Thinking of doing a hill climb? Or maybe you tried one and it didn't go as you hoped. In this article, we break down the critical elements of hill climbing, from bike setup to nutrition. We also break down how physiological demands change depending on the hill climb length.
Don't feel like reading? Listen to our podcast episode on hill climbs!
What is a Hill Climb?
A hill climb (sometimes also called a hillclimb) is a type of individual time trial that involves cycling up a steep, sustained ascent. The ascents can be incredibly brutal with gradients above 22%, so high power-to-weight ratio is key.
Hill climbs vary in length but tend to be short and intense. At these lengths, the margins for winning are very small.
“You can say that climbers suffer the same as the other riders, but they suffer in a different way. You feel the pain, but you’re glad to be there.” – Richard Virenque, retired French pro racer
Popular Hill Climbs
The first hill climb was hosted by Catford CC in 1886. It remains a popular hill climb and boasts the title of the longest-running cycling event in history.
While hill climbs are particularly popular in the UK, with many cycling clubs organizing events in October, virtually every country has their own hill climbs. Here are some popular hill climb events for cyclists.
- UK Hill Climb National Championships (UK) – First held in 1944, the location changes every year.
- Bealach na Bà Cycle Sportive (Scotland) – 9 km @ 7% (max 20%). A remote, Alpine-style climb that is among the toughest in Britain.
- Broadmoor Cycle to the Summit (USA) – 19.9 km @ 6.7% (max 10.5%). Taking place on Pikes Peak, the race starts at 2,438m altitude and climbs to 4,302m, making altitude a serious factor.
- Cycle to the Sun Haleakalā Climb (USA) – 58 km @ 5.4%. The longest continuous paved climb in the world, rising from sea level to 3,055m.
- Mt. Fuji Hill Climb (Japan) – 24 km @ 5.2% (max 7.8%). An ascent of Japan’s iconic peak with up to 8,500 cyclists participating each year.
- Taiwan KOM Challenge (Taiwan) – 105 km @ 6.9% (max 17%). This is the longest hill climb race, known for its massive elevation gain
Bike Setup for Hill Climbs
Hill climb specialists take bike optimization to the absolute extreme, building machines that prioritize power-to-weight ratio above all else. This is particularly true of bikes for short hill climbs where setups push the limits of minimalism and aerodynamics—often at the expense of comfort and practicality.
Features of Hill Climb Bikes:
- No UCI Weight Restrictions – Since many hill climb events aren’t bound by UCI weight limits, riders strip their bikes down to as little as 5 kg.
- Chopped Handlebars – Some riders shorten their handlebars or remove drops to save grams.
- Single Chainrings – If the gradient allows, riders opt for single-ring drivetrains or even fixed-gear setups to eliminate excess weight.
- Minimalist Saddles – Some competitors use ultra-light carbon saddles, sometimes purchased just for race day and removed afterward.
- Featherweight Components – Carbon wheels, ultralight frames, and even custom bolts are common when every gram matters.
While hill climb bikes are engineering marvels, they aren’t exactly practical. Some are so specialized that they can’t be safely ridden on normal roads. Lightweight carbon rims paired with rim brakes, for example, can lead to poor braking performance, making descents dangerous—especially in wet conditions.
Fun Fact: In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a "drillium" craze of cyclists drilling holes in their bike components to shave weight. Gains were marginal and the advent of lightweight carbon frames made it fall out of fashion. However, some bike manufacturers still make parts with a drilled look in homage to drillium.
A Colnago Master with drillium.
Short vs. Long Hill Climbs
Hill climb lengths can vary between just a few minutes to well over an hour. Understanding the differences between short and long hill climbs is essential for tailoring your approach, both in training and during races.
Physiological Differences
The body responds very differently to short, explosive efforts versus sustained, grinding climbs. So, the physiology of a 3-minute hill climb is going to be very different from one that lasts 30 minutes. This is why very different types of athletes win short vs. long events.
Short Hill Climbs
Short hill climbs are high-intensity efforts that push the body toward its maximal aerobic capacity (VO₂ max) and involve:
- High glycolytic energy demand – The body rapidly breaks down stored glycogen through glycolysis, producing ATP to fuel the effort.
- Lactate accumulation – The rate of glycolysis overcomes body’s capacity to completely oxidise its end-product pyruvate, resulting in a buildup of lactate and associated metabolites. While lactate itself isn’t the cause of fatigue, the byproducts of such a high energy demand contribute to muscle acidosis, accumulation of inorganic phosphate and a burning sensation.
- High power output relative to critical power – Riders generate power well above their critical power (CP)—the threshold at which anaerobic energy supply becomes unsustainable.
- Rapid neuromuscular fatigue – Short efforts place extreme demands on fast-twitch muscle fibers, which fatigue quickly due to high energy turnover and metabolite accumulation.
Long Hill Climbs
Long climbs require sustained aerobic effort at or just below the rider’s functional threshold power (FTP). Physiological characteristics include:
- Greater reliance on aerobic metabolism – The body predominantly uses oxidative phosphorylation, a slower but more efficient process that primarily burns glycogen and fat and converts them completely to carbon dioxide and water while producing plenty of ATP to sustain power over time.
- Lower lactate accumulation – While lactate is still produced at a relatively high rate, the body is better able to clear and shuttle it into the mitochondria for further energy production. Lactate concentrations thus usually increase but become stable over time.
- Increased fatigue resistance – Long climbs rely more on slow-twitch muscle fibers, which have a higher mitochondrial density and are more resistant to fatigue.
- Pacing and economy become critical – Unlike short efforts, where riders go nearly all-out, long climbs require steady power output to avoid premature glycogen depletion and excessive fatigue.
- Heat acclimation – If racing in the heat, heat acclimation can be an issue.
Short and long hill climbs are different physiologically and mentally.
Spectator Impact
Long hill climbs don’t get too many spectators, but often a huge amount of people come to watch short hill climbs and cheer for participants (to see the pain on the riders’ faces at the end!).
Speaking of his experience on a 3-minute hill climb, Dr. Tim Podlogar said hearing the spectators cheering was pretty amazing and imagines the feeling is similar to big events like Vuelta or Tour de France.
“It was the only thing keeping me upright because otherwise I would just completely stop and get off the bike and crash to the floor.”
He also notes that there were actually people at the finish line ready to hold you, because otherwise you would just crash to the ground.
“You can’t recreate this on a training ride.”
Spectators come to see the “pain face” on cyclists as they climb.
Altitude Effect
With short hill climbs, the elevation gain is minimal, so altitude generally isn't a major factor. However, some long hill climbs are notorious for their drastic elevation gain, which can significantly impact performance due to reduced oxygen availability.
As altitude increases, air pressure decreases, which means there is less oxygen available for muscles to generate power aerobically.
Lack of oxygen leads to:
- Reduced VO₂ max
- Increased breathing rate
- Higher heart rate
- Greater carbohydrate reliance
For extreme high-altitude climbs, cyclists will need to prepare with tactics like training at high altitudes before the race or boosting iron intake.
Learn more in our Altitude Training podcast episode.
Need to Warmup
With longer hill climbs, you don’t really need to do a warmup because you’ll warm up on the way. This isn’t the case with short hill climbs though: it is crucial that you warm up beforehand.
Some hill climb warmup tactics:
- Cycle the course: Some cyclists will arrive early to ride up the race course, which also allows them to check out the wind and gradient, which can help with pacing.
- Rollers: Rollers are an easy warmup solution, though it’s not always possible to use them in muddy or wet conditions. Another disadvantage is that you can’t really get a high-intensity workout with rollers.
- Turbo: A turbo allows you to go hard. However, if you need to switch wheels, you might be cutting it close time-wise before the race starts.
Nutrition for Hill Climbs
Nutrition plays a crucial role in optimizing performance during hill climbs, and your approach should differ depending on the duration of the climb. Here’s a breakdown of key considerations for fueling before a short or long hill climb.
Glycogen Loading
For short hill climbs (3-5 minutes), glycogen stores are unlikely to be depleted, so there’s no need for glycogen loading. Further, glycogen loading could increase weight, so it’s better not to load.
However, for longer climbs (60+ minutes), glycogen depletion becomes a real concern. In these cases, glycogen loading the day before the climb is essential. This strategy ensures your muscles have sufficient fuel for sustained efforts and can help prevent fatigue during longer climbs.
Also Read: Glycogen Loading Protocol
Follow a Low-Fiber Diet
Dr. Tim Podlogar recommends following a low-fiber diet for three days leading up to the hill climb.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that doesn’t get properly digested and can accumulate in the gut. By cutting out fiber, you reduce gut load and can reduce weight by as much as a kilogram. This in turn improves power-to-weight ratio, which is crucial for hill climb success.
Reduce Sodium Intake
In addition to cutting out fiber, Dr. Podlogar also recommends reducing sodium for at least one day before the hill climb.
The reason is because consuming sodium causes water retention, which can increase weight. Your body doesn’t need a lot of sodium for short events like hill climbs. He recommends going low-sodium the day before the event and drinking lots of pure water to flush sodium out of the system.
Breakfast on Race Day
On the morning of the race, opt for a low-fiber, high-carb breakfast to ensure quick energy release. It’s important that you choose “fast carbohydrates” like white rice or bread.
Dr. Podlogar recommends adding fructose, such as from jam or honey. This helps improve carbohydrate absorption.
For more info, read: Ideal Carbohydrate Ratio for Fueling
Ergogenic Aids for Hill Climbs
Certain supplements, known as ergogenic aids, can provide a performance boost during hill climbs. These aids target different physiological processes and help athletes improve endurance, power output, and recovery. Here’s an overview of the most commonly used ergogenic aids for hill climbs.
Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate is an extracellular buffer that is proven to improve performance and time until fatigue during short bursts of intense activity, so is very useful for short hill climbs. However, its benefits are less pronounced on longer hill climbs.
For more, read:
Nduranz Bicarb is enteric coated for optimal absorption without GI side effects.
Beta Alanine
Beta alanine is another extracellular buffer with proven benefits for short bursts of intense activity. However, unlike sodium bicarbonate, you need to take it daily for several weeks for it to have benefits. If your hill climb is a week away, it’s already too late to start using beta alanine.
Nduranz Beta Alanine supplements are formulated based on the latest research for effective dosage and easy digestion.
For more, read:
Caffeine
Caffeine is a probably the most popular performance enhancer in cycling. It stimulates the cardiovascular system, lowers the perception of effort, and increases focus.
However, as Dr. Podlogar points out, you need to be careful with caffeine because it can make you feel anxious. Since your anxiety levels may already be high before an event, it could end up doing harm instead of good.
If you do go with caffeine, be aware that it takes approximately 15 minutes for it to reach peak levels in the blood. You’ll need to time intake for when you want to have maximum effect, which will vary depending on the length of the hill climb.
Nduranz Caffeine capsules contain 100mg of pure caffeine anhydrous each, making dosage easy.
For more, read: How to take Caffeine for Performance
Creatine
Creatine is supports the phosphocreatine system, so provides quick bursts of energy during very short, high-intensity efforts like sprints. However, creatine supplementation can lead to water retention and potential weight gain, which is not ideal for climbing performance.
Because of this, creatine is not recommended for cyclists who are already explosive and have high anaerobic capacity. However, it might benefit riders who are good at longer, steady climbs but want to do a shorter climb that requires more explosivity.
Want to learn more? Watch the Nduranz podcast episode on hill climbing.