{"id":4450,"date":"2022-04-01T10:18:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T14:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.wahoofitness.com\/?p=4450"},"modified":"2022-12-08T13:13:51","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T18:13:51","slug":"ask-experts-hill-climbing-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wahoofitness.com\/blog\/ask-experts-hill-climbing-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask the Experts: Hill Climbing 101"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even if we are not preparing to race in the Tour anytime soon, it is an important skill to become a strong climber for any cyclist. With increased metrics provided to riders at the touch of a<\/span> button, it is easier than ever to track your performance and improvement in cycling across the board. Having a good understanding of not only your strengths but weaknesses too can help you to hone in on the specificity of what you\u2019ll need in order to achieve your biggest gains.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Should You Focus On?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When identifying your biggest gains in climbing, most individuals immediately think of dropping weight. The lighter you are the faster you\u2019ll be, right? While we can\u2019t deny that weight does play into climbing performance, it should not be the top target or goal for initial performance gains. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So then what should your focus be on? Below we will list three pieces to target:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Increasing power output<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Pacing your power output<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Working on maintaining focus and proper mechanics<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Why Not Weight?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, your watts\/kg make a difference in how fast you will go for a given power output<\/a>, but the focus on the above factors are much more actionable. Oftentimes, people go overboard on the focus for watts per kilogram, when this should be one of the last factors to consider in performance gains. If you still are set on focusing on weight, make the weight be about the bike, and not yourself as a rider. A few important keys to consider are rotating weight on the bike, specifically wheels and tires. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Increasing Power Output<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    First, you want to build a strong base, which is established not only by muscular strength but also by muscular endurance. This is why increasing your power output is crucial. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you are a SYSTM<\/a> user, then we recommend the following workouts for specific climbing efforts: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n