|
To newcomers and even more experienced mountain bikers, hills can be the most daunting aspect of any ride. Sometimes it even seems easier to go round them or turn round and head in the other direction. These mini-mountains loom up ahead of you and can instill the kind of dread and trepidation that make you want to head for anywhere but the hills… Don't be fooled- they want you to be scared of them, but with the right technique you can tame any incline. As far as MiTB is concerned fitness is a small part of the tools you need to make that climb. True, if you're wheezing after ten feet or if the climb is steep for a very long way then you've got some work to do, but anyone with a fair-to-middling level of fitness can take on the steepest of hills with the right approach. Positive Mental Attitude is a very overused term that gets used for everything from running a marathon to buying washing powder, but in mountain biking, particularly uphill, it is crucial. Remember the fear we spoke of earlier, the intimidation that hill puts into you? Don't let it! It's in your way, damnit, and you don't want to let anything get in your way! Show it who's boss, know that you can get over it and you will. Pick your gear That was all a bit Oprah! let's get back to the riding. The gear you choose is crucial- too low and you'll spin like crazy and lose balance, too high and you won't be able to turn the pedals. What you need is a gear that allows you pedal with a steady rhythm. It takes effort to ride uphill, but with the right gear and a steady rhythm sooner or later you'll make it. With a reasonably light bike and ok fitness you can
do most hills in the middle ring with the third or fourth sprockets,
but the key is trial and error. Start with middle and third as a
basis and see how it feels. Go up a cog if your legs are stuggling
or drop some if they're going like the clappers (just remember gears
don't like being changed under load, such as when you're riding
uphill. Smooth downshifts on the sprockets should be ok but be very
wary of shifting chainrings) Rhythm is the key to making the climb. If you keep pedalling, you keep moving forward, and as long as you do that you will get over the hill, like you would any other stretch of ground (only slower)! A steady 'not too slow, not too manic' pace lets you keep your balance too- losing your balance is what most often makes you mess up a climb. Stand your ground There's an instinct when climbing that makes you want to stand up. It provides a more powerful kick but it can be counter-productive. When you're sat on the saddle, the weight is on the back wheel, and that's where you need the traction to be (obviously it's the wheel driven by the chain). Standing up takes weight off the back and reduces traction, so try and stay seated as long as you can. There are exceptions to this rule, though. If you're riding a particularly rocky incline, going over a sharp bump can send your front wheel up, and if the hill's steep this can start the sensation of looping out. It's pretty hard to loop out going uphill but the feeling will unsettle and unbalance you and bring the climb crashing to a halt. Use weight distribution intelligently uphill as you would anywhere else- if the front wheel's coming up move your weight forward, and move it back again as soon as the hill get's smoother. Another time to stand is on really long climbs. Whether it's just psycholgical I don't know, but changing your position (try this with your hands too if you're using bar ends) can really help you last the distance. Running up It's pretty hard to be surprised by a hill (they're big and stick up a lot!) so when you know you're heading for one be sure to use your momentum to get up the start of it. I'd love to stop there but of course it's not that simple! You need to make the shift to a gear suitable for climbing while you're still moving at a decent speed, not while you climb. To start with get all the speed you can on the run up to the hill, and when you hit the slope, stop pedalling. As you freewheel, get into the gear that suits you for climbing, whilst letting momentum carry you as far up the slope as possible. As you practice, try leaving the point where you stop pedalling later and later, until you can use a combination of pedalling and momentum to get as far up the hill as you can before the speed runs out and you smoothly shift down for the hard bit. Timing is everything, so give it some practice and if you don't get it at first, don't worry- you will. Smoothly Does it As with a lot of good mountain
bike riding, keeping your movements smooth and fluid really helps
you make it up a hill. Sudden, jerky movements get amplified by
the terrain and the gradient and something as simple as turning
the bars sharlply to go round a rock can cause a catastrophic loss
of balance leading to a*se-plant! Remember you're going slowly.
Think of trials riders- they plan everything five moves ahead and
are ready to compensate for every eventuality. True, being at the
top of 12-foot drop-off does wonders for your focus, but the best
riders are just the same on the ground- never making unnecessary
movements and employing just the right amount of body language to
pull off the move. So there you have it. Or rather you probably don't, because climbing like a mountain goat doesn't always come easily and you need to get out there and practice. Just remember what we said: Find the right gear for you, use your
run up but remember to change down in time |
|
|
|
|