Actually, biking is nothing more than applied physics," Christoph Sauser whispers as he effortlessly winds his way up the climb. I'm stuck behind the World Cup ace and remember that physics almost broke my neck back in school. Instead of light-footedly defying the downhill force, I pant behind him. But why does the lean Swiss climber climb so much better? More training, fewer tonsil ears, lighter bike?
"Sure, that plays a part of course, but riding technique and posture are crucial. In other words, physics," says Sauser at the summit, while I reanimate myself with a Powerbar. What Christoph Sauser means by physics is basically nothing more than the optimum posture on the bike and, of course, the total weight of the biker plus bike. If you set your bike and yourself to lean, you will be faster on the climb.
But to get your engine into the optimum speed range, we'll show you what you need to bear in mind. From posture, riding intensity, technique and favourable bike tuning.
You can find the entire article as a PDF download below.
