Most cyclists attack hills wrong. After years of competitive cricket batting and cycling coaching, I've identified the three mistakes that separate riders who dread climbs from riders who dominate them.

Mistake #1: Going Too Hard Too Early

Just like a batsman who swings wildly in the first over, most cyclists blow up in the first third of a climb. The fix? Tempo pacing. Start at 70-75% effort and build. The climb is an innings, not a single ball.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Cadence on Steep Gradients

Above 10% gradient, most riders mash a big gear at 50 RPM and wonder why their legs burn out. The data is clear:

Shift early, spin efficiently, save your matches for the steep kicks.

Mistake #3: No Mental Framework

This is where cricket changed everything for me. A batting innings teaches you to segment effort — you don't think about 300 balls, you think about the next over. Apply the same framework to climbs:

• Break the climb into 2-minute segments

• Give each segment a focus (breathing, cadence, position)

• Reset mentally at each checkpoint

The riders who climb well aren't stronger. They're smarter.

I teach all of this — and much more — inside the Hill Climbing Mastery Program. If you're serious about becoming a better climber, the course covers power-to-weight optimization, gradient-specific techniques, an 8-week structured training block, and the mental toughness framework that makes it all click.