If you have read one of my previous articles on road bike training, it explains that you should have 3 rest/recovery days, 3 high intensity days, and 1 long ride at about 75% of your maximum heart rate.
Since climbing puts a lot of demands on your muscles, you should count your climbing workout as one of your high intensity days.
There are three main ways of tackling a hill: You can use a low gear and a high cadence, a high gear and a low cadence, or a comfortable gear at a comfortable cadence.
If you use a low gear and try to spin up the hill at 100rpm, your will quickly overload your aerobic system, and you will be forced to slow down in order to catch your breath.
If you try using a high gear and a low cadence, lactic acid will build in your muscles very quickly, and you will be forced to slow down so that your legs can begin to buffer the lactic acid. (Note: As you do more road bike training, your legs will become more efficient at buffering lactic acid).
If you have a higher aerobic capacity (vO2 Max) or greater leg strength than most cyclists, then you could use a higher or lower cadence appropriately in order to get an advantage over your other competitors.
If you are just beginning road bike training, or just aren't a strong climber, then you will need to find a gear which you can spin at 70rpm - 80rpm. This will ensure you are using a mix of your leg strength and aerobic fitness in order to complete the climb. As part of your road bike training, you should get used to switching into a higher gear and getting out of the saddle smoothly, without losing any momentum. (In a race, this could cause the person behind you to crash into you).
The best times to get out of the saddle are when you are feeling strong, there is a corner in the climb, or a short increase in gradient.
So what things can you do in your road bike training so that you can become a stronger climber?
The first thing I would recommend is hill intervals. Simply cycle uphill, coast back down, and repeat as many times as you can handle.
The second thing I would recommend is using a higher gear than you are used to. If you have been doing your road bike training for a while, and know which gear you should use for a hill, try climbing it in a higher gear for a change.
The last thing I would recommend is practise climbing a lot. When planning a route for your road bike training, don't be lazy, and pick a hard hilly route.
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