If you ask most people where their cycling weakness lies, they will more often than not say hill climbing. Nothing sucks the snap from your legs quicker than a steep uphill grade but nothing is more satisfying than conquering a tough hill. If your goal is better fitness you can’t get a better workout than a ride that hits hill after hill. As a coach, the most common questions I get revolve around how to be stronger on the hills.

Here are the four key areas that affect your ability to go uphill fast.

Climbing Power

Climbing well requires both cardiovasular and muscular endurance. Without getting too technical, the best way to get better at hill climbing is to climb. Hill repeats where you climb to the top, turn around, descend to the bottom and repeat are a great way to get a lot of hill work in a short workout. My favourite is to head out to local hill that is about 1 km long. It’s challenging with a few steep pitches with good visibility at the top and bottom, making it safer for turning around when doing repeats. Early in the season I’ll have athletes do 5-6 repeats, building to 15-20 further into the season.

When training to climb better it is important to work on both seated and standing climbing. Standing up when you hit a steep section is a good way to get up quicker and spread the load over more muscles but it only works if you work at it. When doing hill repeats, alternate doing one time up seated and the next standing. Just remember to switch a gear or two harder before you stand up as your cadence drops when you stand.

If you are a mountain biker, then heading up to your local ski hill is the best place to work on your climbing. You can do either long or steep and as it takes less time to go down than up you will spend more of your ride time climbing.

Bodyweight

This one is really simple. For the same fitness, the lighter you are the faster you will go up hill. Power to weight ratio is an exact science among pro roadies. For every 5lb you lose you will be 30 seconds faster over 5km of climbing at 7 percent grade. If like me, you can’t see your abs then work at cutting weight and you will see a big improvement in your climbing ability. Don’t lose weight too quickly though as it can negatively affect your power output. 1-2 lb per week is a safe level of weight lose without sacrificing energy you’ll need to train.

Core and upper body endurance

The legs are the prime movers on the bike but the support muscles like your arms, abs and lower back work constantly while riding. Over time they get tired and your pedaling form suffers. When it comes to climbing they work even harder so the fitter you are in your support muscles the longer and faster you will be able to climb. While your core can be the weak link on the bike the best way to train it is off the bike cross training. See the workout below to improve your core fitness and climb better.

Mental focus

I won’t lie to you, climbing is hard work. That is where both the challenge and reward come from. Part of climbing well is mental. Don’t look upon that big hill with dread. See it as a challenge to overcome. Keep telling yourself in your head that you are a good climber. Attack the little climbs like you own them.

Core Workout to improve your hillclimbing

Do this workout 2-3 times per week and you will notice an improvement in your cycling within 4 weeks. Try to do the workout with as little rest as possible between exercises. Do a set of each exercise, moving to the next immediately for a total of three circuits. As you become fitter build up to a total of 5 rounds.

3 rounds

15 dumbbell swings 15 Spiderman pushups 15 Sumo deadlift high pulls 15 seconds each of front planks and side planks to each side (build to 30 seconds)

This workout won’t take much time but will do a lot to improve your hill climbing. Put in consistent work and you will see progress in a very short time.

Want to jive with a bike through the treacherous trails of the mountains? Get on Rocky Mountain bikes and be ready for an electrifying ride! Rocky bikes are exceptional with a zing of difference. But the offerings of Rocky encompass the desires and needs of myriad off road cyclists

The World Of Rocky Mountain Bike

Rocky bikes are embossed with innovation, quality and value with exceptional design, fabrication, CNC-machining, paint and pre-assembly done in-house in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Rocky mountain bike is one of the leaders who realized that future biking is going to rely heavily on full suspension. They are the one who bought out the 3D Link multi-pivot linkage design years ago. There were bikes for huge downhill travel and free ride bikes. The want was of middle one, a lightweight design for more travel.

ETSX Or Energy Transfer System

The quest ended with ETSX. This is a featherweight package weighing 12.9 kilograms for the 19” size and literally you can do ANYTHING with this bike.

This is geared with a double A-arm design, which as per the claim of Rocky Mountain is derived from Formula 1 racecar suspension. The design is beautiful with light and small suspension components. The main pivot point lies above the crank and just in front of the seat tube.

Moreover, there is really no chain stay, which can get in the way of the drive train. Sealed bearings at all of the pivots make the construction superb. By and large the rear wheel stays firmly planted onto the ground and the extra special traction is smooth under all conditions. Now great news! You can flip a quick release and alter the travel from 3.5 to 4.5 inches for a good ride in rough terrains for long travels and for an easy climb to the top of the mountain.

Some Other Specialties Of ETSX

1. The frame is prepared with Easton Bi-Oval RAD tubing

2. The welding is rock solid and big

3. The Fox Float RLC front fork has a very efficient lever on top of the right fork leg to control the spring tension

4. Two bottle mounts, one above and one below the down tube are there

The Part Mix Is Scrumptious. The List Goes Like This

1. Shimano 515 clipless pedals

2. The hubs, cranks, disc brakes, shifters and front derailleur are from Shimano XT

3. Thermo SP headset and Deus stem

4. Handlebar from favorite Easton Carbon Monkey Lite

5. Tires are from marvelous Hutchinson Mosquito

6. Wheelset is Rockies in house built Wheeltech, which includes Mavic X223 Disc rims, and DT spokes

At present, ETSX has three models.

Finding The Right Bike

Size does matter! And the best way to get the perfect size is testing several sizes in person at a Rocky Mountain bike dealer.

Warranty Coverage On Rocky Mountain Bike

Read the owner’s manual carefully. The shop from where you bought the bike will provide with initial information. You can also check out the “Warranty Inquiries” section in the website of Rocky Mountain Bicycles to get detailed info on warranties and guarantees.

Say good-bye to a bland life. Say hello to a daring journey on a sturdy beast, the Rocky mountain bike.

Want to jive with a bike through the treacherous trails of the mountains? Get on Rocky Mountain bikes and be ready for an electrifying ride! Rocky bikes are exceptional with a zing of difference. But the offerings of Rocky encompass the desires and needs of myriad off road cyclists
The World Of Rocky Mountain Bike
Rocky bikes are embossed with innovation, quality and value with exceptional design, fabrication, CNC-machining, paint and pre-assembly done in-house in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Rocky mountain bike is one of the leaders who realized that future biking is going to rely heavily on full suspension. They are the one who bought out the 3D Link multi-pivot linkage design years ago. There were bikes for huge downhill travel and free ride bikes. The want was of middle one, a lightweight design for more travel.
ETSX Or Energy Transfer System
The quest ended with ETSX. This is a featherweight package weighing 12.9 kilograms for the 19 inch size and literally you can do ANYTHING with this bike.
This is geared with a double A-arm design, which as per the claim of Rocky Mountain is derived from Formula 1 racecar suspension. The design is beautiful with light and small suspension components. The main pivot point lies above the crank and just in front of the seat tube.
Moreover, there is really no chain stay, which can get in the way of the drive train. Sealed bearings at all of the pivots make the construction superb. By and large the rear wheel stays firmly planted onto the ground and the extra special traction is smooth under all conditions. Now great news! You can flip a quick release and alter the travel from 3.5 to 4.5 inches for a good ride in rough terrains for long travels and for an easy climb to the top of the mountain.
Some Other Specialties Of ETSX
1. The frame is prepared with Easton Bi-Oval RAD tubing
2. The welding is rock solid and big
3. The Fox Float RLC front fork has a very efficient lever on top of the right fork leg to control the spring tension
4. Two bottle mounts, one above and one below the down tube are there
The Part Mix Is Scrumptious. The List Goes Like This
1. Shimano 515 clipless pedals
2. The hubs, cranks, disc brakes, shifters and front derailleur are from Shimano XT
3. Thermo SP headset and Deus stem
4. Handlebar from favorite Easton Carbon Monkey Lite
5. Tires are from marvelous Hutchinson Mosquito
6. Wheelset is Rockies in house built Wheeltech, which includes Mavic X223 Disc rims, and DT spokes
At present, ETSX has three models.
Finding The Right Bike
Size does matter! And the best way to get the perfect size is testing several sizes in person at a Rocky Mountain bike dealer.
Warranty Coverage On Rocky Mountain Bike
Read the owners manual carefully. The shop from where you bought the bike will provide with initial information. You can also check out the Warranty Inquiries section in the website of Rocky Mountain Bicycles to get detailed info on warranties and guarantees.
Say goodbye to a bland life. Say hello to a daring journey on a sturdy beast, the Rocky mountain bike.

Downhill mountain biking is one of the most extreme styles of mountain biking. Downhill biking, as its name implies is all about riding down steep slopes while getting over obstacles, drops and sharp turn in maximum speed. Over the years, many downhill mountain biking events and competitions have been established all over the world. Downhill competitions are held on courses situated on steep slopes and mountains such as the Alps and the Rocky mountains. The objective of a downhill cycling competition is to reach the bottom in the fastest time. Nonetheless, there are many mountain bikers who ride downhill trails just for the fun of it. In my opinion, mountain biking is a successful combination of the chance to feel a rush of adrenaline, reach remote places, see wonderful scenery and attempt to control and maneuver a mountain bike riding a high speed, through rough terrain.

Most of the main bike trails and bike parks which are geared towards downhill mountain bikers are equipped with attractions and are geared to their special needs. Many downhill mountain biking sites are equipped with chair lifts, which take bikers and their bikes to the top of the descent with no need to climb up. Many downhill mountain biking sites operate as ski sites in the winter and downhill mountain biking centers in the summer. Throughout Europe there are a few parks which are geared to downhill mountain bikers. One can find these sorts of parks in France, Austria, Italy and more. Downhill mountain biking parks offer specially made obstacles and drops, aside of the trails in their parameter.

As much as downhill biking is enjoyable and exciting, it’s one of the more hazardous mountain biking styles. In any case of downhill mountain biking, no matter if you’re an expert or a beginner, be sure do ride with full safety gear and after you have made sure that the trail you’re beginning fits your level of riding.