5 QUICK CHECKS...
BEFORE HILLY RIDES
MOUTH FUELS 1
For a ride in excess of three hours ensure you’ve fuelled with a carbohydrate-rich meal, ideally two hours before. It is hard to keep the intensity down so you’ll be dipping into limited glycogen reserves from the off.
MIND SET 2
Visualise your technique and get in the zone, running through how you expect to feel and what you’re trying to achieve.
PLAN AHEAD 3
Split the climb into three sections and aim to ride the first well below your threshold power [your highest possible power sustained over 45-60mins] or heart rate, the second just below threshold and on the third section ride at threshold until you see the top, then open it up and see what you can do!
CHANGE GEAR 4
If you hit a climb and immediately your power spikes above threshold then you’re probably over-geared. Don’t be macho about this, easier gears are kinder on your legs and allow you to control effort far more effectively.
WEAR AND TEAR 5
On average the temperature will drop one degree for every 100m climbed – so on a 1000m mountain col that’s a 10-degree difference. Factor in that you will get damp from sweating on the way up so you’ll need extra layers for the descent. Rob Wakefield, propello.bike coach