Irondan said:
No, I don't tap my hoods when my hands start to go numb, I just move them around. That's why I have a hard time reconciling what CF was doing with his hands in that clip.
Thanks for the tip though, I'll give it a try.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! Most people don't realize that lungs extend to just under the collarbone. Tense, cramped arms, shoulders and chest impedes breathing and does nothing for generating power. While climbing, it's often quite useful to do frequent "system checks". Start at the toes and work upwards, asking yourself if something hurts or is unnecessarily tense. In particular, the upper body should be relaxed with the hands loosely draped on the bars.
The first time I tried this was on a weekly hill climb time trial. I went from mid to back of the pack to a top ten.
John Swanson