How To Hang Tough On A Climb | 10 Tips To Not Get Dropped

[@gcn]

Have you got any techniques you use to hang on to faster riders uphill? Let us know

[@NielsHeldens]

Global Cycling Network ride harder

[@lisapet160]

Lower gear and stand-up once in a while.

[@nixo139]

Go ful focus mode

[@jenniferlowe-brewer8083]

Sneak up really closely and hitch a ride from their seat bag.

[@tro7e]

ebike

[@josephantaree6876]

Emma Pooley's presence has elevated GCN to a new level . . . !

[@nez-f6t]

Emma should get an Oscar for her acting when ‘suffering’ on Matt’s wheel.

[@peterwilson1831]

Emma is really coming in to her own! nerves easing up and personality shining through. Great work.

[@stuartdryer1352]

Gold at the end. I'm having a lot of problems clicking in. Comic genius.

[@stuarthenderson7354]

I can't get used to the size disparity between you two !! Another great Vid

[@James_R_]

I was thinking about her 650b wheels the whole time.

[@skysnipe1]

M4X THR0TT1E ikr bikes tiny

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed the video Stuart!

[@ChrisMurley]

I love how Emma dances on the pedals. Something I would love to be able to do.

[@JohnathonThompson]

Reminds me of how Contador goes up hills.

[@nootnoot1463]

I think it’s mostly the very light riders who come out the saddle effectively. Heavier riders like me can’t seem to do it very well even when they’re fit

[@Charles-wz9sd]

Caffeine and Carbs I'm 70kg 170cm. I can climb out of the saddle like that. You just got to train to stay out of the saddle.

[@nootnoot1463]

Charles Lo I’m 186cm and 80kgs. I’ve tried training out of the saddle but I definitely prefer sitting and spinning Froome style. There are plenty of contradictions but I reckon in general the dancers are lighter than the sitters

[@ChrisMurley]

Caffeine and Carbs At a 3 figure weight (no, I'm not saying!). There is no way I'm dancing like that, on or off the bike!

[@cyclingninja9677]

Matt has always been a great GCN presenter but, he and Emma are now the two making this channel. They just work so well and have the experience and personality that is transforming the vids Cake face!!! great stuff and Emma just flies up these hills. It reminded me of Matt and Contador. Sadly, we don't have long climbs in Yorkshire most are quite short and brutal so, its all about getting up them and grinding it out. I actually now enjoy hill reps on climbs like Garrowby, Bulmer and Terrington. For me, hill reps are the best way I have found to becoming stronger and better at the steeper hills I come across in Sportives

[@nootnoot1463]

Each to their own but I’m loving Jon Cannings contribution to the tech channel

[@anthonyvaughan6389]

cycling ninja I totally agree, they have great personalities and they work well together. Matts humor helps too, plus the clipping in mishaps lol

[@marchollander7392]

Happy to see Emma as a presenter 👍☺️

[@spiffo5349]

You already have, my friend.

[@petermead4990]

Emma adds a good deal of beauty to the show plus lots of knowledge.

[@billjones7580]

Great to see Matt back. He got a knack for filling the spaces with entertainment. Emma and Matt putting together some good shows

[@James_R_]

Tell Matt to stay off the GoKarts. Then we can have him do more riding videos.

[@mikemelbrooks]

Perhaps Matt should give Emma a masterclass on clipping in?

[@baley7]

mike brooks it's his acheeles heel!

[@gcn]

😂

[@jonathanbroome6594]

mike brooks n

[@bkflex55]

"Practice to ride like you care". I love this! Think this will be My new mantra. Thanks GCN!!!

[@mikedew9929]

I didn't know Matt Stephenitis was so contagious better find a cure whilst some of the GCN team can still clip in.

[@shekton]

I've got to say, Emma has really enhanced the videos since she joined. She's quickly becoming my favourite presenter.

[@GbabyAllan]

Two former british champions..what a lineup!!

[@frankvandoorn]

Adding Emma has been a master stroke! She’s a natural presenter, funny and smooth. Well done GCN!

[@gcn]

Cheers Frank

[@EmmbrookSchool]

That Orbea is an absolute stunner, love the red in 'Sram Red' on the brake levers matched to the red 'Orbea'

[@jamespegram8843]

Emma bless her what an asset to the gcn team, may she inspire more female lady persons to ride.

[@chopperman2122]

I just love how you said 'female lady persons' instead of, I don't know, women? 😂

[@anthonyhomercycling]

I miss Emma! I wish I watched this last weekend. I got kick so hard in the moral getting dropped. I’ve got the vlog 😂

[@distressedaxolotl]

I am genuinely in love with Matt's bike. Great video as always. But can we please have more of that bike.

[@jontiruell1934]

The two that work for me are going over songs in my head and compartmentalising the effort into just concentrating on little bits at a time.

[@kaloka521]

LOVE EMMA😍

[@dw3381]

"...I'm having a lot of problems clipping in." Good things I think are ahead from Emma, good things!

[@dietersoenen8915]

It was nice to see the guys together laughing and joking around. It was entertaining and fun. Now it is just info.

[@kajet666]

Where was this shot? Cracking video by the way, and Emma fits the cheeky ball-busting drift of your narrative so well!

[@johnbochenek5526]

Fantastic vid Matt and Emma. Lots of good advice for me -- and you two have great chemistry working together.

[@gcn]

Thanks John, glad we could be of help to your climbing

[@j7a262]

that was one of my favorite videos to date

[@literoadie3502]

Climbing videos with Emma are the best, period.

[@chadhenry1801]

Happiness is...a video with Emma and Matt! Keep 'em coming

[@gcn]

Stay tuned Chad!

[@kyledommaschk451]

the distraction one really works, whenever i'm suffering i always go over song lyrics in my head!

[@potsiecyclist4474]

Or ride with a buddy who will not let you quite. Rode with a couple great guys last season that would not let me quit on a hill no matter how much I wanted to. It turned out to be the biggest help. I went from being the slowest rider that everyone in the group had to wait for at the top at the start of the season to by the end on our last group ride of the year I pulled all of them up the climbs.

[@chris.hoy3]

Forget Matt and Emma, the guy in the background at 0:01 looks like he knows a thing or two about hanging tough on a climb.

[@Pen2paw]

I am glad that Emma shows us (small riders) how she climbs the hills.

[@ojtibi9906]

OMG that bit in the end was hilarious!

[@Boise_guy123]

Ah I love this channel...always relevant content for me

[@flurblewibble7735]

As soon as I saw Emma and Matt on the vid I gave it a thumbs up before even watching .

[@tvwatcher90]

today i had my first ride on my first road bike, it is a dream, i have a trek domane al3 2018 edition, it is A M A Z I N G, on my first ride i had a max speed of 28km/h, it sticks to the ground like a beast

[@anthonyvaughan6389]

tvwatcher90 congrats.

[@milehighsi]

Welcome to road cycling :D

[@brandonsyatessr.3667]

tvwatcher90 I'm getting a nice x bike soon, can't wait to feel it, I'm coming from mtb's so it's definitely going to be different lol.

[@Mububban23]

Brandon, I'd ridden MTBs my whole life to get around to school and work etc. As soon as I test rode a road bike, I got this stupid grin on my face from just how light, responsive and FAST they are!!! I'm sure you'll be the same :-D

[@Mububban23]

Edit - the derisive comment I replied to has been deleted so I'll remove my reply as well. Let's encourage each other on our our individual efforts rather than discourage, and keep cycling :-)

[@Pwelsh100]

Awesome Vid, I’ve really been enjoying Emma, she was an excellent addition to the GCN Cast!

[@gcn]

Thanks Pheandro!

[@tevoro12]

Emma is doing a great job on GCN.

[@richardandersen9259]

Emma! Cheers. You work so very well with all GCN presenters and colleagues. Perfect fit. Your cassette, is it an 11:32?

[@damFr]

Very nice duo, I really enjoy your video both together!

[@KVandendriessche]

Emma is the best!!

[@ShakeNBakeUK]

all about dat mental game. gotta find tht motivation from somewhere deep inside to push on. i just discovered road cycling and fkin love it. these vids have been very useful, thnx.

[@dannydaniel5870]

Lovely landscapes in Cabo de Gata, Almeria (Spain).

[@barrymonaghan6593]

A couple more tips: The pit bull is closing in on you! If you don't keep up you will be eaten by a tiger.Or you could use a tow rope. In Raiders of the lost ark Indiana Jones has a huge bolder rolling behind him, that sure made him move fast! Lot's of ways to make you ride fast!

[@SVENSENMTB]

i just LOVE the last 15 seconds of this video! :D so goood

[@gcn]

Thanks Casper!

[@xGshikamaru]

If you’ve got a power meter just know your numbers and focus on staying out of the red zone. There aren’t long climbs around where I train so I know I can basically sustain my max power for the duration of the climb and recover after that. So for me when I start to breathe hard I try to cap my power output to my max aerobic power. In a group ride people usually wait for the others at the top of the climb. Or if they didn’t have enough of it they would go back down and up again. If you try to hang on and start pedalling backwards you’ll have burnt a lot of matches and could bonk even harder later during the ride.

[@Taintlouis]

Matt + Emma = the best.

[@briansamuel5670]

I rrally enjoyed this video! I just want to ride my bike after seeing these two. Fun video!

[@carnub]

No, never think of cake! Thinking of food when I'm struggling sends me into a spiral. The next 1km, or 100m elevation to keep me going, or next big tree or rock or corner if it's really bad. or even trying not to drop below x kmph.

[@tudorcozma8651]

Another one: keep a constant distance between you and the stronger rider, despite the possible surges. It may make them think you are stronger, therefore give you more respect on the road :D

[@Canozlu]

Her Canyon is amazing. Love that bike!

[@carlosr.garcia9996]

As usual great videos and work!

[@Quepedal]

Great advice !

[@stephenharrison645]

Great video & great double act:-)

[@LarsRR]

Also, know your Rider type and make put it to use. If you are a typical time trialist, do not respond to attacks, and just catch them later once the others are exhausted and you are still pushing. If you are an attacker, try to wear the others out with some nasty sprints.

[@sudduthjonathan]

One thing that really helps me cope is knowing the route. On Zwift it’s easy because you have a map, but outside it may take more effort. On the routes I regularly ride I have become faster because I know there is a lull over the next ridge, or maybe the climb is long so I need to pace myself appropriately. I can optimize my effort the more I know. Nothing sucks more than suffering and not knowing when it’ll end or what’s around the next corner.

[@gcn]

Thanks for letting us know your top tip!

[@JollyGiant0]

Was the camera car an old Tuk-Tuk or something? it sounded really rough, or couldn't it go slow enough fro Matt!!

[@chadapol8056]

embracing the suffering is prime advice on climbs

[@danielmagana5125]

Great work, yes let’s go for cake! Cheers from NYC

[@philroberts201]

Matt trying to eeek out every advantage against Emma with the deep rims! :-)

[@bobfoster687]

Phil Roberts Deep rims are heavier and not as good for climbing. Good on the flats.

[@philroberts201]

Not necessarily kzbin.info/www/bejne/onSXgKJ4pcSnm8k ... granted 3 seconds but not going back down after.. ;-)

[@Anton-zb9dc]

Tomorrow I have 3km climb test with national team. Hadn't watched the video yet but thanks in the advise as climbing isn't the strongest side of mine

[@bobsuruncle6762]

I find cursing gets me to the top quicker

[@Charles-A]

I found out that too. I just yelled "I'll kill the next motherfucker who arrives in first!". I got to the top quicker for sure

[@MrJunk78]

Never been good at climbs. I'm sure it's mostly mental, with a little bit of i-hope-i-can-clip-out-in-time-to-not-face-plant-itis mixed in. The main climb of my daily ride is my own rather steep street. I often forget to save some energy for it, and end up telling myself i've "done enough already" when the going gets tough. Making it my summer goal to finish without doing the walk of shame. Hopefully shedding a bit more weight (from myself, and my bike) will get me there.

[@gcn]

Hopefully we have given you some useful tips Matt

[@pppppearlie05]

GCN Presenter Race pls? Emma is such a great addition

[@ortizma13]

1:25 Did Matt say Carbo-heartrates????? Emma’s bringing the pain again.

[@magicrobharv]

Emma rocks !

[@kaputmonkey]

Wherever you're riding, it looks breathtaking.

[@danielfontes3120]

I love you guys!!! Thanks.... :)

[@thomasloake2188]

Emma your bike is awesome

[@hodnett53]

Is that the Canyon/SRAM team paint job on Emma's bike? Looks amazing!

[@chriscoppersmith7762]

If you feel that you are getting hot on a climb, and going into the red zone, lower your glasses and raise your helmet a bit so that cool air can get to the skin around your eye sockets, forehead, and temples. There are a lot of blood vessels there, right next to your brain, and you should soon feel some relief. They say that thinking takes about 20% of your energy. This is why clearing your mind, and simply focusing on the wheel in front of you can save you quite a bit of energy. Often times pain makes you grimace and gasp. When you grimace and gasp, chances are that you are no longer breathing steadily. Try and be aware of this, and work on separating your pain from your breathing. Practice breathing calmly despite the pain, because on a hill climb you need all the oxygen you can get.

[@daLoerdchen]

Love Emmas Cadence!

[@tmbmtl]

I loved Emma's comment about clicking in...

[@yoyo510]

Brought out the hot bikes for this one 🔥🔥🔥

[@MarkHagan83]

some good tips for this weekends Paris Nice Challenge :)

[@TheKingsOutlaw]

I learned a new word: calorific! Great advice AND a stronger vocabulary...that's a win!

[@gcn]

🤓

[@kenmiller5106]

Matt's Orbea inn this video is sexy!! Love the paint but hate the bars.

[@ghfred787]

Having problems clipping in😂😂😂

[@DaveWarnock]

ghfred787 a strong laugh out loud moment :-)

[@pmckeown38]

Nice, Struggling to clip in, final word, slap :-)

[@haydenjefferson5225]

Good to see Matt had his climbing wheels.

[@11robotics]

For me the biggest mistake somebody could do on a difficult ride is to try to keep up with stronger riders no matter what. This is how you hit the wall, this is how you end up going from pleasure to a total nightmare. There is absolutely no point in struggling to go at a pace that will ruin you on the long run, if you feel you are getting dropped because some of the other riders in your group are too strong, you should get dropped as soon as possible and keep on riding at your own pace. And if the people who drop you don't have the common sense to wait for you later on and re-group, then maybe you should find other ride partners.

[@potsiecyclist4474]

Riding with stronger riders than yourself is a long time proven way to get stronger and faster.

[@11robotics]

Of course it is, but you also have to know when to accept your defeat. If the stronger riders go all in and you literally have no way of keeping up with them, it's safer to get dropped before you hit the wall than to get back home in a body bag, so to speak.

[@mitchellsteindler]

if getting dropped has such dire consequences, you may be a baby (literally). When you get dropped, just ride home at whatever pace you want, it's not that hard lol

[@11robotics]

Read my comment a couple more times, maybe you'll get my point. You could get dropped after going for an hour at 180+ BPM or you could get dropped after 5 minutes at 180+ BPM. Being able to finish your ride in good conditions is less likely in the first case. All I'm saying is that it's better to know when you have no chance of keeping up with your stronger ride partners and get dropped as soon as possible rather than destroying every fiber of your body before finally deciding you can't keep up anymore. I've done that mistake myself, I've seen others doing the same mistake and I've learned to never ever get carried away again. And I'd keep the baby remarks for myself, at least I know how to ride 3000-4000m of total ascent in a single day without feeling the need to throw shit at slower riders. I'm pretty sure that kind of attitude is very helpful when trying to get your friends into cycling.

[@milehighsi]

"Being able to finish your ride in good conditions is less likely in the first case." - if you're looking to improve and routinely finishing your rides in good condition, you're doing it all wrong. Rule #5

[@stuarthawkinsspecs]

Yes Emma ! Fast becoming my favourite presenter . Just don't catch SPDitis from Matt or develop a case of brickules ( common symptom is exhibiting all the charisma of a brick )

[@patrickhance7348]

I don't know what the say you told it all .I really can relate . Except 🍰mmmmm.this was very nice you two 👍 Pat from Belgium 🚲

[@TurneyUK]

Question: I regular do a Tuesday night chain gang and I usually go group 2. The other night I went G1 for the first time and cracked within the first 5 minutes. I think part of it is mental strength as I just can’t get over the idea of turning yourself inside out for an hour. I know it’s going to really hurt. I start to worry if I have not had enough rest the night before, if I have eaten the right food, basically if I am not in tip-top physical shape that day then I have already failed before we have even started. It’s the same kind of experience if someone told you to go and sit in a bath of ice for an hour. You know it’s going to be really unpleasant. Any tips on how to mentally prepare for this? I like to think I can sustain a good level of suffering already but how do you go next level or do you just need to be mentally pre-wired that way??? I don’t think I can think about cake for an hour 🤔

[@darkninja6208]

My favourite things about cycling. climbing up really really steep hills on my bike And not stopping.

[@miket2394]

Distract yourself by thinking about cake! That's great advice, yum!😋😋😋

[@TheBRad704]

Matt's Orbea is looking stellar

[@gcn]

We agree!

[@asambleadeoracion1]

Thanks.

[@woolfel]

#askgcanything this is a question for Matt, when did pro races start allowing teams to hand out water at races? A friend of mine used to race in the UK and he mentioned coaches used to say "don't drink during training rides because you probably won't have water". Related to that, when did TdF allow teams to hand out water? There's stories of riders going into stores and taking drinks.

[@roxic1212]

This was good.

[@benjaminzachwieja8133]

Weird, I have also experienced problems clipping in since I have started watching the channel!

[@bdcopper]

Win goes to Emma...... nice comment at the end!! well played Emma! LOL

[@gcn]

😆

[@kthom2001]

I'm surprised to see that it seems like GCN riders don't wear any gloves to protect their hands. I like them because it seems that no matter how or when I've fallen, my hands take the brunt as I try catch myself. Also, IF I ride thru glass, I can use the gloved hand protection to "wipe" the tires clean while going down the road without stopping. If you catch it right away, the glass isn't continuously driven into the tire with successive rotations of the wheels.

[@actarus5164]

Beautiful Orca OMR

[@WeAreBikeScouts]

Emma the awesome!

[@alperyaman7019]

Nice ORBEA and dt swiss 👌👈

[@heapsamateur]

My question: If I am the faster rider, should I slow down so the other person doesn't get dropped/can ride on my wheel and therefore stick as a group/pair? Or should I make sure I push hard to get the best training result for myself?

[@NielsHeldens]

I normally focus on the back wheel of the rider in front of me and hang on for dear life. Then, when you almost reach the summit, I half wheel/come alongside the rider(s) in front of me. If you are in a group try to stick with the top 4-7 riders so you don’t fall victim to drop-outs Also, try to keep as still as possible

[@fahim113]

When is the next GCN presenter challenge? As much as I like Matt, be great to see him get whipped by Emma :D