Hills

sparrowlegs78

Ok ..i am new at this MTB lark :oops: and i am really struggling with the hills!!! living here in Lancs its impossible to go anywhere without climbing, so i am wondering is there a technique to climbing? :oops: i usually end up in the granny gears with me legs going like the clappers but still breathing and sweating like a pig :oops: .
I am a 29 yr old female returning to biking after discovering the engined kind of bike goes faster lol.
Many thanks for hints and tips.. Caz x

milese

Make sure your saddle is high enough so that your knee is almost straight on the longest part of the stroke.

Keep at it, it will get easier!

sparrowlegs78

My saddle is deffo a tad low......i'll adjust that...thanx

benneally

Try and keep ur cadence at about 90rpm, this is apparently the most efficient way of cycling. Also believe u can beat the hill! lol I think hill climbing is mind over matter and so think positive and its easy.

Bromski

Hi Sparrow

I'm the same age but 2 years down the line.

You know the answer to this one really don't you - practice and more practice.

The hills do get easier, but then you will start to do them faster...so they still hurt!

Over time you will, probably without noticing, find that you can cruise up most hills and that you're doing it in the middle ring.

My advice would be this - don't change down too early in advance of a hill. Change down smoothly when you feel that you arent going to be able to keep the cranks turning.

Try to pedal in full circles - easier if you use clipless pedals, and then you can pull up on each stroke too.

I once read an article written by some xc pro that said he thinks about light things - e.g. imagines he's a hot air balloon. Never worked for me but, hey...

The good thing about hills - they always lead to a downhill.

Andy B

Also sit slightly further towards the nose of the saddle & pull the bars towards you (this will help push the rear wheel downwards for more traction)

smooth pedal strokes & being in the right gear at the right time helps too.

sparrowlegs78

I ve done 15 miles today and i am totally knackered lol. :oops:

sparrowlegs78

Thanks for the advise....i will beat these hills...before they kill me

BikerDan

Also, to keep traction, get your elbows nice and low, and sit slightly further forward on the saddle.

forgotrafe

When I got back on a bike about a year ago, my friend said when hills seem insurmountable, focus on a point about 30 feet ahead. When you get to it, focus on a new point 30 feet ahead. In other words, break the hill down into small achievable chunks.

As a last resort get off and walk. Better that than be put off for life! But very soon you'll forget to do the 30ft thing as the hills are no longer such a big problem.

Also I found it useful to go back and revisit some of the bigger hills every month (no more frequent than that). It's a real encouragement to see how much you've improved.

Hope that helps. Enjoy!

Rafe

crocky

I'm a newbie too and found it absolute murder getting up hills, even piddling little ones. It quickly became apparent that my frame was a little too small for me. Nothing major, in fact you'd say it was about right for my height. But I've got stumpy legs, a long body and matching arms (picture a chimpanzee and you're on the right track, got the body hair to match too!)

Now I'm on a bigger frame I can fly up hills like a monkey up a tree - the difference is unbelieveable! That said I haven't got much nut clearance, which hasn't been a problem yet, but one day... :shock:

El Capitano

sparrowlegs78 wrote:

I am a 29 yr old

Meh! I'm 44 and can climb reasonably quickly. There are two methods of climbing (that I use):

1. Stick it in a large gear, stand up out of the saddle and grind to the top. Not very energy efficient and not very good for the knees. However, if you can get a reasonably good run up to a hill and the trail is reasonably smooth and straight, this can be used quite effectively.

2. Spinning. If you can, watch how Lance Armstrong climbs (Okay, so it's on the road, but the principle is the same), ride low on the bike, balanced between the wheels. Keep in a low gear and pedal at a high cadence - 90-100 rpm. This is the best way to climb, especially on technical trails.

You won't become a "mountain goat" overnight, it takes time and practice. Another thing to consider when you're climibing, is that you're climbing "over" a hill, not "up" a hill, it's a bit of psycology, but works for me.

dunker

when it gets too much effort just before that cklunk down into granma i stand up on the pedals and use my weight for help. i think overall it's more energy lost but it uses different muscle groups i think, less pain in the rear top thigh and bottom for me anyway. the whole 90 cadence is prolly great if you can do it but for me it's just too fast i prefer about 60-70, but i've only been riding for 6-7 months from a looonnggg break so maybe the pedal speed will come to me.

sparrowlegs78

Cheers peeps!!! i feel all inspired to crack this nut. can't wait til Sat when i can go and try all the hints and tips you lot are helping me with and living here there is plenty of hills to try them on lol.
I hope to be able to ride up to the top of Rivington Pike by the end of winter lol

pdid

sparrowlegs78 wrote:

I hope to be able to ride up to the top of Rivington Pike by the end of winter lol

Went up Rivington last Thurs, dabbed only once on my climb (apart from the gates)!! The last steep hike is a killer. There are some good routes around there.

Good luck in your quest, i`m sure you`ll be up there in no time.

Phil

deadpool2e

middle gear at the front large cog at the rear

Oh and get clipped in pedals so you get the power down better..

ride_whenever

Hill climbing is almost entirely a mental exercise, they never get any easier, you just go up them faster!

Also try doing it single speed styleee, get into a moderate gear, spin up really fast into the bottom and gun it up the hill, refuse to change or slow down, I used to take the hills really slowly on my commute in the granny ring, but since I did it a couple of times on my single speed I have a new attitude to getting up them quickly!

John Stevenson

Start easy.

A mistake many people make with hills is to attack them in too high a gear. This is fine if you're screaming fit, but if you're not, you'll just run out of oomph and end up walking.

Start in a low gear, even if it feels insanely low to start with. Get into a comfortable rhythm[1] and only change up if you're sure you can easily finish the climb in the gear you're in.

[1] For values of comfortable including 'bugger me, this hurts'. Hills never get easier, you just go faster up them.

stumpyjon

I'd second what John said. I always used to try to pedal fairly slowly in a higher gear working on the idea that I could always drop to a lower gear.

It wasn't until I went riding with a super fit colleague from work that I realised I was wrong. He was in a lower gear and it looked like his legs were going way too fast. Whenever he hit a rut or rock he just reduced his pedalling speed to pedel through the obstruction. I just ended up stopping because I couldn't pedal any slower and had no chance of changing down. he also suggested I go out and find a hard hill and ride up it five times in succession (I'm copying his technique but haven't yet taken the advice).