Climbing is an essential skill for the well-rounded cyclist. Once added to your toolbox, it unlocks the joy of exploring new roads, both indoors and out!

When it comes to races and hard group rides, being a strong climber is doubly important since the inclines are where groups break apart and key selections are made. Can you stay in contention for the win, or will you get dropped into a chase group?

We’ve already covered the basics in 7 Tips for Faster Climbing. In this post, we’ll dig into how you can position and pace yourself for optimal performance on climbs.

Start Near the Front

Here’s a time-tested method used by cyclists everywhere, especially on short climbs.

If you’re concerned about your ability to stay in touch with your group up and over the climb, fight for a position near the front of the group before the climb begins.

This allows you to drift backward in the group during the climb, without getting dropped from the group. As long as you can make it over the top in touch with riders near the back of the group, you should be in a strong position as the group comes back together on the descent.

Start Easy

If you know the climb and your abilities, try to pace it so you start easier and go hardest near the end. This technique is regularly used by contenders in big climbing races like the Tour de France. These riders will sit in behind others for the first part of the climb so they have more to give at the end, when everyone else is tired!

As a bonus, this strategy is safe. It prevents you from blowing up early and losing major time crawling up the remainder climb.

Know When to Go Hard

Time trialists know that the steepest parts of the climb are also the places where you should push the hardest, because the steeper the road, the more time you gain with every increased watt of power.

In a road race where you’re sitting in with a pack of riders, your pace will be somewhat dictated by the need to maintain a good position in the group. But if you’re looking to put in a hard attack off the front, or perhaps claw back a few seconds on a group just up the road, putting those extra watts into the steepest climbs is a smart strategy.

Push Over the Top

Loosely related to the “Start Easy” tip is the idea of pushing hard over the crest of the climb. Our natural tendency is to reduce power as the incline flattens, but you want to put in a few hard pedal strokes to accelerate over the top of the climb and into the descent.

This will help you avoid getting dropped by riders pushing hard over the top. It may also make other work a bit harder to hang on your wheel!

Winding It Up

In a race situation, climbing smart may just make all the difference. Knowing your optimal pace and group position at different parts of a climb allows you to get to the top in the best shape possible.

You’ve got this. See you up there!