How do I ride up hills???

[abo]

N00bish question... How do I ride up hills on broken/loose ground? If found that if I put weight over the back wheel to get traction then the front is wanting to lift all the time, but if I put more weight on the front then then it won't lift but I can't get anywhere as I can't get any grip...

Is it just a case of finding a mid point where things balance out for the hill I'm climbing, or is there a technique etc.?

 

[roadbiker]

N00bish question... How do I ride up hills on broken/loose ground? If found that if I put weight over the back wheel to get traction then the front is wanting to lift all the time, but if I put more weight on the front then then it won't lift but I can't get anywhere as I can't get any grip...

Is it just a case of finding a mid point where things balance out for the hill I'm climbing, or is there a technique etc.?

lean forward and put your bike in a median gear and just pedle, is bloody hard and tiring but works

 

[abo]

lean forward and put your bike in a median gear and just pedle, is bloody hard and tiring but works

Works just fine on the road or compacted trails. But if I try it on a loose uphill then the rear just breaks traction because there isn't enough weight over it. Tricky (for me)...

 

[Cubist]

You have to find a balance. Sit on the nose of the saddle and keep your elbows bent. This way you can't pull up on the bars. I find if I drop my shoulders and try to put my centre of gravity through my hips, and the effect is a sort of hunched over position that throws as much weight downwards through the seatpost and chainstays rather than power into the back wheel.

Gear selection is a bit hit and miss, but you need a low enough gear to be able to turn it without lifting the front wheel with a power wheelie, even better if you can learn to be subtle with your rear mech and change down on the fly. Too high a gear and you will produce way too much torque and the wheel will break away on a loose surface.

It may seem obvious, but you also need to plan ahead and do all your changing down before you grind to a halt, because making a smooth transition into a hill means you can keep momentum, and shift weight simply to keep the bike moving.

A woman at our local club makes this mistake every time. If you get stuck behind her there's always a grinding to a halt, a struggling with gears, thirty seconds spent clipping back in to a pedal that's now in too low a gear and loads of apologising. Subtle shouts of "Change down NOW Xxxe or you'll grind to a halt again and hold everybody up!" never have the desired educational effect......

 

[abo]

Thanks Cubist, I'll try some of that next time I'm out That thing re. gear selection is a problem, on really steep (for me?) stuff I'm trying to granny it; I get a little power wheelie and it feels like I'm going to go over backwards, so the bottle goes and I grind to a halt.

 

[Kirstie]

In addition to the above: stay seated but lean the upper body forward, keep the elbows in to the waist, pull back and down on the bars, brace your core and put lots of power through your legs...

 

[e-rider]

stay seated but put your nose to the handlebars

 

[abo]

thanks all

 

[Cubist]

Thanks Cubist, I'll try some of that next time I'm out That thing re. gear selection is a problem, on really steep (for me?) stuff I'm trying to granny it; I get a little power wheelie and it feels like I'm going to go over backwards, so the bottle goes and I grind to a halt.

Granny's fine, just make sure you start off in the middle of the cassette to give yourself room to shift either way if you need to . It's all about practice!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

+1. You may also want to check your tyre pressures. No more than 40psi for off road.

You have to find a balance. Sit on the nose of the saddle and keep your elbows bent. This way you can't pull up on the bars. I find if I drop my shoulders and try to put my centre of gravity through my hips, and the effect is a sort of hunched over position that throws as much weight downwards through the seatpost and chainstays rather than power into the back wheel.

Gear selection is a bit hit and miss, but you need a low enough gear to be able to turn it without lifting the front wheel with a power wheelie, even better if you can learn to be subtle with your rear mech and change down on the fly. Too high a gear and you will produce way too much torque and the wheel will break away on a loose surface.

It may seem obvious, but you also need to plan ahead and do all your changing down before you grind to a halt, because making a smooth transition into a hill means you can keep momentum, and shift weight simply to keep the bike moving.

A woman at our local club makes this mistake every time. If you get stuck behind her there's always a grinding to a halt, a struggling with gears, thirty seconds spent clipping back in to a pedal that's now in too low a gear and loads of apologising. Subtle shouts of "Change down NOW Xxxe or you'll grind to a halt again and hold everybody up!" never have the desired educational effect......

 

[Angelfishsolo]

+1

Granny's fine, just make sure you start off in the middle of the cassette to give yourself room to shift either way if you need to . It's all about practice!

 

[Muddy Ground]

+2 for predicting the gear change - makes all the difference.

MG