(upbeat neo soul)
- Climbing comfortably, hmm.
Some of you might think that's a cruel joke.
I mean, how can climbing ever be comfortable?
Well, there's actually no reason
to put yourself through any pain or discomfort
that is unnecessary when cycling,
especially on a long climb when let's face it, most of us
are going to be in a fair bit of discomfort anyway
just from pedaling uphill for ages.
So this video is about how to be as comfortable as possible
on a bike uphill, so that you can save that suffering
for you cardiovascular system and a pain in your legs.
And even that pain of exertion, if you think about it,
we want to try to minimize for a given power.
We want maximum gain for our pain.
I mean perhaps, if you're out for a long day's riding,
and you're taking the climbs nice and steady,
you could even enjoy them,
a much neglected aim in my opinion.
A comfortable cyclist is a happy cyclist.
(fast techno music)
If your bike doesn't fit you,
it will be very hard to get comfortable,
whether that's uphill, downhill, or on the flat.
I mean yes, the human body is very adaptable
and you can get used to most things,
but if your saddle is in the wrong position
relative to your bottom bracket and your handlebars,
it will be very hard to get comfortable,
and you will develop niggles.
And those niggles will be magnified over a long climb,
because you have to exert power for a long time.
You don't get a break on a long climb
unless you get off to rest, which nobody really wants to do.
There's just no chance to freewheel on a long climb.
So if during training you develop aches or pains
in your knees, shoulders, neck, back; well, I mean actually
anywhere that's not your working muscles,
you should consider changing your position,
perhaps with the help of a professional bike fitter,
who will be able to look at your physiology and flexibility,
because everybody is different.
And shoes and cleat position as well as your bike setup.
(upbeat neo soul)
To make the quest for the perfect bike fit
even more difficult, a lot of people actually find
that their position changes on a long climb
because they slide backwards on the saddle due to gravity.
Now this might mean that the saddle
that you thought was your bum's best friend
turns out to be a diabolical enemy,
and you really don't want to be finding that out
halfway up a long climb in your target event
or a week's cycling holiday.
So I would advise that if you don't
regularly ride on long climbs,
you should practice that different position.
Try deliberately sliding back in the saddle
on shorter climbs, or put a big block under your front wheel
during indoor trainer sessions.
If you're lucky enough to own a Wahoo Climb,
that is perfect.
And if your regular saddle gives you problems like this,
try changing the saddle angle ever so slightly.
If that doesn't work, experiment with different saddles.
There's no single right saddle that works for everyone;
it's a totally personal choice.
(soulful horns flourish)
(spaced out chill beats)
Now, I've said it before but I'll say it again,
choose the right gears.
I have never heard anyone complain
that they had too many gears for a climb.
However, so many people find that their ride is ruined
by running out of gears and having to grind out
a massive gear that hurts their back, hurts their legs,
and basically leaves them knackered.
So if in doubt, go for a smaller gear than you're used to,
and practice spinning.
Now that we've dealt with the preparation,
let's think about what you can do on the bike
to make you feel more comfortable.
(mid-tempo urban beats)
Now obviously your cadence is limited by the gears you have,
but within those limits, you can choose what gear to ride.
Now there is no correct cadence.
Obviously it's related to physiology,
leg length, crank length, personal preference,
but do think about what cadence you use.
If for example you choose to grind out
a really big gear for ages,
that will cause a lot of muscular fatigue.
If on the other hand, you choose to spin
at a crazy high cadence, and it's not your usual style,
well it's going to put a lot of a load
on your cardiovascular system.
Neither extreme is very helpful.
(funky wah wah guitar)
Pace: it might sound obvious, but don't overcook it
at the start of a long climb
if you want to stay comfortable,
especially in a sportive or a race.
It is easy to get carried away initially by the excitement
and the adrenaline and the people around you.
Be careful though, because you might end up
paying for that later if, for example,
you forget to eat and drink for too long
or you use up all of your glycogen.
Now if you find that you get a sore back
riding out of the saddle, it might be worth
trying this trick, which is to just stand up
for short periods.
It uses different musculature
and it allows you to stretch your back out.
Now, not everyone likes riding out of the saddle
but for me it was the best way
to stretch out my back when I was riding.
And if you don't often ride out of the saddle,
well it's worth practicing.
Overheating is not just uncomfortable, it's dangerous.
If your body temperature gets too high,
your physical ability will decrease,
and at the extreme end you could end up with hyperthermia.
Now, long climbs in the summer, especially if you're racing,
are the classic opportunity for you to overheat.
It's uphill so you're not moving very fast;
there isn't much wind to cool you down.
And your exertion is high, so your body temperature
is rising all on its own.
So give your body as much help as you can staying cool.
If it's going to be hot and you get the choice,
well set off early.
Wear appropriate clothing.
Unzip, although please do stay decent.
If you're still getting too hot,
try just tipping water down your back,
in your helmet, on your forearms.
Just don't use energy drink, because that's really gross
and wasps will follow you around all day.
Staying hydrated is important for both health and comfort,
because you will feel terrible if you get dehydrated,
and it increases your risk of overheating.
So, try to drink little sips and often.
Obviously how much you need to drink
depends on how hot it is and how hard you're working.
Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink
because that's usually too late,
and if you glug down a whole load in one go,
you will feel bloated and uncomfortable,
and it could upset your stomach.
Trust me, I've tried it and it's not very nice.
If you're going to use isotonic drinks or energy drinks,
which can be a good idea for long events in the heat,
make sure you practice them in training.
Because stomach cramps due to experimenting
with a new energy drink
will definitely not help you to feel comfortable.
(relaxed urban chill)
Now, discomfort goes to a whole new level
if you blow up and get the shakes on a climb,
as you'll know if that's ever happened to you.
So you need to stay fueled.
On the other hand, you don't want to eat so much
that you're really full and bloated
and you can't breathe properly;
that's also really uncomfortable.
Clearly there's a balance; you want to eat small amounts
of fast digesting carbohydrate, little and often.
And just like drinks, you should practice in training
with what you're going to use on a long climb,
because you don't want any unexpected indigestion.
(upbeat urban chill)
I think happiness is much underrated in cycling.
And being happy will make you feel
more comfortable in a climb, so however it works for you,
maybe check out the view, talk to your friends,
think of all the cookies you're burning off,
sing to yourself.
You might be going uphill for quite a long time
so you might as well be happy while you're doing it.
Now, training seems so obvious
that it's almost not worth mentioning,
but obviously if you've trained appropriately
you will feel more comfortable on long climbs.
For a start, you'll know how your body
is going to respond to that exertion,
and secondly you'll have had a chance
to practice some of these tactics.
Now if you don't live near any long climbs, don't panic;
GCN has a video telling you how to
train on the flat, for climbs.
I hope this video helps you
to enjoy your climbs this summer.
Give us a thumbs up if so, and if you want to check out
how to ride steep climbs, click down here.