How to climb

Two more kilometers to climb. My brains are getting ready to squish out of my ears like gravy rolls. Climbing, on the wheel of Kléber in his long, low sit. Lebusque stands, and sometimes I have to get off the saddle too. We crawl up along the abyss, above the blue Tarn. -“The Rider” by Tim Krabbé

Climbing. The very thought of big mountain pass ascents is peaceful. Climbing. The higher you go, the more difficult it gets. Climbing. When you are at your strongest, gravity is your friend. Anyone who has spent quality time in the saddle turning the cranks to go skyward knows this simple truth: How to climb on a bike comes down to what you can do best. Your pedaling style. Your preference to sit or stand. Your attitude. How you see what lies before you. Witness the 2004 Alpe d’Huez time trial of the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong spinning at high revolution, toes pointed down, almost darting at times. At the other end of the spectrum: Jan Ullrich motoring at nearly same speed as Armstrong, but dropping his heels and pounding out a lower cadence.

Climbing is among the most purifying experiences on a bike when riding at elevation. When I pedaled up Mount Evans in 2007, the views of nearby “14ers” — as are called peaks higher than 14,000 feet in Colorado — were more than worth the price of admission and lack of oxygen. But climbing can test your limits anywhere. The “hill country” of Austin, Texas is rife with steep short pitches that transform legs to jelly (or stone, in the case of heat cramps) if you climb enough of them in one ride. Climbing a mountain versus a hill keeps you honest. Climbing a hill repeatedly like it is a mountain can allay fears of something similar to that expressed in “The Rider” — when your “brains are ready to squish out of your ears like gravy rolls.”

Today, I did hill repeats on Torrey Pines grade. It’s not long, but it’s steady and full of other climbing cyclists, some of whom fire up the road as if they were Lance on Alpe d’Huez. As I stood for five measured repeats in Ullrich diesel mode of a 53-21 gear ratio, I was reminded how easy it is to change one’s the sensation of climbing. The Sunday big-ring exercise taught me that how to climb is more interesting and enjoyable when seen through new eyes. The kind of very eyes that you — yes you — should never underestimate. You’re stronger than you think. Promise. Here are today’s stats.

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