb?
Does body weight matter more than FTP on climbs?
Why do I always blow up in the final quarter of a climb?
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