Technique Tips
Hill climb racing
Climb your way to success this season, thanks to these handy tips
Photography Matt Grayson
01 Get set for autumn
● Forget muddy walks and ripe apples, autumn is the time for crazy cycling hill climb races! These boisterous end-of-season races are essentially uphill versions of time trials, with most events run by the Cycling Time Trials governing body or affiliated clubs. At races you will find a mix of hardcore hill climbers and novice have-a-go heroes. The UK national hill climb championship on the last Sunday in October marks the end of the season.
02 Absorb the atmosphere
Hill climbs are short and sharp slogs – often less than 1km – so you’ll usually have a big crowd cheering you on. Channel this energy all the way uphill. “Hill climb races are horrible and wonderful at the same time: a great challenge with a great atmosphere,” says coach Matt Clinton of Clinterval Coaching (clinterval.co.uk).
03 Pace yourself
Aim for an even effort throughout the climb. “Remember it’s a race to the finish line, not a race off the start line,” says Clinton. “Start too hard and you’ll be in the red too early and regret it.”
04 Ditch Some Weight
Hill climbs are an excuse to get obsessive about your kit. “Losing unnecessary kit is the cheapest way to save weight – and gain time,” says Clinton. “Get rid of extra bottles, pumps and saddle packs. And for the ultimate weight-saving, buy a skinsuit.”
“REMEMBER IT’S A RACE TO THE FINISH LINE, NOT A RACE OFF THE START LINE. START TOO HARD AND YOU’LL REGRET IT”
05 Do a recce
Doing your homework with a recce ride will give you an edge. “You can work out the best line, how to avoid holes and gravel, and identify the steepest parts,” says Clinton. “This recce will also give you an idea of pacing. Wind direction is crucial so check that too.”
06 Build core strength
“If you don’t have anything to stabilise yourself then you’ll flounder,” says experienced hill climber Angus Fisk. “You can have the biggest muscles in the world, but if they aren’t working in combination then they aren’t useful. I don’t have big muscles so I make sure that everything I’ve got works together as well as possible!”
TRY THESE RACES
Try heading uphill fast with these autumn events
Catford Hill Climb
● First raced in 1887, the October Catford CC hill climb race (9th) on Yorks Hill near Sevenoaks in Kent features just 646m of ascent, but with an average gradient of 12.5% and two stretches at 25%, it’s mighty tough. The current record of 1min 47.6secs remains unbeaten since 1983…
Bec Hill Climb
● Raced on White Lane near Limpsfield in Surrey in October (9th in 2022), this takes the steepest route up Titsey Hill for 640m of pain and suffering at an average of 13%. You’ll be cheered on by the crowds lined the closed road. It costs £13 and is open to everyone from para cyclists to veterans.
HILL GEAR
Lightweight wonders for ascending glory
01 Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave Road Shoes
£240.65
● Featuring a very light, net-like upper and an ultra-stiff carbon sole, these race-level shoes combine weight saving and power transfer to help you battle uphill.
02 dhb Aeron Lab Women’s Ultralight Bib Shorts
£135
● Incredibly light and breathable, with a very close, compressive fit, these bib shorts are the ideal battle armour for hill-climb season, with no excess fabric to slow you down.
Ultimate Session
Tabata hill hell
Coach Matt Clinton, Clinterval Coaching
Benefits Hill repeats and big-gear efforts will boost your gravity-slaying power but a tabata workout will improve your heart and lung strength to ramp up your hill-climbing speed. “Tabata is the ultimate workout for hill climbs,” says Clinton. “It promotes top-end power and anaerobic capacity – just like riding on the limit during hill climb races.”
Kit needed Road bike or turbo, clothing
HOW TO DO IT
Warm-up 10mins easy spinning
Main set 7 x(20secs maximum effort; 10secs rest) 5mins recovery riding Repeat x 2
Cool-down 10mins easy spinning