How to Bike Uphill

Biking is an excellent way to get cardiovascular exercise as it keeps your muscles burning and your heart pumping through different terrain. Learning different techniques and strategies to conserve strength and energy will help you achieve a more efficient workout and lead to a more enjoyable ride.

Instructions

  1. How to Bike Uphill

    • 1

      Assess the hill in front of you. If you know the curvature of the hill, you'll have a step up. If you don't, you'll need to be conservative. If the hill is steepest in the first section and levels off near the top, you'll want to gain speed on the flat preceding the hill and attempt to push hard up the first section.

    • 2

      Watch your shifting. Don't immediately downshift at the bottom of the hill. Keep pedaling at a comfortable pace until it becomes tiresome. Once you downshift, use it to your advantage. You gain extra propulsion when you downshift, so stand on the pedals and get a little momentum going before settling into a slower pace. Continue to do this until the pedaling speed can be maintained until the end.

    • 3

      Don't stand up immediately. If it's a long hill, you'll tire yourself out before you reach the top. Instead, stay seated through the first section of the hill until your thighs burn, then rise off the seat about 5 or 6 inches and continue pedaling. Once this gets to be burdensome, stand up on the pedals and power to the end of the hill.

    • 4

      Keep your speed as consistent as possible unless you're attempting to speed over the hill. Consistent speed will save your energy for subsequent hills or other challenging portions of your ride.