How to climb a steep gravelly incline?

hard-rider
hard-rider Posts: 460
edited March 2011 in MTB general
There's quite a steep incline about 40m long on one of the routes I ride that I just can't ride up. It's basically a dirt road in bad condition with a lot of loose stones and gravel. If I try stay seated and drop down to the granny wheel the front of the bike just wants to keep come up no matter how far forward I try to lean. If I try powering up standing then the rear wheel just starts to spin out. I always just end up pushing the bike up.

Any suggestions?

Comments

  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Don't just get your weight forward- that'll lose the traction- get it looooow, remember the wheelie isn't just the front coming up, it's the bike rotating so moving your centre of balance forward keeps it down but also moving it down.

    Elbows way down, wrists rotated as far down as you can- don't just drop them, twist them as though it's a motorbike throttle. Don't know why this works tbh but it does! Smooth power but try and have a wee bit in reserve too so that you can try and pedal out a quick slide.

    Might work ;) Some climbs are just total sods though.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Raymondavalon
    Raymondavalon Posts: 5,346
    Reminds me of a similar ascent at Cannock
    It used to defeat me riding the AM bike up it, but I learned that momentum is my friend. If I approach it with a little speed on the granny ring, I tend to be able to keep the momentum up, however I do need to choose my line. If I stray too much from the line I usualy use, I tend to lose the battle. I also need to remain in the saddle though due to the amound of gravel on that particular climb, any standing causes a spin out.

    Another tip is to lay your hands flat on the bars, with your thumbs on top of the grips too, this prevents you from putting your weight too far back to prevent the front end from lifting.
    It's a tip I got from this site and it works for me..
    The Bouncer
    The Shaker
  • neiltb
    neiltb Posts: 332
    if you ar wheelieing in the granny ring, drop a couple of sprockets or try in the middle ring (when I were a lad and started mtbing, the granny ring was 28T), as above smooth out pedal stroke, get low and get as much of a head of steam before the climb. There you go an answer backwards.
    FCN 12
  • hard-rider
    hard-rider Posts: 460
    Thanks for the tips. Some good ideas to try out for the next time. I agree with having some momentum is key because once the bike slows to the point where keeping balance becomes an issue then it's over.
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    everything northwind said.....plus...i would add...put your thumbs on top of your grips....

    dont know why, but this helps to drop the elbows nice and low.....
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • VWsurfbum
    VWsurfbum Posts: 7,881
    Also i would add no sudden pedal strokes, keep them as smooth as possible.
    Kazza the Tranny
    Now for sale Fatty
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,136
    get off and push :lol:
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • themanfromdelmonte
    themanfromdelmonte Posts: 46
    Instead of standing fully up, hover just over the saddle and spin as though seated without straightening your legs. This will cane your legs, but it works.

    +1 getting your elbows low, pull back on the bar rather than up.
    2007 Giant XTC 4.5

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=8 ... 1488098209
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Get off the bike and push faster. Sorry, couldn't resist. :oops: :oops:
  • Chinley Churner
    Chinley Churner Posts: 313
    Work on your fitness, blast it in the middle ring and ditch your granny like a real man! :wink:
  • rhext
    rhext Posts: 1,639
    Depends, if it's short, hit it as fast as you can and try to use your momentum to carry you to the top.

    If it's too long to do that keeping your chest low and parallel to the top tube will help keep the front wheel down while you spin up as smoothly as you can.

    Smooth pedalling is the most important piece. It's the power delivered through the back wheel which actually applies the force which lifts the front wheel off the track, so if you tend to stamp on the pedals when things get tough, each stamp will lift the front wheel. Especially if you're in a low gear. Keeping the power delivery smooth won't stop the weight coming off the front wheel, but it will minimise it.
  • hard-rider
    hard-rider Posts: 460
    I hope to give it another try this weekend if it doesn't rain.

    There is a 150m hill leading up to this steep part (which happens to be the end of the climb) so by the time I get to it I'm already starting to flag (yep my fitness needs to improve). I've tried powering up on the middle ring but just don't have the strength to get up the whole of the steepest part and need to drop to the granny ring half way up which then unbalances me a little as my legs suddenly start spinning and the bike looses speed due to the lower gear. Perhaps I should drop to the granny ring just before I reach the steep apart to get myself composed and in climbing position on the bike (as detailed by the comments above) and then just take it smoothly up.
  • rhext
    rhext Posts: 1,639
    hard-rider wrote:
    I hope to give it another try this weekend if it doesn't rain.

    There is a 150m hill leading up to this steep part (which happens to be the end of the climb) so by the time I get to it I'm already starting to flag (yep my fitness needs to improve). I've tried powering up on the middle ring but just don't have the strength to get up the whole of the steepest part and need to drop to the granny ring half way up which then unbalances me a little as my legs suddenly start spinning and the bike looses speed due to the lower gear. Perhaps I should drop to the granny ring just before I reach the steep apart to get myself composed and in climbing position on the bike (as detailed by the comments above) and then just take it smoothly up.

    Yes, definitely! If you can't power up the whole climb, it's better to get into the right gear a little early than faffing around in the middle of the steepest bit.....even if you end up spinning out a little while you slow down.
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    The art of riding incredibly slowly to give yourself time to recover without actually stopping and therefore admitting you're knackered is a worthwhile one to practice ;)
    Uncompromising extremist
  • cloudynights
    cloudynights Posts: 351
    its all in your head some routes are just about what frame of mind your in ask yourself am i fit enough if the answer is yes then its in your head, good luck, we all have these bogey routes,sometimes we clear them sometimes we dont
    anthem x with many upgrades
  • hard-rider
    hard-rider Posts: 460
    Unfortunately it's been pouring with rain all weekend so I haven't had a chance to go try the techniques. Can't wait to see if I can crack this.
    The art of riding incredibly slowly to give yourself time to recover without actually stopping and therefore admitting you're knackered is a worthwhile one to practice Wink
    LOL, I'll keep that in mind.
  • pilsburypie
    pilsburypie Posts: 891
    Ha - I call the hill at Cannock heart attack hill! Particularly steep and gravelly at the bottom.... You have to pick the least gravelly line for any traction!

    Anyhow, all good tips - just to elaborate further on the pedal stroke. Stamping hard on the downstroke will cause you to wheelie or spin the back wheel. I like to think of a smooth pedal stroke as a rotational action where you apply pressure on the down stroke and then pull your foot backwards at the bottom as if scraping dog sh1t off your shoe. This action transfers power to the pedals where usually there wouldn't be much. Try this to avoid power just to the downstroke....

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