- Bicycle fit Have your bike fit by a shop or a knowledgeable rider - Bicycle efficiency Chain lubed. Proper tire pressure. - Form I am going to assume a road. Can climb in the saddle or out. Alternate. A longer climb you will spend more time in the saddle. Out of the saddle hands on the drops. In the saddle hands on the top. - Cadence You will have a faster cadence in the saddle - like 60 but 40 may work for you. Less than 40 then get to a lower gear. For a strong rider it would be faster like 80-100. Even out of the saddle you should be above 40. Find what works for you but from your general description I suspect your cadence is much lower than it should be. You may need to get lower gearing on your bike to get your cadence up. [Video][1] [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zam74qlzGtQ