Lets cut to the chase - if youre not running 28c or wider tires on your road bike, are you even serious about hill climbing? It seems like every other thread on this forum is about aerodynamics and weight savings, but when it comes to actually propelling yourself up a mountain, people are still stuck on 23c and 25c tires. Meanwhile, the gravel crowd has figured out that wider tires are the key to both comfort and speed.
And dont even get me started on tire pressure - how many of you are still running 120psi in the front and 130psi in the rear, just because thats what the pros do? Do you even consider the actual road surface and conditions when setting your tire pressure, or are you just following some outdated dogma?
Its time to face the music: if youre not optimizing your tire selection and pressure for hill climbing, youre leaving a lot of watts on the table. So, Ill ask the question again: what makes you think your tire setup is actually helping you climb faster, rather than just being a relic of outdated thinking?