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Max Plaxton, a member of the 7SYSTEMS 2011 Pro Team, was kind enough to share his top five hill climbing tips. Max is a professional mountain biker and has joined Specialized USA Factory Team in 2011 after two years in the Sho-air program. Max finished 5th place overall in the 2010 pro XCT standings. Look for Max's newest race results in our Community News section below.
Tips to hill climb like Max:
1. Use the appropriate gearing for the gradient. I personally tend to climb with a pretty high cadence(90-100 rpm) which I find helps me when riding the mountain bike. Using a slightly higher cadence in beneficial but it can take time to build this ability.
2. Stand whenever it feels right. Some riders sit more then others and some riders stand more. Everyone is different but generally I find it's beneficial to alternate between sitting and standing. When getting out of the saddle, I usually shift down a gear and up the pace a little bit.
3. Gauge your effort and settle into a rhythm. It's easy to go too hard in the first part of the climb and often riders will pay the price. Save some "go" for the last part of the climb and try to finish strong. It's all about knowing yourself and your strengths and this won't happen overnight.
4. Select the appropriate clothing. I really like climbing with as little layers as possible. If you know you will be doing climbs on your ride then maybe wear a vest which you can peel off and put in your pocket so you don't get too hot on the climb. Rolling down the arm warmers is a nice feeling too.
5. Reward yourself at the top of the climb and take in the views, eat a snack, take a picture, etc... There are often really cool views at the top of a climb. It doesn't matter if it's the top of mount Doug or the observatory at home in Victoria or the top of a mountain in the Alps.
Climbing can be hard, but this is how you will get a lot of your fitness and there is almost always a rewarding downhill to follow.
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