When riding a road bike up and down hills, all the components of sound technique are put to use. Success depends on having good balance both fore and aft and side to side, keeping psychologically tough on the climb, and understanding when to brake and when not to on the descent.
Climbing Hills on a Road Bike
Getting the most power for your effort is the key to climbing on a road bike, assuming the circumstances are good and you have traction.
Body Position for Climbing Hills
When seated, try to keep your lower back on the seat and pedal at a fast pace. This ensures the greatest possible conversion of your energy into power. Cadence, or the rate at which you cycle, is most effective between 70 and 90 revolutions per minute. If more power is required:
- As you push on the downstroke, drive your back end into the back of your seat.
- Lean in forward.
- Maintain flexed elbows while pulling on the handlebar across from your downstroke leg. This makes it easier for you to activate both your leg muscles and your gluteal muscles.
Standing: When the slopes are steep, you may require much more strength than you can muster while seated.
- Lean the bike away from the foot giving the downward stroke as you start it.
- Maintain a straight line with your body over the foot that is heavier.
- To exert even more force, lean forward on the handlebars while maintaining a loose elbow position.
- Switch your weight to the other foot as soon as the weighted foot has completed its stroke.
- To shift your weight to the other foot, use the bike as a lever. Your torso should now be in a straight line above the weighted foot, and the bike should be tilting in the direction of the unweighted foot.
Pedaling Technique for Climbing Hills
When your foot reaches the bottom of the pedal stroke, slide it backwards as if you were scraping gum or mud from the bottom of your shoe. When that foot is prepared to make another stroke, pull up on the pedal and advance a step.
Practice pushing, scraping, pulling, and stepping while pedaling with just one foot to develop a powerful, fluid circle. 100 times over, repeat this.
Do it now with the other leg. Start utilizing both legs to climb that hill if you are confident using each leg separately.
Shifting While Climbing Hills
When attempting to climb a slope, effective shifting is essential. You will completely lose your momentum if you shift too quickly. If you shift too late, you’ll have trouble ascending the hill.
- Maintain a constant cadence when climbing.
- Change into a lower gear as soon as your cadence starts to slow.
- To relieve the pressure on the chain and ensure smooth shifting, ease up on the pedals as you shift.
What tools are needed? Your level of fitness and the steepness of the hill will determine what equipment you should use to climb it. Bike riders who are stronger and more fit can maintain their cadence while climbing a hill in a higher gear. Beginner riders are more likely to find themselves in the lowest gear.
Avoid cross-chaining by making sure the chain is not stretched diagonally, regardless of the gear combination you employ. Avoid using the largest chainring in the front and the largest gear in the back, for instance (or smallest to smallest). The use of this strategy promotes a longer chainring life.
Mental Approach to Climbing Hills
Most skilled climbers learn how to deceive themselves into remaining in the saddle or standing longer when necessary in addition to using excellent cycling technique. Take the slope in pieces by telling yourself, “All I have to do is get to that tree up there.” After then, repeat the process until you can visualize reaching the top.
Descending Hills on a Road Bike
On a road bike, going downhill requires a combination of comfort level, knowledge of your bike’s capabilities, and use of a few tried-and-true strategies to keep you riding safely and confidently.
Body Position While Descending Hills
Your weight should be more centered on the saddle as the hill gets steeper. Applying pressure to the back wheel aids in maneuvering and braking.
For straight downhills:
- Get aerodynamic and low.
- Keep your hands on the drops close to the brakes and make sure your grip is loose.
- Keep your elbows tucked in and bent toward your sides.
- Balance can be enhanced by raising your back slightly out of the saddle.
- Your feet should be at the three and nine o’clock positions, which is your platform, assuming that twelve o’clock is at the peak of the pedal stroke. You are balanced and in the middle of your bike from this position.
Whenever you turn:
- While Descending Hills, Braking
- On a road bike, use light pressure, shift your weight back, and evenly apply both brakes when descending.
Braking While Descending Hills
If you must extend your knee, go ahead, but maintain your outside elbow close to your body and your head and shoulders level. Your tires will remain in contact with the pavement thanks to this.
If you use the brakes too firmly when you come across a gravel patch or a bigger impediment, you risk getting into a collision. If you can stop in time:
- Send your weight back, but when you get to the rough part, shift it forward and make sure your feet are on the platform at the three and nine o’clock positions.
- Hold onto the bars with a tight but loose hold so you can absorb stress.
- When you reach a zone of poor traction, ease up on the brakes.
- Consider being light and visualizing floating over the rocky part of the route. Avoid extending your foot for stability.
- When the sand or gravel is safely behind you, increase your speed if necessary.
The best you can do if you can’t avoid the debris in your path is to run it over or, if you’re comfortable doing bunnyhops, give it a slight bunnyhop.
In either case, a loose grip and a slight rise out of the saddle will be beneficial.
Learn more: How to Learn to Ride a Bike as an Adult