Do you like cycling uphill? If so, you are one of the few people who do. Cycling uphill is hard, to say the least, and it requires an incredible amount of determination, strength and stamina. Having decent cycling gear, such as the best road bikes and best cycling computers, doesn't hurt either.
And if there is one person who knows what it takes to climb the steepest stretches of winding mountain roads is Sean Gardener, the new 'Everesting' world record holder. 'Everesting' is a relatively new sport that requires a cyclist to ride 8,848 vertical meters (the height of Mount Everest) in an under 7-hour time limit.
If you ever tried cycling uphill for longer than a few minutes, you know full well how draining it is. Doing it for hours on end is only possible if you have a plan in place and train the right way. Following Sean's uphill cycling tips might also help, listed below.
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Its worth knowing what youre getting yourself in for and make sure you choose the right hill for your skill level Sean recommends starting on roads with a 6-7% incline rate. As you may have guessed, going uphill is the hardest part of cycling so "you need to be very conscious of your climbing ability", says Sean.
Also, make sure you don't confuse a flat 20-mile ride with a mountainous20-mile ride. They might look similar on Google Maps the in real life, these routes are very different and the latter will take substantiallylonger. to make gruelling climbs at least somewhat bearable, Sean says it's best to pick routes with a nice view if you can: "Climbing often takes you to some beautiful locations you wouldnt normally see so be sure to hit the iconic climbs and take in the view at the top."
Wahoo KICKR CLIMB Grade Simulator | Buy it for 449 at WiggleYou might not be able to see lovely mountainous areas indoors but you also won't get hit by a car or get rained on, so one can say cycling indoors has its benefits. And if you want to train for incline, you'll need the Wahoo Kickr Climb Grade Simulator. The Climb is capable of recreating inclines up to 20% and declines up to -10%. Compatible with the new Wahoo KICKR and the new KICKR SNAP.View Deal
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We love to preach about core training here on T3. A strong trunk can help you in many ways, from improving your posture to increasing general well-being. And, as it turns out, core training is beneficial for cycling uphill, too.
Your training should naturally consist of as much cycling as possible, but that shouldnt be at the expense of other muscles. "Finding the time to focus on core workouts is VERY important", Sean adds. During off-season months, Sean also likes to swim and/or run to maintain his cardio performance and to give his cycling muscles a bit of a rest.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
As with running a marathon, consuming enough carbohydrates the day before will be key to ensuring your body and muscles have the energy required to complete the uphill challenge. Sean points out that "the night before you definitely don't want to skimp on food but you also don't want to eat so much that you are bloated and feel horrible."
Just like in most other parts in life, fuelling your body the night before big rides is all about balance and finding the middle ground. Sean recommends eating and drinking as much as you can during the ride as you will need all the energy to keep you going. A few of Sean's on-the-bike favourites are Poptarts, peanut butterand jellysandwiches,rice cakes and granola bars.
Supersapiens' energy management system, powered by the Abbott Libre Sensor Glucose Sport Biosensor, can help you 'fuel up' more accurately for races and training. This biosensor can monitor blood glucose levels and provides a live feedback through the Supersapiens app. You can take the guesswork out of fuelling with this handy device.
Riding uphill is just as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Sean would suggest breaking up the climb into segments, especially for beginner cyclists. "Be aware that you are going so slow that you can really take in every aspect of the climb.Maybe concentrate on making it to the next switchback or the next mailbox", he adds.
More advanced cyclist could also benefit from this technique. "I think even Tour de France riders are scared from time to time of tackling huge uphills all at once and tend to divide up the climb into segments to make it more manageable", Sean explains.
Make sure your motivation is clearly defined and always keep in mind that once you reached the top of the climb, the only way from there is downhill. "The descent is the biggest reward for making it to the top of the climb", Sean explains, "thinking about the descent will help you have something to hold onto during the tough moments and you can just enjoy coasting all the way back down."
(Image credit: Hammerhead)
"I always plan my rides with theKaroo", Sean says, "its by far the best navigation computeron the market." Most cycling computers are pretty similar in the data they are able to track, they have Bluetooth capabilities and are fairly compact. Big brands such as Garmin and Wahoo offer a wide range of bike computers too.
Sean swears by the mapping feature found on his Karoo: "where the Karoo stands out is their mapping features you are able to create and plan for complexclimbs and uphill routes ahead of time to explore new areas but this even allows you to reroute on the fly if needed."
But that's not all. "Another one of my favorite features is the ability to input destinations on the fly. So when Im feeling the bonk coming halfway through my ride, I can type in coffee to the Karoo and will plan my route to the nearest coffee shop!", Sean exclaims.
(Image credit: Therabody)
Although strenuous uphill rides cause less structural damage to muscles and ligaments than running a marathon, its still an incredibly physical challenge. Afterwards its pretty common for your energy levels to be pretty low so eat loads and rest to help your muscles recover. Taking some protein can help muscle recovery too.
"Plan for a recovery ride the next day which is effectivelya "non training day" thats meant to be incredibly easy", Sean says, "It actually requires a lot of concentration to go this slow but that is where all the magic happens.Aim for an easy spin thats less than an hour to regain strength in your legs and boost energy levels."
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The best exercise for weight loss and cardio is easy: just cycle up Mount Everest! - T3
