The hills that make up Michigan single track can be described in one word: Punchy. Iceman has no shortage of these short but steep climbs, and without preparation they may take you by surprise (Anitas Hill, anyone?). I’ve seen many fit riders struggle when they pick a poor line, lose too much speed or don’t shift their weight properly to maintain traction. However, there are plenty of ways to prepare for these classic Iceman climbs.
1. Practice like you play. While most of us can’t ride the course on repeat, we can do the next best thing. Look for hills in your area with similar gradient and length to the classic Iceman climbs listed below and practice riding them. A good place to search for these is the “Segment” section on Strava maps. Get an idea of how much effort you need to make it up the hill without putting a foot down. Note where you body position needs to be in order to keep traction. Practice these hills repeatedly until you know its doable and keep it in your normal rotation in order to build strength and confidence.
2. Make it more difficult. Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s so much more than just the length and gradient that makes a hill challenging. Sometimes it’s the surface type (sand, loose rock), line choice or other riders that cause that hill to feel more like a mountain. Find steep climbs with loose or soft terrain to practice keeping your back wheel from spinning out. If you are going to be climbing for any longer than a short burst, it’s best to remain sitting to even out your weight between your wheels, use your energy more efficiently and maintain balance. If the climb is very loose you may need to shift your weight back slightly to increase traction on your back wheel. If the climb is very steep and the front wheel is threatening to lift up, shift your weight slightly forward to maintain contact.
During the race, you may find yourself climbing in a pack, unable to switch into the A line. So practice picking and crushing the B lines. Not only will you build more strength and skills, but you will also find that being in a lackluster line will be less likely to mess with your head during the race.
3. Practice climbing behind a slower rider. When climbing in a pack you may also find that the rider ahead of you is a slower climber, and if you are boxed in you may be forced to climb at a speed slower than you like, with gravity threatening to pull you down. Practice this scenario. Ride as slow as you can and still make it up the hill, or better yet, let a slower rider lead.
4. Learn how to run your bike up a hill. No matter how good of a climber you are, things still happen. Everyone has times when gravity will get the best of us and we have to put a foot down. Sometimes its fastest to grab your bike and run it up the hill rather than trying to clip in and force your way up the hill.
5. Train your perspective. Hills hurt. They are supposed to hurt. Most of the notable hills in Iceman are in the last 8 miles of the race. Ice breaker is near the very end. Train for that! Practice climbing an 8% gradient for a tenth of a mile or more at the end of your ride when your legs are cooked so you are familiar with the feeling. I also highly recommend finding some long hills or doing hill repeats to know what you are capable of and to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. For instance, 2-3 weeks before an event with a lot of climbing, I will do “Tour of fire and Ice” on Zwift which features 7 miles of climbing at an average gradient of 8%. Then, every time Im climbing a long hill in a race I remind myself that I can climb for over an hour and suddenly whatever I’m climbing doesn’t seem so bad.
The 2024 course is not released yet but here are some of the hills featured in the course the last 2 years.
Punchy:
Anitas Hill 0.08 mi 10.7% Woodchip Hill 0.05 8.6% Ice Breaker 0.07 8.4%
The Boonenberg 0.18 7.1%
Moderate length/grade:
Chadilacs Beard Zone 0.68 3.1% VASA CC Climb Ice Crusher 0.68 3.6%
Long Climb
Climb Iceman Climb 1.81 miles 1.8%
I hope this helps you feel more confident as the race approaches. Now go crush some hills!!
Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Meg Hagerman @hagermanm