Whether you're a seasoned cyclist or a weekend warrior, there’s one aspect of outdoor riding that never fails to challenge even the fittest riders—climbing hills. Tackling a tough climb requires more than just physical strength; it’s a test of mental endurance, strategy, and technique. But mastering hills doesn’t have to be a struggle. With the right approach, you can turn even the steepest climbs into an opportunity to shine. In this post, we’ll break down the key strategies that will help you conquer hills like a pro. From building strength on indoor cycling bikes to honing your climbing technique, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make your next climb feel easier—and maybe even enjoyable. Why Climbing Hills is a Challenge for Cyclists Before diving into tips, it’s worth understanding why climbing can feel so gruelling. When you hit an incline, your body has to work much harder to maintain speed and momentum. Gravity is pulling you back, and every pedal stroke requires more energy to move your weight upward. On long or steep climbs, this effort can feel like a never-ending battle between your legs, lungs, and the road ahead. While there’s no shortcut to making hills disappear, you can prepare your body and mind to handle them better. It all comes down to technique, training, and a bit of strategy. Build Strength and Endurance Indoors Winter can be a tough season for outdoor cyclists, but it’s also the perfect time to focus on the strength and endurance you’ll need for conquering hills. Indoor cycling provides a controlled environment where you can tailor your training specifically for climbing. Use Resistance to Simulate Hills If you’re training indoors, you can simulate climbs by gradually increasing the resistance on your bike to mimic the challenge of a hill. Focus on maintaining a steady cadence while pushing through the resistance. Over time, this will build the leg strength and cardiovascular endurance you’ll need when facing tough outdoor climbs. Energym’s electricity-generating bikes are perfect for this kind of training. Our bikes let you adjust resistance levels and track your power output in real-time, helping you build the power and stamina to take on the toughest inclines. Plus, as you generate electricity with each session, you’re not just powering up your legs—you’re also powering a portable battery unit! 🥶 Winter is coming (and so is the RE:GEN). Train indoors AND generate electricity —join the waitlist now🥶 Focus on Low Cadence, High Power Intervals Climbing often requires a lower cadence (fewer pedal strokes per minute) but higher power output. This is where indoor interval training shines. Use short bursts of low-cadence, high-resistance intervals to train your muscles to generate more force per pedal stroke. These intervals prepare you for the grind of long, steep climbs by developing the muscular endurance needed to keep turning the pedals under high resistance. Find Your Rhythm and Maintain Cadence When you’re climbing a hill, rhythm is everything. Many cyclists make the mistake of starting out too fast, only to burn out halfway through the climb. Instead, find a steady cadence that you can maintain throughout the ascent. Gear Selection Matters One key to maintaining cadence on a climb is selecting the right gear. Before you start the climb, shift into an easier gear that allows you to spin your pedals at a comfortable rate. Don’t wait until you're already on the hill to shift—downshift early so that you can keep your momentum going as the incline increases. Once you're climbing, aim for a cadence between 70 and 90 RPM (revolutions per minute). If you feel yourself starting to slow down too much, shift into an even easier gear to keep the pedals turning smoothly. Maintaining a steady cadence prevents you from exhausting your legs too early in the climb, leaving you with enough energy to power through to the top. Master Your Body Position Proper body position can make a huge difference in how efficiently you climb. For most climbs, you’ll want to stay seated for the majority of the ascent. Sitting conserves energy and allows you to generate more consistent power over long distances. Seated Climbing: Power from the Core When seated, keep your hands relaxed on the handlebars, your upper body still, and your core engaged. This helps stabilise your bike and allows your legs to do the heavy lifting. The more you can rely on your core to stabilise your body, the more energy you’ll save for your legs to push the pedals. Keep your upper body relaxed to avoid unnecessary tension, which can waste energy. Standing to Surge However, there are times when standing can be advantageous, such as when you need to accelerate or when tackling short, steep sections of a climb. When standing, shift your weight slightly forward over the handlebars, and use your body weight to push the pedals. Be careful not to sway too much side to side—while it’s natural for your bike to rock slightly, excessive movement wastes energy. Standing for short bursts can provide relief for your legs and help you power through tough sections, but be mindful not to overuse this technique, as it burns more energy than seated climbing. Pace Yourself with the Long Game in Mind One of the biggest mistakes cyclists make when climbing hills is trying to sprint to the top. While it’s tempting to power through, you risk running out of steam halfway up. Instead, think of climbing as a marathon, not a sprint. Break the Climb Into Sections Mentally dividing a long climb into sections can make it feel more manageable. Focus on reaching the next bend, tree, or landmark rather than thinking about the entire hill at once. This can help you pace yourself and maintain a steady effort throughout the climb. Use Your Power Wisely If you’re using a power meter, aim to maintain a steady wattage throughout the climb. The RE:GEN measures FTP and you can practice pacing by keeping your power output consistent during simulated climbs. Over time, you’ll learn to gauge how much effort you can sustain for the duration of a climb. Pacing yourself efficiently ensures you’ll have enough energy left to push through when the climb gets steeper or longer than expected. Train Your Mind to Overcome the Mental Battle Climbing hills isn’t just a physical challenge—it’s a mental one too. When your legs are burning and your breath is short, your mind can be the biggest obstacle to reaching the top. But with the right mental strategies, you can push through the discomfort and stay focused on your goal. Break Down Negative Thoughts It’s natural for negative thoughts to creep in when the going gets tough. Instead of letting them take over, acknowledge them and then shift your focus to something positive. Remind yourself that you’ve trained for this, that each pedal stroke is bringing you closer to the top, and that you have the strength to push through. Stay Focused on Your Breathing When climbs get really tough, it’s easy to let your breathing become shallow and erratic. Focus on maintaining deep, rhythmic breaths, which will help keep your heart rate under control and your muscles supplied with oxygen. Use Mantras or Visualisation Some cyclists find that repeating a mantra helps them stay focused during tough climbs. Simple phrases like “steady and strong” or “one pedal at a time” can help keep your mind from wandering. Alternatively, visualize yourself reaching the top of the climb and imagine how good it will feel to crest the hill and power down the descent. Fuel and Hydrate Properly Climbing takes a lot of energy, and if you’re not properly fueled, your body will struggle to perform at its best. Make sure you’ve eaten a carbohydrate-rich meal before your ride, and bring snacks or gels for longer rides with multiple climbs. Hydration is equally important—dehydration can cause cramping and fatigue, which will make climbing feel even harder. Bring It All Together with Energym Training for climbs indoors can give you a serious edge when it comes to tackling tough hills outdoors. Energym’s electricity-generating bikes are designed to help you build the strength, endurance, and power you need to conquer any incline. With real-time tracking of your power, cadence, and resistance, you can train with precision, ensuring you’re ready for any hill that comes your way. Turn your workouts into electricity—join the waitlist now