What goes up must come down, they say. If only the \”up\” part were as easy as the \”down\” part!

The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling provides advice about climbing on pages 48-51. It says that, during events, it\’s better to climb as fast as you can without going anaerobic, then rest while descending. Training is a different matter, when occasionally going anaerobic  is beneficial.

Naturally, that book isn\’t the only place where I\’ve gleaned advice about climbing. I can\’t keep track of all the sources, but here are more nuggets of climbing know-how:

Don\’t be embarrassed to use  your \”granny gear\” on climbs. In fact, trying to climb in too hard a gear is too much strain on the knees. Using a hard gear, climbing or not, also causes you to burn through your body\’s glycogen stores too quickly.

On an event full of very steep grades, you might even want to swap to a three-ring set-up. Check out your cassette, too; it\’s possible you\’ll want some bigger cogs.

Keep your breathing as relaxed as possible when climbing. Easy to say; not so easy to do! Keep your grip on the handlebars relaxed, too; just not so relaxed that a sudden bump will cause your hands to go flying.

And now, see the crest of the hill? Don\’t relax yet! Finish the climb first. In fact, wait until you\’ve begun to feel gravity pull you downhill.

Once you\’ve begun to descend, you can shift into harder gears and use a slower cadence. If you feel that you must use your brakes, use them in an on-off manner rather than ride them all the way downhill.

Enjoy the descent! Remember: what goes up, must come down.