Every cyclist asks himself the question: “How can such a thin and small person go uphill so fast and “shoot” some distances with quite a lot of power?”. If you have ever been involved in cycling and have little idea about what loads an athlete does on a bike and body during a competition, then this article will surely be of interest to you. The fact is that when a messenger climbs a hill, it is approximately equivalent to how a rock climber climbs his sheer wall.

The most interesting thing, for sure, many people knew that for a master climb: you must weigh (in pounds) no more than your height multiplied by two in inches. So, if you are 72 inches or 1.83m tall, then you should weigh around 65kg, not the 86-90kg that most amateur and good Tour sprinters actually weigh. Why such dryness? The thing is that the less we weigh, the less we will need to "carry" up the hill and the less effort we will make to do it more quickly. Now let's take some statistics from the 2005 Tour de France (Tour de France 2005), in which we will see the average performance of the rider (189 riders started in total):

Height - 1.79 meters (5 feet, 10.4 inches)
Weight - 71 kg (156.2 lbs)
Resting heart rate - 50 bpm
Lung capacity - 5.69 liters (1.48 gallons)

However, there are some exceptions, such as Miguel Indurain (Miguel Indurain), a five-time winner of the Tour. When he started his first race, he weighed about 86 kg. However, as a result of hard training, he was still able to lose his weight to 78 kg. Despite such a heavy weight for the mountain stages, he still knew how to properly coordinate his power and develop endurance, outperforming even the toughest miners, while having a weight of 15-20 kg more than the miners. Well, now the lyrical introduction is over and let's move on to the more practical part and some tips on some body positions and everything.

Try to sit in the saddle for as long as possible.

Despite the fact that you can develop much more power while standing (you use your entire upper body mass to break through the gear), it should be noted that 10-12 percent more energy is expended, since your pelvis is not in dense seat contact. This means that there is much more stress on the main muscle of the back and, accordingly, a loss of energy, which is more valuable than ever during a long uphill. If we take the net effect of energy loss: riding in the saddle at the same distances uphill with the same gradient will take less energy from you than if you ride this distance “on your feet”.

Of course, if we take short climbs (from 100 to 150 meters), then everything written above will be a little doubtful and seem a little silly. However, here we are talking about rather long distances, which start rather from one kilometer and end with dozens of it. That's it for long uphills, you should stay in the saddle and keep the cadence in the region of 80-85 rpm. This will be especially useful for those who do not pretend in any way to the title of "King of the Mountains" in terms of weight. Since standing on your feet, the load on the legs increases dramatically, respectively, and calorie consumption.

As a result, while remaining spinning in the saddle:
- The average heart rate will be 8% lower with a gradual or sudden increase in speed.
- You can effectively use the gluteus maximus and thigh muscles to give rest to other groups.

In order to pass the “jagged” sections of the path well, you need to train. As a workout, pick an upheal that you can ride in about 30 seconds. Try to avoid excessively low cadence as you waste too much energy breaking through the gear and putting too much strain on your knees. Try to ride this climb while sitting on your feet, repeating several times and increasing the load as you gain strength in your legs.

If you still feel that you are not quite far from the end of the climb, and you decide to accelerate a little and get back on your feet, then it will be very appropriate to drop one or more gears to equalize the pace with a change in cadence. Don't forget to "pass" the bike between your legs - the average swing amplitude can be about 12-16 cm for the average rider. Also, you should not transfer your weight much to the steering wheel, try to balance it as far back as possible so that the load is located as much as possible somewhere at the level of the connecting rods.

body position

If you lean over and just “lie down” on the steering wheel, this will be a great option to ride in the “drop” cutting, but not at all in order to turn under rise with a large gradient. In fact, you will get the most power if you sit as high as possible. Now in more detail regarding the position of some parts of the body:

Hand position. It is clear that comfort is the main thing, but not when you have to turn “up” with a good gradient for an hour. Most cyclists follow a certain rule that helps. Forget the underhand grip. The steering wheel should be clasped with a wide grip about 5 centimeters from the center of the stem (symmetrically, respectively, do not grab the left or right side of the steering wheel with both hands, it will not be easier). In this position, you will have wider and deeper breathing. Do not forget that the elbows and upper body should be as relaxed as possible.

In the event that you decide that the moment has come to attack someone downhill, then in this case you should sit back as far as possible and wrap around the shifters so that a few of your fingers can control the brakes and shift. Once waddle, you can remove your hands by resting them on the handlebars, however, the climbing position will give you more aerodynamics, but will not allow you to control the bike more.

Upper body. The upper body should be still and the shoulders should be straight. It is this position that will allow you to breathe effectively and set your pace, depending on what is left “in the legs”. You can see how some, when riding downhill sitting in the saddle, begin to sway on the saddle either to the left or to the right - at the moment of “pushing” the pedal. There should not be such wiggles, as this is an extra loss of energy that you spend on the press and other muscles.

Move your body back as you sit. If you are sitting almost at the "beginning of the saddle", then try to move your body weight as far back as possible. This will give you extra leverage on the pedals and allow you to engage other muscles more effectively.

If you need to get on your feet, or "how to twist on your feet"

If you decide to stretch your “fifth point” a little or stretch your pelvis a little, naturally you will have to get on your feet. Everyone who has ever twisted uphill understands that you can’t spin for a long time standing. However, you can do it more efficiently and thus spend maximum energy on overcoming a section of the path, and not on mistakes. So, if you are already on your feet, then you have lost contact with the saddle, respectively, your hips and your weight will work for you. Do not forget that you need not only to press, but also to pull up (From 12 to 5 hours - push through, from 7 to 10 hours - pull up). You must use your body weight to push the pedal as hard as you can. Let the bike move smoothly under you. There is no need to apply force, the bike itself should swing rhythmically under you and make an amplitude of about 12-15 centimeters relative to the center of the stem. This gives each of your feet maximum power + your weight for powerful pedaling. This method will help you maintain a smooth ride and momentum. You should not lean forward too much if the end of the saddle sometimes “strikes” your hips - this is exactly what you need. If you lean heavily on the shifters, then in this way you will press the front wheel into the coating, which will mean that a lot of energy is being spent in the wrong place. And most importantly - try to find the "sweet zone" or "G-spot". This is exactly the point where you balance the bike with your weight in order to pedal more efficiently. And don't forget to drop a few gears before you get back on your feet, because if you don't, you can lose attack momentum, which is important.

If you are walking in a group and trying to protect your buddy from the headwind, then you need to do this very carefully. Don't forget to alert the peloton that you are about to change your landing. Just enough time for you to get back on your feet without warning is enough time for the person behind you to “leave” the pavement or fly into the rear derailleur.

How to get on your feet:

If you are eating in a group, then in this case it will be very good if you remember to warn those