From Bicycling
Climbing is a skill filled with subtlety and specialty. It’s not just about being light or heavy. We cyclists tend to classify climbing ability by two simple breakdowns: If you’re light, you spin and get out of the saddle a lot. If you’re heavy, you push bigger gears and sit. That’s a good starting point, but it’s only a starting point. Climbing is a skill filled with subtlety and specialty–two lightweights can be as different as a sprinter is from a time trialist. If you understand the fine points of how your body should be matched to a climbing style, you’ll ascend with more power and confidence.
Richard Virenque
Light and uniformly lean
Weight: 139 pounds
How He Climbs: Standing more than any other rider and "dancing" on the pedals with a high cadence
% standing: 70% or more
Anaerobic Threshold: 168 beats per minute
Climbing Watts: 420-450
How to climb better if this is you
* Practice spinning while standing-be able to maintain a cadence of 90-100 rpm out of the saddle. Many riders drop below 80 as they rise out of the saddle and crunch the pedals. Wrong approach for this body type.
* You don’t have much of an upper body, but use it while you’re standing. Pendulum the handlebar in rhythm with your pedaling–gravity will drop some of your body weight into your strokes.
* Experiment with your position. Try a slightly higher and more forward saddle position, which lets some riders feels as if they’re getting over the gear better. Bonehead Clause: Sudden changes in saddle position lead to knee pain and screwed-up backs and necks.
* If you’re buying a bike, look for one with the rear wheel as close to the seat tube as possible for a more direct distribution of force.
Bobby Julich
Lean, with long bones
Weight: 149 pounds
How He Climbs: Sitting and spinning
% standing: 20%
Anaerobic Threshold: 177 bpm
Climbing Watts: 450-490
How to climb better if this is you
* Aim for 70-80 rpm. "I go over big mountains in 39×19 or 21," says Julich.
* Keep spinning when the climb breaks. "Some guys shift into bigger gears when the road temporarily flattens because it helps bring the heart rate down," Julich says. "Even then, I like to spin to eliminate lactic acid. There’s a trade-off-my heart doesn’t have much of a chance to recuperate."
* Don’t stand for power boosts-stand to freshen your legs and stretch.
* Do light, high-repetition leg and upper body weight workouts in winter.
Marco Pantani
Light, with more powerful butt and thighs
Weight: 125 pounds
How He Climbs: Frequently intersperses seated pedaling with lots of bursts and jumps
% standing: 50-65%
Anaerobic Threshold: Not known
Climbing Watts: 375-460
How to climb better if this is you
* Many climbers seek to apply consistent effort over an ascent, but you should plan the climb as a series of attacks and recoveries: Spin in the saddle, then jump for a burst of speed; sit and spin, then jump again. This is the optimum mix for your blend of power and lightness.
* When you’re sitting, occasionally scoot backward on the saddle to maximize the power delivered by your relatively powerful glutes and quads. It should almost feel as if you’re doing leg presses (but still at a high cadence-no less than 85 rpm).
Jan Ullrich
Muscular torso with long legs, larger than the average good climber
Weight: 161 pounds
How He Climbs: Sitting, standing for brief attacks or to power over steep sections
% standing: 35%
Anaerobic Threshold: 183 bpm
Climbing Watts: 490-510
How to climb better if this is you
* Slide back on the saddle to get more power from your quads. Concentrate on pushing the pedals forward, instead of down.
* Put your hands in the drops.
* Set a cadence of 55-65 rpm in as tough a gear as you can handle.
* Forget comfort. When you have to, get out of the saddle and keep climbing. Rock the bike and keep your body straight-if you don’t let your weight fall onto the pedals as they drop, you’re wasting one of your best assets.
* While training, your goal should be to sustain your hardest effort for 15-30 minutes.
WHAT IT TAKES TO CLIMB LIKE A PRO
No EPO jokes, guys. American Jonathan Vaughters has studied watt output on pro climbs with an SRM Power-meter. His conclusions:
* To get over a major mountain in the top 50, a rider has to be able to produce about
3 watts per pound (actually 1.1 pounds) over an extended period.
* Riders in the lead group might have to produce 3.5-3.75 watts per pound (or more) over an extended period of climbing.
Bike to Fitness 