CoachingAnswer

HOW DO YOU PACE A LONG CLIMB ON A BIKE?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 10 July 2026

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The rider who always blows up halfway

You start strong but consistently lose minutes in the second half of every major climb.

The sportive rider facing mountain stages

You have a Gran Fondo or multi-climb event coming and need a repeatable pacing strategy.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Pacing a long climb is the single most trainable tactical skill in cycling, and most amateurs get it wrong in exactly the same way. They ride the first five minutes on adrenaline, feel strong, push threshold power, and then pay for it with a catastrophic fade at the two-thirds mark. The fade is not a fitness problem — it is a pacing problem.

If you have a power meter, the solution is mechanical: ride the opening third at 90-95% of FTP and ignore every rider who passes you. If you only have heart rate, hold 5-8 beats below your threshold number for the first third and let it creep up. If you have neither, breathe through your nose for the opening five minutes — if you cannot, you are already too deep.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Dr Stephen SeilerExercise physiologist, polarised training researcher
The physiological cost of starting a sustained effort above threshold is disproportionately high — lactate accumulates faster than it can be cleared, and the deficit compounds. A conservative start preserves the metabolic headroom that lets you finish strong.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Set a ceiling for the first third
On a 20-minute climb, ride the first 7 minutes at no more than 95% of FTP. On a 40-minute climb, hold 90% for the first 15 minutes. Let riders pass you — most of them will come back to you.
Break the climb into segments
Divide it mentally into thirds. First third: conservative, breathing controlled. Middle third: settle into your rhythm. Final third: spend whatever is left. This framing stops you from panicking when the gradient bites early.
Fuel before the base
Take 30-40g of carbohydrate in the 15 minutes before the climb starts. Fuelling on the climb itself is difficult at high intensity — front-load the energy while you can still digest it.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEMatching the pace of riders around you at the base of the climb.
FIXRide your own numbers, not someone else's. The rider who passes you at minute three and blows up at minute twelve is not a pacing reference.
MISTAKEStanding on every steep section and spiking power.
FIXStanding is fine for brief gradient changes, but sustained standing raises your heart rate and burns matches. Stay seated for 80-90% of the climb and stand only to reset posture or clear a short steep ramp.
MISTAKEUsing the same power target regardless of climb length.
FIXA 10-minute climb and a 40-minute climb demand different percentages of FTP. Scale your target down as the duration goes up — roughly 105% for 10 minutes, 95% for 20, 85-90% for 40+.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Should I pace by power or heart rate on a long climb?

Power is more reliable because it responds instantly. Heart rate lags by 30-60 seconds and drifts upward with heat and fatigue — useful as a secondary check, but a poor primary pacing tool for anything under 30 minutes.

What if I do not have a power meter?

Use heart rate for the first third — stay 5-8 beats below your threshold — then switch to perceived effort for the remainder. Breathing through your nose for the opening minutes is a crude but effective governor.

Is it better to sit or stand on long climbs?

Sitting is more economical for sustained efforts. Standing raises heart rate and burns glycogen faster. Use it in short bursts to change muscle recruitment or clear a steep pitch, not as a default climbing position.