I always avoid the lowest gear ratio I want to keep it as an escape plan. Also... Rode more hills... I hate them with passion but it's the only thing that helped me. Good points. Especially about gear changing before standing up it's like with many things.... Impedance matching.

I have a vintage bike, front is 42×52. Only 22 in the back. When I was young didn't think about it, just rode it.

5:43 “unless you’re in one of those funny countries that I’ve only read about in magazines. And wish I could visit…” Okay, I confess, I LOL’ed at that one. 🤣 Love your twisted sense of humor 👍

I find that cadence is key. When we are not climbing we are in normal big ring AND normal cadence mode. If I maintain cadence on various hills using smaller gears then i should be able to cope ok as my body is used to that cadence. Also recovery is quicker than if i grind my way over hills in gears too big.

Hi Coach, i love the emergency gear, the one before last, brillant ! 😎

Once went out for a ride with climbs , got to the first climb went up quite easily better than usual , must be getting stronger , THEN , looked down and noticed left the water bottles LOL, still going after strava KOM's and still holding on to quite a few , even at 65years young going on 66 ,although currently at 80kg should be at 70kg , if the weather would get better i will get there , besides its fun to make the young guys sweat a bit

I have never had anyone “no take any of my pish” through KZfaq before. Chapeau! Solid tips, cheers 🍻

Right on time!!!! I'm doing hill repeats tomorrow morning!!! Thanks.

Ahh I was made fun of for never using my biggest chain ning in the back. Thanks for validation!

39X25 on the Time and 36X25 on the Bianchi, that all they gave me, and other than that I do all your suggestion except for my total kitted weight. Thanks fo the info.

Good advice. Ref out of the saddle climbing I find I can utilise the upward pull on the peddles more, that combined with using my weight on the downstroke enables me to kick on when I come to the brow of a hill.

Love hills. Climb Mr. Good often. 15 miles. Steep climbs out of saddle, I tend to try to pull up opposite down stroke. Like trying to hit bar with knee. Gives a nice power boost. Just need to practice this.

Thanks Coach great tips for my climbing week

“But Coach, I like the small gears…I NEED the small gears”! -a “Fanny”. Thanks Coach!

Watching this was worth it just for the scenery! Great info, on kit I shaved 425g of my gravel bike system weight, I bought some new shoes! Could tell instantly!

Good advice. I’m riding the Little Lumpy sportive this weekend, which covers 100+ miles over some of the biggest hills along the South Downs, so I’ll be using all my climbing skills. Personally I find it much easier riding out of the saddle, even if it is less efficient, although if the road is wet I have to sit down to avoid the dreaded back wheel spin.

I went on a cycling tour in the mountains of Colombia when i was riding mostly criteriums and that was a big mistake. The tour guide convinced me to buy a new cog stating “he never saw a rider complain about having too much gears”😂

Interesting and on point video, but for those of us with hip or knee issues, I think we should avail of all the help we can get from gearing. The bike I ride at present has 50/34 and 11 - 32 cassette. It's pretty good, but as I live in a hilly area, I feel I would benefit from making that 11 - 34.

Just did Cairngorm today from the house...gets easier each time, key to me is let it come to me not attack it, see where the breathing/HR and gearing is at then get into a rhythm...as it gets steeper alternate out the saddle and shunt from 34/34 to 34/27 for say 20 turns of the cranks then sit down and whip it back to 34/34 (try and avoid these changes under load..."ease up and simultaneously change" is the rule)for a wee while... anyway, off to Mallorca in a week, hopefully their climbs are a lot more consistent and a 1:1 should cope with most things out there?!!

Will be on my mtb today , 50/32 = 1.56 💪if only I had a 52 on the back 😅. The 2 up rule good tip i will try that today as I just wing it everytine when dumping gears

You won't collapse if you're on a 20% gradient. Ran into one with a 34/28. Turning the crank was interesting.

Good and interesting as always. Give it a try without background music next time. 😉

i agree, lot of ultrabikers (1000, 2500 or 4500 kms) have bikes between 15 and 20 kg ! and they are finisher !!!

I love and despise hills… I’m good up to 7% or so but when I get to the 9% and up I feel like I’m gonna fall off because I’m struggling to not stop in my tracks. I will continue doing hills so I don’t look like a dumbass and fall mid climb😂 I do tend to stand and grind so I will follow your lead and stay seated and keep working.

A negative number? Or a number less than 1?

Most of my bikes run a sub 1.0 granny gear and I use it regularly on any extended section of about 12% plus. But that's a combination of being over 60 and where I live

You made that hill look easy

We have some nice hills in South Africa Cape Town Suikerbossie and Chapmans peak to name a few

Dear coach , I was under the impression that you divide the number of the front chainring by the number of the largest cassette sprocket in order to get your gear ratio. Example front 36 /30 rear = 1.2 Please clarify.

Try to do the Mortirollo some day and you’ll wish you have something smaller than 34/34 😅

Anyways, Robbin Williams use to do your accent in his acts, he was also a cyclist. 😂

DIET has been the biggest help in climbing hills!

Hills suck. But at least they eventually end, unlike the wind. lol. Admittedly they would suck a lot less if I ever got around to losing the weight I've been claiming will come off "easily" for the past few years. (To be fair, weight *used* to be easy to drop before my mid-fifties. lol). I've already got a lighter bike. My kit could be a few ounces lighter, but me.... I'm the anchor.

I've got 32 rear and 36 front and I still don't use what I call the granny gear, I found with the 50/34 front I was spinning to much.

Hills what is that? I live in the low lands. It's so low and flat that we named our country after it.

No option where I stay .Cannot beat a good run round Talla loop.

1:15 you wont get a negative number, you'll get a ratio thats

Always consume Irn-Bru on a climb.

Do you ride in the drops on big hills, both when in the saddle and standing?

I need the granny ring on the flat :/

Carrick Hills?

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Not a negative number. A less than 1 number.

Negative number? No, a number less than one!

Sorry, but the maths nerd in me can't let you get away with saying that a small number divided by a big number gives a negative number.