Road Cycling: How can I make my bike heavier?

Arducius:

I know this seems like a very strange question, especially in a sport with such emphasis on having the lightest components etc., but I want to get better at climbing and I figure that if I have to move more weight then I should build strength. Then when it comes to removing the weight, I should perform better.

I would really rather not cycle with a bag on my back, as I find this results in aching shoulders at the end of a ride. I have heard of weights that attach to the bike frame but I haven't been able to find anywhere that sells them here in the UK.

Another option is to get another bottle cage and fill a bottle with sand (or something similar?) but I'd rather not risk ruining a bottle by filling it with sand...

Any suggestions? 

 First off, bottles are like what $2?  And if you don't want to use a 'good' bottle, find one of the sports drink bottls that fits a cage, and use that.

Oh, and the way you get better at climbing is to do more climbing.  Try and spin up the hills.  Keep working at it until you can spin up in the next higher gear.  Either that, or get an old, heavy steel bike, and ride that up the hills. 

I echo mk1racer.  You don't need a heavier bike, you need to be in a higher gear.  If you are already riding in your hardest gear, then you need 1 of 3 things: 1. a pro contract, 2. a steeper hill, or 3. a bigger big ring.   I ride on a 53/40something (I can't remember, I suck).  I haven't a prayer of climbing Lookout Mountain in Golden, CO on that big ring.

That's easy for me to say, though, because I live near a plethora of hills to climb.  

Good luck! 

I found myself thinking about your question during my ride this morning!   My conclusion was that the best way to climb better is not to surprise your body with a lighter bike on the day of the big ride.  The best way to climb better is to train your body to climb.  There are three things you must do to accomplish this:

1. Train your leg muscles to flush lactic acid more efficiently.  That comes from interval training.  One or two rides a week should be a short climb, 1 minute as hard as you can, then 2 minutes recovery.  Repeat until you puke.   Seriously, 30 minutes of intervals is a lot.
2. Optimize your pedal stroke.  Pushing down comes automatically, so focus on pulling back at the bottom and kicking over the top.  Ride enough that this becomes natural, not just something you remember on the climb.  Spinning classes are great for this.
3. Train your body to produce maximum power at minimum heart rate.  You do that through a combination of Heart Zone training and learning to relax while you climb.  Again, Spinning classes have had a big impact on my performance here.

these are all great points! And, Steve said it perfectly; focus on technique and you'll see drastic improvements.

That said, I do "penny-bottle" workouts once a week. I'm a competitive road and cross racer and I have that nagging itch to build that much more muscle. So, on a weekly basis, I load a bottle with pennies (it's about 12 lbs) and hit a local climb. Does this really help? I doubt it, but it motivates me to hit the hill that much faster, and that can't be ignored.

If you want to add weight to your bike, consider adding rolling weight, i.e. wheels or tires, which will deliver a huge bang. If you have decent wheels, consider buying thicker tires. They will add weight and, as an added bonus, decrease the chance of a flat.

Another less-costly option is to purchase lead tape and slap strips between the spokes. Golfers use this stuff to weight club heads and it's amazing how much weight can be added with just a few strips.  (It's great to throw a few pieces on your buddies bike when he's not looking! )