Hills Are NOT Harder Than Cycling On The Flat (Says Science) 

It took me *many* years to enjoy riding up hills! Like most people, I hated them... My first road bike was handed down to me as a young teen. It was an old steel racing bike with 53-42 tooth front chainrings and a 13-21 tooth cassette. I loved riding it because it felt so fast, but as soon as I got to a steep hill, I'd often need to get off and walk to the top. All along, I figured I just needed to get stronger, so I persisted with that vintage bike for years and years. But looking back, I was already super strong, I was already super light, and I was always up for a challenge. Why were hills so damn hard?! It wasn't until I truly understood mechanical advantage that I realised that hills were hard NOT because I was inadequate... but because I didn't have low enough gear ratios on my bike. 😅

I completely agree, hills are definitely not harder than the flat......... (as long as they're downhill)!

Depends on how you define "harder". You are definitely expending more energy for the same distance covered.

For really steep grades, where you are pedaling under 10 kph, why not just walk? There are a few benefits to doing so: 1) no more obsessing over super-wide drivetrains, 2) save your quads, 3) good opportunity to change position, stretch your legs, and work different muscle groups. I have done this on recent tours, even wearing MTB cleats. The loss in speed is small compared to the benefits, and once you factor in reduced muscle fatigue, you will probably gain mileage on the day. "Sending" big climbs can be fun, but it isn't mandatory.

As a fixed gear rider I can say that inclines are definitely harder. :D

I'll remember this next time I'm struggling with a hill on my single speeder, thanks!

Yes they are harder, even in easy gears. Because while going slow, between each pedal stroke you're slowing down a lot, which forces you to constantly accelerate, which consumes a lot of energy.

I think a key factor is speed. Once you get to too low of gear ratios balancing adds a lot of extra energy in addition to riding.

60 years ago when I was a young apprentice engineer, our tutor used to tell us something very similar but in his case he was referring to using a hand held hacksaw to saw through a piece of steel 2 inches in diameter. His favourite saying was always - 'Let the saw do the work lads' Eventually we came to realise that this was true but only within certain parameters. One of these was the necessity to have already developed the muscles needed to accomplish the task comfortably. The second was to have developed the stamina needed to last out comfortably over the extended length of time needed. Despite our repeated requests though, he always declined to give us a practical demonstration.

On very steep climbs, I've found that resting my biking muscles by using my walking muscles instead is a good idea. The speed won't be too different and I'm able to speed up more when the climb ends. Depending my condition and how steep the climb is.

Short version: Hills are not harder than flats, just *slower* when you use the right gears.

Living in the Austrian alps and cycling uphill pretty much always in the lowest gear I gotta say, climbing IS harder than cycling on flat terrain. 😄 But it's actually what I'm going for. I find it harder to push myself to the limit without elevation gain. After a tough climb I feel much better. Climbing is a challenge, and a challenge is fun!!!

Having watched the video, and having had A-level physics in high school and briefly at university, I still don't quite grasp how science says it is not harder to bike uphill. Power is a measure of energy expenditure per unit time. As you gear down going uphill, you will move less distance at the same power output. Thus, moving equidistant uphill would take longer time than on a flat surface. Total energy = Power x time. This means that the determining factor is the total time taken given constant Power output. As you spend more time going uphill = total energy expenditure is bigger. This also makes intuitive sense. Additionally, human muscles are not machines. The metabolism and chemical release of power from the muscles is to some extent time-constrained. Thus, spending more time going uphill WILL feel harder the longer it takes, even at lower power outputs. The muscles WILL break down more spending more time under constant load. Muscle recovery from long periods of stress WILL take longer. It just is, factually, objectively, scientifically, HARDER to go uphill, even with correct gear ratios, compared to going on a flat surface. I would argue that the title and content in this video is not only misleading, but actually FALSE.

nevertheless the gear, you ultimately need a lot more energy to cover the same distance on a hill than in a flat road.

One further factor to consider is higher momentum at higher speed. The power application to the pedals at speed is more like a 'tap' on the downstroke, whereas uphill, power needs to be applied more evenly all around. If you didn't apply even pressure you'd slow down between each pedal rev. Perhaps this simply means that riding uphill is different rather than harder.

Something else you might want to know, there is a "sweet spot" when out of the saddle leaning forward that makes your legs straight on the pedals so it's the same as walking uphill. If you find this sweet spot, you can ride up easily as long as you are fit enough to walk up a hill at a steady pace.

Being a distance runner helps me with the hills for sure. There's no soft pedaling or coasting when you're running so the idea of a sustained effort over the course of a long period of time is something I've trained for off the bike.

Sure, if we define difficulty as just how hard you push to go up, you could simplify losses enough to claim it's not harder. However, time and distance always matter. The fact that you go a shorter distance for your energy expenditure is most people's definition of difficult. Yes, being over-geared makes it harder because you have to sustain a higher effort than you would be otherwise but once that is eliminated you *still* will have traveled a shorter distance. I see in other comments that you have deliberately removed time and distance from the equation to make your point but that really degrades the quality of the argument. You could have addressed over-gearing without forcing particular definitions of difficulty and that is a shame in my view, as there is some very good information in there.

Well... at

Very interesting and quite in line with what I’ve always felt. The cut off for me would be around 14-17% grades as you really start to feel gravity trying to pull you down, making it feel like you are battling gravity instead of just keeping the bike going. This actually makes them a lot more rewarding than slogging up an endless climb that’s a lot mellower, I’d prefer a short 20+ degree climb over a long 10% one any day.

That last piece of advice was so on point "Ease up and measure your effort". I try to stop myself panicking on a hill and just take it easy. I'm not a racing cyclist, just a tourer. And I'm totally going to use your tools for measuring max output etc. Thanks

Yup, most people smash it up the climb, coast the descent and hardly pedal on the flat, hence they think hills are harder. If you have a power meter try doing your next ride at the same power whether you are on a climb, flat or descent. Your perception of what is easiest and hardest will be flipped with descents being hardest to maintain power on and climbs being the easiest. Climbs aren’t harder, you’re just riding them harder.

In my experience a long hilly ride drains me a lot more than a long flat ride. Your average speed decreases and you spend longer in the saddle

Once you've lost your speed, it'll be harder to recover(which is ought to happen because it is harder to rest with lower power output as gravity is against you thus requiring a certain amount of speed, else you will loose balance uphill). And recovering your speed requires a lot more energy uphill than on flat roads.

I get that I can increase my gear ratio by having a super large rear cog and keeping my comfortable cadence and accepting a slower speed, but what is the gear ratio which translates to a slower speed than dismounting and walking the bike.

The air cooling really is what I'm missing when climbing.

Yes, IMO they ARE harder! Even though you have bigger torque, climbing a hill doesn't store your intertia like riding on a flat. You lose a lot more speed between the strokes (Just like the pistons at top and bottom dead center on an Internal Combustion Engine). You mentioned that you have to pedal at least 60 rpms to overcome that but when you ride on a flat road you are not required to do. The fact that you can climb the hill with the same power with lower gear and slower doesn't mean it isn't harder. You trade speed for time. As with everything on this planet when you can't put any more energy (or don't want to) into something to do it fast you can do it with less energy but slower!

Thanks for this video, it has changed how I approach hill riding and allowed me to go much further on hilly rides. Making sure you keep a constant cadence is the key.

I found that I was actually able to pedal harder and longer after I switched from 175mm to 170 mm cranks. There is more to the equation than just calculating the mechanical advantage of the cranks.

The title should be “Hills are not harder than flat if you go slow”

Hills are not hard to ride, they are hard to ride fast. I agree with most things you said, I had my second bike with triple chainrings (44-32-22) and 11-32 cassete and never find a climb I couldn't go up. Triple chainrings are so underrated (and cheap ;) )

This is really good stuff. I'm no super bike guy, but I do remember as a teenager there was this hill that everybody would walk their bikes up...I really hated that. Then dad got me some type of 10-speed shifting thing...and I found I could just take it easy and ride up the hill without much problem. It was an epiphany for me. And, now you're talking exactly about it... Thanks...

Just stumbled upon this video. This is very helpful, and thanks for pointing out the resources too. I’m older and struggle with long climbs. I also live in a region where we experience strong headwinds almost daily. Some days I feel like the wind is worse than the climbs.

Mathematical correct, I am sure. But by going 5km/h instead of 25 km/h you spent 5x more time for the same distance going uphill.... that costs you 5x more power. So for a trip the statement is not correct.... I enjoy a negative climb any time, though *lol*

Me: *sees 3km 12% hill and getting happy to mash the singlespeed road bike up there. Sometimes psychological effect is stronger than anything else. You just have to learn liking it.

Excellent video. I'm 69 and I ride on a paved trail and I absolutely love it. I constantly shift gears to keep my leg pressure on the crank fairly constant. It doesn't take long to feel muscle burn if I am in a gear that's too low.

As a long-distance cyclist, can confirm. Flats with a headwind are the worst. Uphills tend to shelter you from wind and give you back most of the added energy later. Worst 8 hours of my cycling life were an 8 hour flat with 50kph headwind, 500 km into an 800k. Was praying to get to the upcoming 3000m hill.

There is no free lunch. For the same effort you go slower

"Hills are not harder than flats" *Rides at 30/51*

Absolutely the best detail for how to climb hills on You Tube! The online tools referenced are awesome.

So much of hills in the mental aspect of it! This is a super encouraging video- I just realized I have a fear of hills and shouldn't!!!! Thanks, Mate!

Ha, except going up a hill I have to work against gravity, regardless of the gear or mechanical advantage. You gain potential energy every meter you climb at the rate of E=mgh. Every 100kg you move up 100m costs you 98kJ regardless of what gear you use or what shirt you wear.

Thank you so much, I just found out that I can cycle through walls...thank you for teaching me the ultimate technique...I am currently working on cycling through ceilings, pls do make another tutorial like this explaining how to cycle through ceilings

Okay so to break down what he's saying: You should be in a low enough gear on a hill such that you're expending the same amount of energy on the hill as on flat ground over *time.* He is not saying it takes the same amount of energy to climb the same distance of a hill as to ride on flat ground. It should just not really be more effort in a given time to climb compared to flat ground. If the lowest gear on your bike does not provide this equalization of effort, there's one of 3 problems 1. The hill is too steep 2. Your gears dont go low enough 3. You're too weak (git gud) You cannot change the steepness of a hill, but there are ways to improve the other 2 problems.

I also love riding up hills and agree with your video arguments. Furthermore, riding uphill you get to appreciate better nature around you and listen and smell better as wel, when cycle touring. Going down feels nice, but everything happens too fast.

There are some advantages to mountain riding. The road twists and winds around making it more interesting (e.g. rather than a long flat road where you can see kms ahead). Often the road is more scenic. There is normally more shade and trees. You are out of the wind. It can be cooler as you gain altitude. The traffic is less and slower. Finally, what goes up must go down. There is usually a nice downhill stretch to coast down.

Absolutely AWESOME Vid! Im a novice at the moment, but your advice is making me an Expert!! Happy travels to you and Thankyou so much. 👍🏻

I've always loved cycling up hill, I come from Cambridgeshire where everything is flat, so at first it was a novelty, but the challenge and the views got me hooked.

Your velocity decreases though on a hill if your power remains constant, as you are now also overcoming the force of gravity in addition to the force of friction. If your power is defined as Power = Work/time, and Work = Force * displacement. Rearranging we can define Power = Force * velocity (P = F*v) or F = P/v. If you rearrange for v = P/F you can see if your power remains constant and your force increases your velocity would decrease. The amount of applied force is therefore increasing if your speed is decreasing and your power remains constant.

Don't forget zig-zagging (where safe). You did it in part of this video but did not mention it directly? It effectively is like using a lower gear. I find it fun too.

Been riding for 2.5 years and have been learning a LOT about bikes since I haven’t really ridden since getting my drivers license over 4😅. After putting over 5200km on my hybrid bike (2400 the last year alone) I finally did a complete rebuild on the lower end. Thank you for such an informative video explaining the mechanics and calculations therein that I can apply to upgrading my bike in future or purchasing a 2nd or 3rd bike (if she allows me… 😂😂😂)! Subscribed and I’m going to look for your bike guide.

Enjoying the technical aspects of your presentation. Thank you very much.

There aren't enough gears (in present groupsets) to put out 150 watts on a 18% incline, and still have enough forward momentum to stay upright. Science.

He's talking about using super low gears to go Walking Speed up a hill .So might as well walk the bike..Use different muscles and different kind of exercise for a bit. lol

I love this video and the resources! Happy riding, friend. :)

Best bike touring video ever - you nailed it !

Taking your time and having some mental composure and patience with yourself will get you through a lot.

The change of position on the bike is one of the big differences. Gravity pulls you down differently, relative to how the bike is angled. Takes effort to hold the position. Need a bike with climb-friendly geo to counter this. Lack of airflow due to lower speeds is the other hard to avoid issue, as you've covered.

Thanks for this, all information I needed very badly.

Never looked at cycling in this way. Great video

On a flat you can stop pedaling and let momentum carry you.

Good video thanks! One other way of looking at your last point is that psychologically, you approach a climb at a higher speed and then feel the need to maintain that speed up the climb which results in excess effort and rapid exhaustion. Accepting that you slow down a lot on climbs is vital to maintain a steady sustainable effort.

“Obsessing” about wide gear ratios is something I’ve never understood until I rode a modern road bike, I got an old road bike with a 7 speed and always just had to grind out steep climbs, but when I tried a 12 speed 105 I was pretty blown away at the ease of climbing. Thinking of dropping a few teeth on my small chainring just to get some better climbing gears

I discovered the joy of hills on the Costa Brava. Shortly after I cycled on Corsica and over the Italian Alps. Lots of great days of climbing and enjoying mountain views.

Hills may be easier when tackled correctly and with an understanding of gear ratios, but basic grade school physics says it take more work to lift your body weight and bike weight up from elevation A to elevation B than it does across a flat plane or down to elevation B. To say it’s the same is rubbish.

I've taken cycling up this year, and am always drawn to the hills. Living in Sydney, with lockdowns, I haven't done much riding out of the city, but I always go looking for hills. I did my first climb up to Katoomba (from Parramatta) a couple of weeks ago, and simply picked low enough gears that it was indeed very easy. It wasn't anywhere near as mathematical as your video, but basically the same conclusion. (But when I'm in town, I love trying to tear up the hills in high gears to build strength.)

A really excellent explanation. You have a deep understanding of mechanics and physics. And a clear language. Really good Video! 😊

I can’t believe how mach I liked your video it was exactly the data I needed to find out whether I could climb my beloved mountains with a 32t to 51t ratio and my estimated W power from my last rides. I searched a lot to find this video!! Thanks

Not a professional rider I am, and yet - can you give a rest to your legs (0 rpm) on the uphill as you could do it on the flat? Uphills never are easier

I've found the balance issue can be much improved if the head race is in good condition, greased and well adjusted. It saves a lot of effort oversteering when climbing.

In my city, with the tropical weather and only flat surfaces, every time I get out the house feels like a climb, so hot and windy, definitely makes flat hard and this kinda makes me ready when I have to ride steep sections in a different city

Good stuff. I've learnt this the hard way with time. Wish I'd seen this video a long time ago. One thing you've forgotten to mention, however; front to back rider positioning on the bike. Once the gradient is around 20% or over, lighter riders lose traction at the back wheel if they're not sitting far enough back - but - then there is a danger of not enough weight on the front wheel and you lose the ability to steer properly, particularly on loose or wet surfaces.

Just bought the 3 book set, your content is always great and informative and really wants to make me get out there! Here in the netherlands there is not a single slope in sight but I plan to go to Japan for my first big tour once corona is over(if ever) and it is time for me to get my body back into shape so I can at least try to get over the hills there, your video at least gave me a glimmer of hope it might actually be possible.

Im no novice but I thought you were just gonna say “yeah you can ride up hills with a lower gear ratio you just sacrifice speed” but this was really in depth and thank you for the too for the resources Im gonna go calculate my maximum grade

Interesting video thanks. I can't ride a bike so I've no idea why I was recommended this. Happy days

I actually listened to this whole 12 minutes! I have a couple angles on this topic. I began my cycling as a road rider--by the time I was 12 I was road racing, even though my friends were 1st generation BMX. This was late 70s. Gearing on road racing bikes in those days was starkly different from the rapidly evolving touring gear of the time. I was an avid BICYCLING reader along with MIROIR DU CYCLISME and curious /interested in touring too, but road racing came first. My junior gearing was 42-52 or 53 (depending on tyres) and 15-19 straight block. I LOVE straight blocks. BUT you don't have any low gears. Racers eschewed long cage deraillers. It was trouble enough with short cage to avoid issues. We used either SunTour Superbe/Cyclone/VX or Campagnolo. They couldn't handle much past a 13-24 back there with a 42-52. Racing techniques developed to handle these gears on steeps. "switchbacking" was one technique. On the other hand Avocet came out with a 24t triple and SunTour a 32 tooth rear in those days, with a long cage VX derailler--and tourists took to that like fish to water. Many a paper in Bike Tech and many an article in BICYCLING about the benefits....but then Jonathan Boyer trounced all the touring background riders such as Haldeman and Marino in the GABR riding a 17 lb road racing bike... In that time, Mountain biking was in its infancy but as a road racer we were in the woods a lot in the fall winter and spring, playing cyclocross. When it gets too steep you dismount and carry. MANY times in those days if the mid 80s I would come upon MTB riders (Deore XT 18 speed stuff, remember them, with twistooth?) climbing super slowly, and I would run right by them with my 19 lb road bike over my shoulder....hahahah. Chalk that up to the Walking Advantage> Another story: the Tour of Mount Nebo in PA, super steep, first time there, Ive got my senior straight block on (late 90s) 12-19 with 39-52 (newer Campagnolo 135 BC) and a guy says, "you aren't racing on THAT are you? GOOD LUCK!" I was switchbacking a really steep spot and the guys around me started yelling. So I got off and walked in the grass--and started passing people! In old fashioned cleats! Fast forward to the past decade or so and we have seen elite road racers finally understand what the touring guys had figured out in the 70s---run efficient cadence on the climbs, it is faster than p0wering through a 42-19 and switchbacking. So everything comes back around. Of course at some point walking is always going to win, its in the 15% grade point or so on rough ground; steeper on pavement.

Not true. You can coast for a good distance on flat ground. Try that climbing a hill.

You just make total sense. It is great for us mortals who get told to try emulate the pros when it comes to hill climbing with high cadences. 60 seems reasonable for me I will try it on zwift.

I've honestly started to love riding up hills.

i always pedal in the hardest gear everywhere, when i get to the hill i put it abit higher and then when i reach the bacl to the hardest gear and its honestly so rewarding

Very interesting video. Love the science. When I was in Tuscany a few years ago I found if I could control my heart rate at a comfortable level I was able to climb the long (longer than I was used to) hills more easily. If my heart rate when above my comfort zone (about 150bpm for me) I just backed off a bit to lower my HR. I suppose that is similar to listening to your breathing but with an easily visible metric to guide me.

I think the bottom line is to read your cadence. Maintaining that RPM through proper gear selection is the key. I tended to always have higher gear ratios than others I rode with, but I kept at it and always figured I'd make up in strength (torque in that power equation). But as I age and essentially fell out of routine, that leg strength has reduced, and I just can't spin on a hill. Noted 52T rear? Impressive calcs, I've got some shopping to do, I miss those long climbs you mention. It seems moot as out here everyone is just going to ebikes, but I'm stubborn. I just won't ride with them.

I know what gears are and how to change them, thank you. And the 5 minute ride from my home to the next supermarket has easily 15% grade if not even 20%.

I'm not even a cyclist and I was still hooked this entire video.

This explanation only holds water when you redefine what "harder" means. As myantispambox said already, you're expending more energy, thereby effort, to cover the same distance. I think most people define "harder" this way.

#4 -balance -I've always felt this is the main aspect. Poor balance exponentially exhausts the rider. This includes increased inefficiency in steering. Seems to me that wobbly steering greatly increases actual tire travel. For example, imagine I travel one mile whereas my tires travel two miles, the difference being a straight line versus sine wave. o_0

Not that I planned to climb montains on bike, but information is really useful. And being a bit nerdy I like the preciseness of information and numbers 😄

Totally agree. The second I got a 12 speed XC MTB I noticed the gearing was so low I could climb basically any hill I wanted without difficulty as long as I wasn't trying to do it quickly. My road bike however is designed for top end speed and runs out of gears quickly on steep inclines.

i guess the dislikes are from guys who only own a single speed.

so it turns out that it requires a bit of brain thought when I see a hill. I always used to freak out on even the slightest hill but now I feel quite confident about it now that I have educated myself after watching your video. I especially like the fact that if I drop down a gear or 2, I am still creating the same power output as if I kept on the same tough gear. Overall, it is a highly motivational video that you have created.

By watching your insanely educational videos, I feel very confident in the purchase I just made. After 10 years and 7 cancer diagnosis, I started riding to raise funds and awareness for childrens' cancer research. I learned my bike was very VERY wrong for me, and then got stopped from the riding to have a kidney removed on August 16, 2022. Then I started learning. I chose a Marin Pine Mountain 1 that has a "Granny Gear" of 18.9 gear inches! (32 crank to a 11-51 cassette) I had no clue what that even meant until your videos. I intestinally rode down and back up a hill for my test drive. Even with being out of commission for a few months, and not fully recovered from the kidney removal, the hill was conquered without killing myself. Thank YOU!

Wow, this is by far the most scientific compilation of metrics for touring! Wish this was available ten years ago though! 🙂

hills are harder than flats when your lowest gear requires more than FTP to maintain cadence. On my 39/25 bike that occurs at about 6%.

Also, hills make accelerating very hard, which means if you stop and want to get going again, you'll be at a very low cadence for a long time.

Yes, gear ratios give you mechanical advantage BUT as you climb you are gaining potential energy which has to come from somewhere. On a flat surface you are fighting friction only. As you climb you fight friction and transfer kinetic energy into potential energy.

Came across your video for the first time, and got excited to see Vietnam in the background ahaha 🙌

Hm, I thought this video is about how to conquer hills with existing not-so-low gears, but it just boils down to conclusion that we need ultra low gears to do that. Ok ...

if you can let go of the speedometer... but i tend to still want to go 25km/h

Fantastic video, thanks for sharing.

Great information and boy, what beautiful scenery!