Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => MTB => Topic started by: Hattyfatner on 29 May, 2015, 09:31:40 pm

Title: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: Hattyfatner on 29 May, 2015, 09:31:40 pm: How do you climb a steep rocky slope on a mountain bike? I've got dead low gears but keep wheel spinning or popping a wheelie :-[

It's got quite a short upright stem and proper wide handlebars. This off-road lark's tricky!
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: hazeii on 30 May, 2015, 10:11:13 pm: Body language to get over the big lumps, plus the fitness to carry adequate speed. Add plenty of practice, and a degree of failure analysis.
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: PaulF on 30 May, 2015, 10:30:11 pm: Big fat tyres!

That and keeping the weight centred: not so far forward that the rear wheel spins, not so far back that the front lifts. It's a delicate balance.
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: henshaw11 on 30 May, 2015, 10:37:47 pm: Mostly, sit forward on the saddle nose (you may prefer a different saddle !) - sitting nornally lifts the front, standing causes the back to spin out. And as mentioned, body english over lumpier bits.
Edit - on/over the nose centres your weight.
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: tom_e on 31 May, 2015, 12:21:05 pm: If it's a steady gradient with no bigger steps, you need to turn the pedals with smooth torque all the way round in circles. And hold your weight backwards just far enough to hold traction through those circles.

If there are lumps in the uphill, you need to practice those on the flat first. :P
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: Veloman on 31 May, 2015, 12:48:32 pm: Ask the internet:

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=Q3_RUsbfD4_0yAOzloGgAQ&ved=0CBUQ1S4#q=mountain+bike+technique+for+steep+hills (https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=Q3_RUsbfD4_0yAOzloGgAQ&ved=0CBUQ1S4#q=mountain+bike+technique+for+steep+hills)
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: Hattyfatner on 31 May, 2015, 06:49:17 pm: Thanks for all the advice - smooth pedalling and weight distribution are deffo areas for improvement.
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: CAMRAMan on 31 May, 2015, 08:13:15 pm: It sounds perverse, but you may also be in too low a gear for the incline. Ignore that if it's a really slippery surface that's causing the wheel slip, but sometimes there's no substitute for hard work to get you up a hill. Having to input plenty of torque would also help balance out the jerky pedal movements.
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: rabbit on 09 August, 2015, 05:50:16 pm: Tight elbows - bring them in toward your body and down and it keeps the front wheel tracking on the steep stuff :thumbsup:
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: Dibdib on 09 August, 2015, 06:19:20 pm: Quote from: Veloman on 31 May, 2015, 12:48:32 pm
Ask the internet:

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=Q3_RUsbfD4_0yAOzloGgAQ&ved=0CBUQ1S4#q=mountain+bike+technique+for+steep+hills (https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=Q3_RUsbfD4_0yAOzloGgAQ&ved=0CBUQ1S4#q=mountain+bike+technique+for+steep+hills)

On a less unhelpful "JFGI" note :facepalm:, GMBN have some decent videos with tips from pro riders:

How to survive on a climb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25vqGEN72Co
How to climb faster on your mountain bike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGtsC3n9ctM
How to ride technical climbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crnqZ-DtyPs
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: jamesld8 on 09 August, 2015, 07:34:36 pm: A degree of attack on short sharp ups / rocks and move your weight as you go up and over---so if it`s a rock step, build speed, determined approach, weight forwards and shift weight as you go over obstacle to bring back wheel up.
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: TonyJames on 25 August, 2015, 04:06:32 pm: Sometimes you've got to be in the middle ring and hit the climb super smooth. The granny ring lets you power on and off too much, the middle ring will smooth it out a bit more meaning you can find the sweetspot between leaning forwards and wheelspinning a bit easier.

Also, getting knackered and transitioning to standing will surely add to the wheelspins, so when youve got your position try to stick to it for the duration of the climb.
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: shack on 30 September, 2015, 09:50:14 pm: Choice of tyres and pressures also influence traction more than you may think, I always end up honking up steep sections
Title: Re: How do you get a mountain bike to climb something?
Post by: paton on 28 October, 2023, 09:15:33 am: Technique and practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuJtiqW23ks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-05EFHTRShY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB--HCRr8iU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkAggvtgzr8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr1-jQehyPA

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JxKst7vE65k