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CoachingDIAGNOSIS

WHY AM I SLOW ON CLIMBS?

Riders who are your equal on flats ride away from you the moment the road goes up. You're working harder than they are and still losing ground. Climbing exposes every weakness in your training.

THE SHORT ANSWER

Most often, this is because power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) is the single biggest climbing determinant — both sides matter. The fix: calculate your w/kg — know your climbing benchmark.

WHY THIS HAPPENS

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Power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) is the single biggest climbing determinant — both sides matter

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Pacing mistakes: going too hard early blows your top-end before the summit

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Threshold and VO2max capacity below where it needs to be

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Insufficient sustained high-intensity work (3-8 min efforts)

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Excess body mass that isn't muscle

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Mental framing: climbs feel harder because they expose the gap between your fitness and your ambition

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

1

Calculate your W/kg

Know your climbing benchmark

2

Train the climb energy system

3-8 min sustained intervals build climbing-specific fitness

3

Fix climbing pacing

How to pace a climb without exploding

4

Structured climbing plan

12-week programme targeting climbing power

FREE DIAGNOSTIC

Calculate your climbing W/kg
Or apply for coaching →

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Jack BurkeWorld's fastest hill climber, multiple Strava KOM holder

Burke's whole approach to climbing comes down to power-to-weight, and the riders who get faster work both sides of that fraction — structured intervals to raise the power, sensible body composition to manage the weight. Trying to climb faster by simply pushing harder almost always ends in blowing up before the summit.

Hear it: Secrets Of The Worlds Fastest Hill Climber - Jack Burke