Most riders aren't slow climbers because of genetics or lack of talent—they're slow because of fixable mistakes that add up to minutes on every meaningful ascent. This episode breaks down five specific culprits, from how you distribute your effort across the climb to how you fuel before and during it, with practical strategies you can apply this week.
Key Takeaways
- Pacing matters more than raw power: distribute your effort evenly (or use a negative split strategy) across the climb rather than attacking hard at the base. You'll often go faster by riding steady than by fading halfway up.
- Match your training to the climbs you want to conquer: if you're chasing long climbs, anchor your week around sweet spot and threshold efforts (45–90 minutes), not just short high-intensity intervals.
- Higher cadence (80+ rpm) recruits your aerobic system; lower cadence (below 60 rpm) hammers your legs and glycogen. Train cadence drills to handle steep terrain without blowing up muscularly.
- Fuel 60–90g carbs per hour on climbs longer than 20 minutes, and load up before the climb starts. Poor fueling looks like power dropping while perceived effort skyrockets—a sign glycogen is depleted.
- Power-to-weight matters, but modest power gains and a sustainable diet beat crash dieting every time. A small increase in sustainable power helps you everywhere, not just on climbs.
Expert Quotes
"It's the distribution of your resources over the duration of the climb... most people that struggle on climbs, maybe they can improve power to weight, but they're going to go a lot faster by just distributing that effort better."
"If you have a high cadence, you're using your lungs and your respiratory system to fuel your movement. If you're using low cadence, you're using your muscular system—your heart and lungs can go forever, but your leg strength will burn out a lot easier."
"The goal isn't to be just as light as you possibly can. The goal is to be powerful for your weight, and that needs training along with a slight weight loss."