Tips for if you're pushing uphill but your friends aren't

[Flowrider]

Found this very handy from MTB fitness

https://mtb.fitness/

If you get fed up because you need to push up steep hills 🚵 when your riding buddies can reach the top, here's 10 quickfire tips to help :

1. Drop some weight. The lighter you are the easier it is to climb.

2. Pace yourself - don't go too hard, too fast and burnout early 🤢

3. Strengthen your legs up in the gym 🏋️‍♀️

4. Do 30 minutes of intervals 2/3x per week

5. Ride more - nothing beats hours in the saddle 🚴

6. Dig deeper, no amount of fitness makes up for wimping out early because your legs and lungs hurt

7. Strengthen your core by doing 10 minutes of core work every morning (planks, sit ups etc.) 8. Listen to music 🎧 on the climbs, it will help you get in the zone and dig deeper

8. Be patient. It takes time to improve and that’s ok. Each ride just go that little bit further. The progress will come.

9. Don't push. When you can't go on, rest for 30 seconds standing still, then get back on and carry on riding. Rinse and repeat till you reach the top.

10. WORK at it. You absolutely can get fit enough to slay any hill, but it isn't going to happen overnight. You need to consistently work at it. Over and over and over and over. Consistent improvement every week is how you get there. There are ZERO quick fixes

And if you really want to commit to getting fitter over the next few months, get started on MTB Fit! You can try it out free for 30 days. Join thousands of mountain bikers here:

https://mtb.fitness/products/mtb-fit-the-app

[GirishH]

@Flowrider, please don’t get offended, but some of these tips aren’t exactly “quick-fire.”

For example, what does “drop some weight” mean—body weight or weight on the bicycle?

That said, I do agree with and follow some of the tips—like 2, 5, 8, 9, and 10.

Though tip 10 seems to contradict the title, which says these are “quick-fire tips.”

The trick I personally use is: swear at the “creator” and keep pushing the bicycle up that steep hill..

(03-05-2026, 05:08 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  Found this very handy from MTB fitness

https://mtb.fitness/

If you get fed up because you need to push up steep hills 🚵 when your riding buddies can reach the top, here's 10 quickfire tips to help :

1. Drop some weight. The lighter you are the easier it is to climb.

2. Pace yourself - don't go too hard, too fast and burnout early 🤢

3. Strengthen your legs up in the gym 🏋️‍♀️

4. Do 30 minutes of intervals 2/3x per week

5. Ride more - nothing beats hours in the saddle 🚴

6. Dig deeper, no amount of fitness makes up for wimping out early because your legs and lungs hurt

7. Strengthen your core by doing 10 minutes of core work every morning (planks, sit ups etc.) 8. Listen to music 🎧 on the climbs, it will help you get in the zone and dig deeper

8. Be patient. It takes time to improve and that’s ok. Each ride just go that little bit further. The progress will come.

9. Don't push. When you can't go on, rest for 30 seconds standing still, then get back on and carry on riding. Rinse and repeat till you reach the top.

10. WORK at it. You absolutely can get fit enough to slay any hill, but it isn't going to happen overnight. You need to consistently work at it. Over and over and over and over. Consistent improvement every week is how you get there. There are ZERO quick fixes

And if you really want to commit to getting fitter over the next few months, get started on MTB Fit! You can try it out free for 30 days. Join thousands of mountain bikers here:

https://mtb.fitness/products/mtb-fit-the-app

[Flowrider]

I think MTB fitness meant their list was a 'quickfire list', not the effort required to see results.

At the end of the day, different things work for different people, so we have to find, through perseverance, what works for us on an individual basis

[Diane Mendoza]

(03-05-2026, 05:08 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  Found this very handy from MTB fitness

https://mtb.fitness/

If you get fed up because you need to push up steep hills 🚵 when your riding buddies can reach the top, here's 10 quickfire tips to help :

1. Drop some weight. The lighter you are the easier it is to climb.

2. Pace yourself - don't go too hard, too fast and burnout early 🤢

3. Strengthen your legs up in the gym 🏋️‍♀️

4. Do 30 minutes of intervals 2/3x per week

5. Ride more - nothing beats hours in the saddle 🚴

6. Dig deeper, no amount of fitness makes up for wimping out early because your legs and lungs hurt

7. Strengthen your core by doing 10 minutes of core work every morning (planks, sit ups etc.) 8. Listen to music 🎧 on the climbs, it will help you get in the zone and dig deeper

8. Be patient. It takes time to improve and that’s ok. Each ride just go that little bit further. The progress will come.

9. Don't push. When you can't go on, rest for 30 seconds standing still, then get back on and carry on riding. Rinse and repeat till you reach the top.

10. WORK at it. You absolutely can get fit enough to slay any hill, but it isn't going to happen overnight. You need to consistently work at it. Over and over and over and over. Consistent improvement every week is how you get there. There are ZERO quick fixes

And if you really want to commit to getting fitter over the next few months, get started on MTB Fit! You can try it out free for 30 days. Join thousands of mountain bikers here:

https://mtb.fitness/products/mtb-fit-the-app run 3

Nice list of tips I’d also add that gear choice and cadence can make a big difference on steep climbs. Spinning at a steady cadence in an easier gear usually helps save your legs compared to grinding a heavy gear. Another thing that helped me was focusing on breathing rhythm and staying seated longer to keep traction. Small adjustments like that can make long climbs feel a lot more manageable over time.

[Criminal]

They are all common sense for just about any physical activity. Train, work your entire body, increase the activity, etc., etc.

@GirishH Losing weight should have been specified, but any weight loss will help.
Most people carry far to much on their bike just for basic use because they need all kinds of stuff that has nothing to do with cycling (phones, devices, fitness crap, etc.); while often not even carrying a pump or repair kit (left my friend behind on a ride not realizing he flatted and had no tube/kit!). Excess water and food also contributes (most do not need more than 16 to 20oz of water/fluids of properly hydrated (I have not carried any fluids for the past 4 months on rides up to 40 miles). Drink a pint/.5L before ride and pee (they nearly offset weight gain) before a ride which saves about 1 pounds of carrying around an extra bottle.
Body weight will be lost by being active and eating properly and you will not need to carry any of that energy crap because you are now in good shape by activity and balanced diet

Funny how that list neglects to mention to of the most important items: technique and equipment (gearing). Often climbing is done in too high or too low of a gear ratio. I see people spinning while climbing and going nowhere fast because they are in such a low gear. I can only assume they do not want to exert much effort; conversely others are out of the saddle beating themselves to death and barely pedalling at 30 rpm. I do like to ride a higher gear and if a good climbing effort I should be out of the saddle, but no reason not to save the knees and keep the bikes from swinging back and forth excessively.
If you do not have pedals that retain your feet than you should get some (recommend dual use platform/clipless pedals for mtb). Still, you need to know to pedal with them using a consistent stroke and not just a push down/pull up technique which is inefficient.
Technique relating to proper control of the bike and using the proper muscles while staying relaxed is a key. Keep everything above the the shoulders relaxed and set a tempo. The more you swing the bike side to side the more loss of energy transfer you have to going forward. Practice hard climbs while keeping the frame as centered/steady as possible; that also helps you find the best gear- too much swing go lower, little or no swing then take it up a notch.

Most importantly, never be concerned about what your friends are doing. If they are your friends, they won't care if you are the last one up the hill, but they will support and congratulate you for being out there when others are not just as you would do for your friend pulling up the rear if not yourself being the last.

[Flowrider]

Totally agree, Diane. Cadence isn't talked about much, but once people understand the concept, it's a game-changer!

[SPINMAN]

Yes, power (W - watts) to weight ratio is well documented. There's a graph somewhere, I can't find it, showing for every kg of body weight will reduce speed like 10 seconds per km. I don't remember the exact numbers but this metric is true.

Power vs. Weight: While lighter is generally better for climbing, maintaining absolute power (total watts) is crucial. A 70kg rider at 300W (4.3 W/kg) is theoretically faster than an 80kg rider at 300W (3.7 W/kg) on a steep ascent.