Originally Posted by
terrymorse
Riding out of the saddle is an important part of a climber's toolbox, too. On the bike, I'll do standing drills in a big gear, targeting a 50-60 cadence. These will work the quads. 30 seconds standing, 15 seconds seated spinning.
Do you ever do 'big gear spinups'? After working your legs in the weight room, and/or doing those low-cadence climbing drills, you need something to help your legs remember how to recruit all of the muscle fibers possible when they're needed. I would get to at least a shallow climb, put the bike in the highest gear, and slow to a near-standstill; then stand up and pedal as hard as possible for 10-12 revolutions, by which time cadence should be pretty high.