Which pass do you dream of? The Stilfser Joch, the Hochtor on the Grossglockner, the Col du Galibier? Then almost 2,000 metres in altitude are waiting for you. If you've never attempted this before, it's hard to imagine you can do it. But it's not that difficult. With the right preparation and attitude, even the big Alpine passes are manageable - for anyone who can ride a hundred kilometres flat without falling off their bike afterwards. The gears make it possible!
The key is to pedal smoothly uphill - 80 pedal revolutions per minute is desirable; however, too many cyclists, even experienced ones, struggle uphill at 40 revolutions or less. Appropriate sprockets are much more important than a light bike, as this often accounts for less than ten per cent of the total weight of bike and rider - and the total weight is what counts uphill. Your pedalling power determines your speed, i.e. how many watts you can pedal per kilogram of total weight (W/kg). The rule is: there is no such thing as too easy a climb. And the most common mistake is to disregard this rule, along the lines of "a 25 sprocket will have to do".
Anyone who thinks like that will suffer. It is better to screw as many climbing gears onto the bike as is technically possible. We recommend triple cranks in combination with 28 mm cassettes or compact cranks with 32 mm sprockets, such as those offered by SRAM. Such gear ratios allow a relaxed pedalling style on mountain passes, which are on average around seven percent steep, and therefore also allow less trained cyclists to enjoy extended mountain tours. So, you are now technically equipped. The rest is - above all - a matter of the mind. The most important thing is not to tense up, neither physically nor mentally, and not to cycle too fast.
The detailed article with these topics can be found below as a PDF download:
- Climbing - The basics
- The perfect cradle kick
- The right pace uphill
- Circuit training for the core
- Fitness test
Downloads:
download
