Climbing for big guys

Even thoguh I am only 15 I stand at 6'3" and weigh 11 and a half stone. Do any of you guys here have similar measurements? I feel I need to work on my climbing, finding a rhythm, gears, etc. I usually prefer to sit in the saddle on a climb, ala Ullrich, as I feel I don't get enough power when standing. Any tips would be greatly appreciated

 

There ain't really all that much to it. Just learn to judge your gearing so that you are quite comfortable near the bottom and still able to begin gearing up as you round the crest. Try to pick a cadence which is highish but still comfortable and be prepared to stand on the pedals as it allows you to rest your arse and stretch out your back and hips a bit more.
There's really only one way to get better at climbong and thats by going out and doing it!

 

I am a similar build though slightly heavier.
In the Pyrenees recently i beat all the other guys up the big climbs such as the Toumalet.

I find that the type of climb will affect your performance. You will find that with long climbs the gradient is only about 6% so just find a rhythm.

Use whatever gear you are comfortable in. But remember spinning the gear will save you energy.

 

God bless you guys that know what the hell 11 and 1/2 stones equal!!

 

It must be something between 437 and 438 pebbles

 

OK, had to look up what a stone weighs in pounds. According to my webpage conversion dictionary, from the U of Exeter no less, a stone equals 14 pounds. Believe that's 6.36 kg.

Other than that, agree with tafi tips, and that it takes lots of climbing to improve climbing ability. For the long steep climbs, ideally you'll have low enough gearing to permit you alternate sitting and standing at a sustainable speed.

 

Seriously:

11.5 Stones = 73.02837 Kgs = 161.0 Pounds

Conclusion, you are tall and very LIGHT!!!

 

I wish I could be that light. My climbing skills would definitely improve. I am 6'4" and 215 lbs. Not sure how many stones that is and I am too lazy to figure it out

 

My Palm says:

215 Pounds = 15.35714 Stones (and no pebbles)

 

Thanks Cuervo. I guess I could have just whipped out my calculator eh?

 

My palm it's ready when ever you need it!!!

 

I have a button on my MS keyboard that says "calculator". After you switch to the scientific version, it's pretty handy too.

 

El loto,

Try doing some research on crank lenght. We have a "big guy" on our team that went from 177.5mm to 180mm and found it much easier to climb. While spinning your gear will conserve some muscle strength, it is very taxing on your aerobic system as your muscles are longer and bigger than smaller riders. Those muscles require more O2 to fire thus a fast LA-type spin up the hill may send your completely anaerobic .

Work some different cranks at different cadences along with the "oh-so-obvious", climb more hills ! guidance. While added training is first and foremost, your equipment can greatly affect how comfortable you are at effort.

CatSpin

 

Don't worry. Miguel Indurain was about the same height as you and look what he accomplished! Although Indurain was a touch heavier (I think maybe 178 pounds).
Another tall rider is Axel Merckx.
Just make sure your bike fits your frame as you don't want to be cramped up if you're tall.

 

I may be light but i'm no Cunego. I shall look into crank lengths however i've never seen 180mm cranks in brochures. I wish i was like Mig

 

This is very true. I was out for a spin last night and just for kicks I tried spinning at about 90 rpm's up a 3 mile gradual climb. I was completely out of breath about half way up. I dropped the cadence and felt much better.