Those killer hills

FECES

Often when cycling up stony dirt tracks up mountains I struggle to keep the front wheel planted. If im on a steep enough hill its often a choice between front tyre contact or rear wheel grip depending on how I distribute my weight. Do most mountain bikers encounter this or is it at least partially down to my bike design? Still good fun.

coulddobetter

Not uncommon . Best tip I picked up is to move forward on saddle and bend at waist to bring weight over the front . Hard to describe but check out you tube for mtb climbing tips .

pilch

Try 'rowing' up them, drop your wrists, bend ze elbows and get your chin on the stem, this gets your weight forward and low making you stable and puts power through to the back wheel. You will still need to make small adjustments shifting your weight from time to time to compensate for the terrain and amount of grip available.

rockmonkeysc

Could be your bars are too high. Try removing a couple spacers from under the stem.

BloggingFit

Best description I can come up with shift forwards on the nose of the saddle and effectively laying down over the bike, much like described above. You'll fine you'll shift up and down a little as you fettle between rear wheel traction and front wheel lift. Pedalling with a lower cadence generall helps rather than spinning like mad.

Paper

Ride as steadily as possible too, sound obvious but jerky acceleration or riding doesn't help.

booldawg

This video explains a good climbing posture really well;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkS8nzvqfPA

kajjal

I always find on the steepest hills lacking grip if you hunch low over the bike and just keep adjusting your weight between the front and rear of the bike. This only works on very steep hills along with smooth pedaling, the right gear for you and fitness.

lochussie

Put your thumbs on top of the bars, next to your fingers, makes a massive difference. Accelerate before the steepest bits, change gear on the flatter bits but try not to change gear as this breaks your rythm. I find a nice low gear good as you can then cope with rough bits without moving out of the postiion described above, but not so low that you will spin out.

Gazlar

I was very much the same and what worked for me was like a couple of guys have said, drop the wrists and get forward on the saddle by that I mean, if you excuse my description, sitting right on the nose so you almost feel like one slip and it'll disappear up your bumhole :shock:

Are you also trying to ride up in your small (granny) gear if so, try dropping up a ring or two, yeah its harder work, but with a smooth cadence and rhythm you'll find you can power up and get more grip

FECES

"Are you also trying to ride up in your small (granny) gear if so, try dropping up a ring or two, yeah its harder work, but with a smooth cadence and rhythm you'll find you can power up and get more grip"

Nah, wont be doing that. I will take your advice about the bum ole tho, along with careful pedalising so as not to spin out or become too erratic with it.

ednino

Just do it more. You'll get better at it