Climbing steep cycling routes requires more than just strong legs—it’s about technique, endurance, and mental resilience. Whether you’re tackling winding alpine ascents or short, punchy hills, refining your climbing ability can transform your rides. Here’s how to improve your uphill performance and make those climbs feel more manageable.

1. Master Your Pacing

One of the biggest mistakes cyclists make when climbing is going out too hard at the start. Climbing is all about managing effort—push too hard early on, and you’ll pay for it later. Instead, find a sustainable rhythm. Use a heart rate monitor or power meter to stay within your optimal zone, keeping enough energy in reserve for the entire climb.

2. Improve Your Cadence

Maintaining a steady cadence can make climbing more efficient. Aiming for a cadence of around 80–90 revolutions per minute (RPM) helps reduce muscular fatigue and conserves energy. If you find yourself grinding at a slow pace, consider adjusting your gearing to keep your legs spinning smoothly. Compact chainsets and wider-range cassettes can make a significant difference on tough gradients.

3. Strengthen Your Core and Upper Body

A strong core helps maintain stability and efficiency on climbs. Engaging your core allows you to stay balanced in the saddle, particularly when the gradient increases. Exercises like planks, Russian twists, and deadlifts can build the strength needed to stay controlled and powerful during long ascents.

Your upper body also plays a role, especially when climbing out of the saddle. Strengthening your arms, shoulders, and back can make standing efforts feel smoother and more controlled.

4. Refine Your Climbing Position

Your body position on the bike can impact how efficiently you climb. When seated, keep your hands relaxed on the tops or hoods and maintain a slight forward lean. This keeps weight distributed evenly while allowing you to breathe deeply. Standing climbing can provide relief for fatigued muscles, but it uses more energy—reserve it for steeper sections or attacking out of corners.

5. Train for Endurance and Power

Climbing demands both endurance and explosive power. Interval training sessions with hill repeats or structured efforts at varying intensities can help develop both. Try a mix of:

• Long, steady climbs at a moderate intensity to build endurance.
• Short, high-intensity bursts to simulate attacking sections of a climb.
• Threshold efforts to improve sustained power output.

6. Develop Mental Toughness

Steep climbs can be as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Break the ascent into smaller sections to make it feel more achievable. Focus on your breathing, and use positive self-talk to keep motivation high. Visualising yourself reaching the top can also help push through tough moments.

7. Manage Your Nutrition and Hydration

Fuelling properly before and during a climb can make all the difference. Eating a carbohydrate-rich meal a few hours before a ride ensures your glycogen stores are topped up. On longer climbs, sip an electrolyte drink and take in small amounts of easily digestible carbs, such as energy gels or bars, to maintain energy levels.

8. Choose the Right Equipment

Lighter bikes and wheels can make climbing easier, but your gearing is just as important. If you often ride hilly routes, using a compact crankset or a cassette with a wide range of gears will prevent unnecessary strain on your legs.

Another great addition to your kit is a quality pair of cycling glasses. Not only do they protect your eyes from debris and harsh weather, but they also reduce glare, helping you focus on the road ahead without distraction.

9. Ride With Stronger Climbers

Cycling with those who are more experienced at climbing can push you to improve. Whether it’s through a local cycling club or training with friends, riding with stronger climbers helps you learn pacing strategies, positioning techniques, and mental resilience.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice

The best way to improve your climbing is simply to do more of it. Seek out hilly routes, incorporate regular climbing sessions into your training, and focus on incremental gains. Over time, you’ll develop the strength, endurance, and confidence needed to conquer even the steepest ascents.

By refining your technique, building strength, and maintaining the right mindset, you’ll turn those once-daunting climbs into a challenge you can tackle with confidence.