Biking up steep hills, off road

[Moose.]

Is there a technique for this? Since getting into MTBing a couple of months back my fitness has greatly improved to the point I can cycle up hills without too much problem. However, if it's steep I just can't go up it on the bike as either the back wheel spins out or, more often, I pull the front wheel off the ground and end up dropping the bike.

Any tips?

[rico]

Keep your ass in the saddle to give rear wheel traction, then bend your elbows so your weight is pushed forward, this will keep your front wheel from lifting. Then pedal


Or do what most people do and walk up

[ewenm]

Unfortunately keeping in the saddle means you haven't got as much power in the climbs.

Tough offroad climbs are all a matter of weight transfer. You need to ensure your weight is correctly positioned to give traction without loss of control. I find I'm usually out of the saddle and continually adjusting my position to maintain progress.

[neil_cardiff]

ewenm said:

Unfortunately keeping in the saddle means you haven't got as much power in the climbs.

Tough offroad climbs are all a matter of weight transfer. You need to ensure your weight is correctly positioned to give traction without loss of control. I find I'm usually out of the saddle and continually adjusting my position to maintain progress.

The technical term is called feathering.

There are two schools of thought; 1, that by sitting in the saddle you will get more traction, and thus able to climb where there is less grip by feathering or 2, Stand up, and move about to get the traction right.

However, neither work better than the other. The first is ideal on less technical climbs, especially where it is less bumpy, and the rider is able to really 'dig in'. However you struggle when it gets steep.

The latter technique works well, however, it is wasteful and requires a lower gear. This in turn means you 'lose' the grip slightly, and you run more risk of spinning out. However it is a better technique to deal with rocky steeps climbs.

My tip is to try various types of climbs - but learn how to get your approach speed and gearing right BEFORE you hit the hill - if you carry the right speed, you'll minimise the amount of climbing you need to do. Any changing gear on short technical climbs is a no no - you lose grip, and are likely to bust the drivetrain.

There is a climb on the Timberland trail which PDV6 and I ride frequently, and this catches me every time. Its my target now to learn how to get up it without dabbing - and on this climb (steep, short, rocky) it is bloody difficult.

However it is great to learn the technique, and I heartily recommend not giving up on them!

Long climbs should be done whilst sat down, and if you want to get rid of any acid in the legs, snick down a gear, stand up for a bit. Its also a great demoraliser for other people following you whilst racing!

[gazzab]

It depends on the hill, the angles and the terrain.
I tend to sit down on the very steep hills but tuck my elbows in , this pulls the head down a bit and gets the weight in the right places. It isnt good for breathing though!
I then try and keep at a comfortable pace as you might need to speed up to get over difficult bits ie if it is muddy with wet rocks and roots then you might need to attack to get over it, if your tank is empty then you will fall off ! If you are sitting then you will need to be in gear 1/1 or 1/2 - if you are standing then you might go for 2/2 ?

[jwb]

This is for shortish steep technical climbs.......

It is a balancing act to stop the front wheel lifting and the back wheel spinning.

It helps a lot to get low on the bike, ie get your chin on the handle bars, then hover over the saddle so you can shift your weight. The skill is knowing how to shift your weight and judging just how much power you can put down. Then having enough speed to get you through the tricky bits.

One of the best climbers I know is 9 stone but it is his technical skill not power that gets him up impossible steep stuff.

Practice.

John

[MTY4000]

I agree with all of the above, and would add that aswell as the 'low on the bike - nose down' approach described adding some 'down and back' pull force on the handle bar helps when you really need some traction and the nose to stay down at the same time.

The 'down and back' (sort of diagionally towards the contact point of the rear tyre) pull seems to russle up that extra bit of traction when you really need to power over a difficult section and keeps the nose down at the same time. Not hugely energy efficient though.

[Moose.]

Thanks for the tips folk, I'll give them a go next time out A final question, should you lock out the front shocks when going up or not?

[remal]

I must say matt in my past biking experance I never has a problem with this. But If you don't have clip in shoes then get them. well worth the money and never looked back when getting them fitted to my Gary Fisher

[jwb]

If it is rough then keep the front forks soft. They will absorb the bumps and help keep you on line. You will find another problem when climbing is keeping to the desired route. As the front is so light it gets knocked off line quite easily.

John

[Locoblade]

I agree with Remal, spuds made a huge difference to what I could get up when I converted to them a few weeks ago, because you can spin hard and fast where with flats your feet would be struggling to stay on the pedals.

Also if you have a travel adjustable front fork (Fox Talas, Rockshox with U-Turn etc) wind the fork right down to minimum travel, it will help stop the front wheel lifting meaning you can keep more weight over the back wheel and gain traction.

[Moose.]

remal said:

I must say matt in my past biking experance I never has a problem with this. But If you don't have clip in shoes then get them. well worth the money and never looked back when getting them fitted to my Gary Fisher

Didn't know you rode Matt! We should go riding some time

As for Spuds, not sure I'm ready for them just yet. And I like to be able to jump off if things go pear shaped

[pdV6]

Moose. said:

I like to be able to jump off if things go pear shaped

Its not usually a problem after the first couple of rides getting used to them - then its a revelation!

[MTY4000]

Re Clippless pedals...

I'm a recent convert (Crankbrothers Candy SL), but i took a great many falls last week [lakes & yorkshire dales] as a result of being unable to unclip from the bike on technical climbs and decents.

Hopefully I will get up the learning curve on this soon as after the 5th fall onto sharp rocks in one ride it was really getting on my nerves and I was running out of body parts that were without a nice bruise!

Love them when I am not falling off though, so I'm going to put in some extra practice.

How do you guys get out of the clips when you have the power down on a climb... i just can't seem to do it.. I just hit the deck every time.

[rlk500]

There's a pile of things to do to make it a bit easier, but with any skill, practice makes perfect. Firstly, selecting the correct gear for the climb is vital, knowing which one comes with practice but if you can turn a big gear then do so. Balance is also pretty vital, I found spending time doing track stands etc improve your balance no end and help when you hit the rough bits that normally throw you out of your stride. You need to look ahead and pick your line, on the smoother parts you may be able to push on a bit so that you can ride the bike up and over any obstructions on the climb. There is no simple solution, just lots of practice.

[pdV6]

MTY4000 said:

Re Clippless pedals...

I'm a recent convert (Crankbrothers Candy SL), but i took a great many falls last week [lakes & yorkshire dales] as a result of being unable to unclip from the bike on technical climbs and decents.

Hopefully I will get up the learning curve on this soon as after the 5th fall onto sharp rocks in one ride it was really getting on my nerves and I was running out of body parts that were without a nice bruise!

Love them when I am not falling off though, so I'm going to put in some extra practice.

How do you guys get out of the clips when you have the power down on a climb... i just can't seem to do it.. I just hit the deck every time.

It just "becomes natural" after a while (and the pedals / cleats bedding in a bit).
Your pedals have 2 selectable release angles (15° or 20° - have you set them up for 20° by mistake? The usual way to change it is to swap the cleats from foot to foot but check your instructions. Not sure if those have adjustable spring tension but if they do, soften them off a bit until you're more confident.

[MTY4000]

Thanks Pete, I'll check the instructions. I must admit I tend to just dive in without consulting instructions so it is entirely probably I have them the wrong way round... doh!

[Locoblade]

I can thoroughly recommend Shimano SPDs with Multi-Release cleats, I moved from flats to them a few weeks ago and havent had a single "scare" let alone a fall off sideways whilst trying to unclip which seems the norm with most clipless varieties whilst getting used to them. With the multi release you seem to "naturally" be able to pull your foot out as opposed to needing to remember to kick your heel out sideways, so when it all goes pear shaped and you panic, your natural instincts to pull your feet off the pedals actually detach you, yet despite this I have not yet had an accidental unclip, and you can still pull the pedals on the up-stroke effectively enough.

Edited by Locoblade on Wednesday 20th September 18:14

[orgasmicliving!!]

I have the Shimano SPDs but don't know if they are multi-release. Probably not, as I had to learn the hard way to unclip in advance!!

I am just starting with the MTB stuff, so this is very useful. I will try bottoming out my front fork today, I was having a problem with the front wheel lifting and then going off course. Will also try the feathering technique, but I wish there was a video clip somewhere--I am not sure I understand what I need to do. Maybe I will find someone on the trail who can show me.

If any of you ever visit northern California, it's biking paradise! Get the maps and rent a bike and you will be in heaven!

[Locoblade]

If you got the cleats when buying a set of SPDs then they are probably single release, ie you have to move your heel horizontally away from the bike to detach from the pedal. The ones Ive got (Shimano SH56) you don't get if buying pedals AFAIK.