Technical Uphills

[Westie]

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 29 Sep 2003 16:52:24 GMT, BB <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> >But do not use your light sabre to remove the obstacle.
>
> I don't need no stinkin' light sabre, I can create a toxic nebula on demand!
>
> Barry

I'm not entirely sure what that is. But I do know that I don't want to know.
--
Westie (Replace the X when replying. It's RideWestieRide)

 

[Raptor]

(Pete Cresswell) wrote:
> RE/
>
>>I'm no really technical climber, but I've learn to pop a wheelie on some of the roots and rocks I
>>used to not be able to climb on
>
>
> Somebody distinguish between raising the front wheel by shifting weight backwards and applying
> pedal force and bunnyhopping the wheel up.

You do "A" when your pedals aren't positioned properly for a power pump. But if you've got ample
power, you can usually lift the front "long enough" with "B". It's not necessarily even a weight
shift: on a climb, your COG should be close to the rear axle as it is, so all you need is a little
pull-up to lift/lighten the front wheel.

"A" can screw with your COG so it's often not the best option. So does "B" now that I
think about it.

I think a rigorous study is needed.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

 

[Bb]

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 17:20:31 -0600, Raptor wrote:

> I think a rigorous study is needed.

Yes, that's what makes skilled mountain bikers skilled. Rigorous study.


--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

 

[Jd]

BB <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 17:20:31 -0600, Raptor wrote:
>
> > I think a rigorous study is needed.
>
> Yes, that's what makes skilled mountain bikers skilled. Rigorous study.

An excellent answer, Mr Bauer.

JD

 

[Bb]

On 30 Sep 2003 10:33:49 -0700, JD wrote:
> BB <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 17:20:31 -0600, Raptor wrote:
>>
>> > I think a rigorous study is needed.
>>
>> Yes, that's what makes skilled mountain bikers skilled. Rigorous study.
>
> An excellent answer, Mr Bauer.

Oh, I think he was just being sarcastic, and (since I love sarcasm) I was just reinforcing it. Well,
I HOPE he was just being sarcastic. Sometimes its hard to tell sarcasm from cluelessness.

--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

 

[Raptor]

BB wrote:
> On 30 Sep 2003 10:33:49 -0700, JD wrote:
>
>>BB <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:<[email protected]>...
>>
>>>On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 17:20:31 -0600, Raptor wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I think a rigorous study is needed.
>>>
>>>Yes, that's what makes skilled mountain bikers skilled. Rigorous study.
>>
>>An excellent answer, Mr Bauer.
>
>
> Oh, I think he was just being sarcastic, and (since I love sarcasm) I was just reinforcing it.
> Well, I HOPE he was just being sarcastic. Sometimes its hard to tell sarcasm from
> cluelessness.

Here, I'll help.

I know I can get up a lot of technical stuff by sitting and churning. Other stuff with tight lines
and sharp rocks, I walk. Why get an owie? I've put my miles in and earned my scars.

OTOH, I'd slurp up a National Science Foundation grant to carefully investigate the various methods
of riding a mountain bike up technical slopes.

That should clear it up.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

 

[David Kunz]

Zilla wrote:
> "miles todd" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>>
>>Zilla wrote:
>>
>>>I'm no really technical climber, but I've learn to pop a wheelie on some of the roots and
>>>rocks I used to not be able to climb on. Then I make sure I have enough weight on the back
>>>wheel by shifting my butt back a little so it does not lose traction. This is becoming
>>>instinctive to me now.
>>>
>>
>>
>>That's funny... I do the opposite. When I wheelie over an obstacle on a climb, I do a big weight
>>shift to the front to totally unweight the rear wheel, so it has no choice but to follow the front
>>over the tricky spot. I do this because usually traction is hard to get on the obstacles, but
>>typically quite good uphill of them.
>>
>>Miles
>>
>>
>
>
> For some reason I lose traction when I shift my weight "too" forward. My weight is "already"
> shifted forward during a climb.
>

You need speed to get over the obstacle. Sounds like you usually have that speed coming up to it --
I do too on some hills and when I'm fresh
. But, on others, I find that I need a power stroke (or 2) to drive
me over the obstacle and I need to shift my weight back a little to get the traction for it --
unless I can see that the traction just under the obstacle's bad and then I make my drive earlier
and hope that I can get enough umph to carry me through with what I can get at the obstacle. But, at
the obstacle, I do that same thing that I would on a flat: lift, drive (power depending on
traction), shift my weight to carry me over it, shift my weight back slightly for the power needed
to regain the lost momentum of going over the obstacle.

David

 

[Mark Bockmann]

> ...technical climbs.

Two words: LOOK BEYOND.

More words: What I mean by this is, look beyond the obstacle you're trying to climb over. If you
focus on the obstacle, you will stop on the obstacle.

bock

 

[Marty]

"danko" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So I've been mountain biking for several years now and while I would by no means consider myself
> an advanced rider, I feel I can hold my own in most situations. That is, except for technical
> climbs. When I hit a steep, even a short one, that is heavily rooted or rocky I almost always end
> up losing momentum and have to put a foot down. Relatively smooth steep climbs I can take on no
> problems. But I'm coming to dread a few spots on my local trail that I LOVE to bomb down but
> absolutly dread going back up on the way out. After my recent conversion to clipless (best thing
> I've ever done BTW) this has been even more frustrating b/c after said foot downing, It can be a
> real ***** getting back going uphill unclipped while dodging said roots, and rocks. Do I need to
> be more agressive here? Am I focusing on the front wheel placement too much? Should I just keep
> easing up the gearing untill it isn't a problem? What words of wisdom can AMB provide?

Lots of opinions on here huh? There is no magic bullet BUT there are some glaringly obvious things
that contribute directly to climbing (from my perspective). FS or HT? I just bought a FS and am
still much better at climbing with my HT. Is that because of the HT or because I've been riding that
bike for 3 years ? I think the latter. I also find that the way I pedal is huge. I mash or pedal in
squares. I have to force myself to pedal in smooth circles on hills. No loss of traction equals
better climb (right?). I also find that leaning down with my nose over my front tire or over the
bars and keeping my ass on the saddle translates directly into power. Some people can stand and lean
forward and seem to crush hills. I can't do that comfortably. I've been riding mtbs on trails for
almost 4 years so I am still a relative nug.

The best advice? Don't listen to me or anybody else on here. Try different things find what works on
certain terrain and tear it up.

Marty

 

[Dave]

"Mark Bockmann" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > ...technical climbs.
>
> Two words: LOOK BEYOND.
>
> More words: What I mean by this is, look beyond the obstacle you're trying to climb over. If you
> focus on the obstacle, you will stop on the obstacle.
>
> bock

I find this also works going the other way....that is down, as well as up ;-) Dave.

 

[Bob M]

On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 08:26:14 -0400, Marty <[email protected]> wrote:

[cut]
>
> Lots of opinions on here huh? There is no magic bullet BUT there are some glaringly obvious things
> that contribute directly to climbing (from my perspective). FS or HT? I just bought a FS and am
> still much better at climbing with my HT. Is that because of the HT or because I've been riding
> that bike for 3 years ? I think the latter. I also find that the way I pedal is huge. I mash or
> pedal in squares. I have to force myself to pedal in smooth circles on hills. No loss of traction
> equals better climb (right?). I also find that leaning down with my nose over my front tire or
> over the bars and keeping my ass on the saddle translates directly into power. Some people can
> stand and lean forward and seem to crush hills. I can't do that comfortably. I've been riding mtbs
> on trails for almost 4 years so I am still a relative nug.
>
> The best advice? Don't listen to me or anybody else on here. Try different things find what works
> on certain terrain and tear it up.
>
> Marty
>

I've always found sitting to be better too, but my butt gets beat up on my hardtail. I've seen
people in FS rides motor up stuff that killed me, all the while the rear suspension was keeping
their rear tires locked to the ground. I've stood on many hills just to prevent the severe butt
pounding, but I standing is more problematic, as you have to be very good at weight distribution.

--
Bob M in CT remove 'x.' to reply

 

[John Grossbohli]

"Raptor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> When I'm flying down a trail at dusk, trying to reach the end before all light disappears, I fly
> over stuff that would give me pause were I able to see it, with ease and a big grin on my face.
> That's going downhill.

I hear myself saying that... With the shorter and shorter days I've been caught on the trail at and
after dusk a lot lately. In the recent past, on one 1/4 mile stretch of trail, I've encountered a
bear; been surrounded by three deer that were so close I could smell them and could have reached
out and touched them; done some serious bleeding getting ripped by thorns; and taken a serious
crash that I didn't think I was getting up from at the time. All this while going faster than I
really should have been in the failing or failed light. Guess it's becoming my favorite stretch of
trail. ;-)

John

 

[Mike Vandeman]

On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 20:16:10 -0400, "John Grossbohlin" <[email protected]> wrote:

. ."Raptor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]... . .> When I'm flying
down a trail at dusk, trying to reach the end before all .> light disappears, I fly over stuff that
would give me pause were I able .> to see it, with ease and a big grin on my face. That's going
downhill. . .I hear myself saying that... With the shorter and shorter days I've been .caught on the
trail at and after dusk a lot lately. In the recent past, on .one 1/4 mile stretch of trail, I've
encountered a bear; been surrounded by .three deer that were so close I could smell them and could
have reached out .and touched them; done some serious bleeding getting ripped by thorns; and .taken
a serious crash that I didn't think I was getting up from at the time. .All this while going faster
than I really should have been in the failing or .failed light. Guess it's becoming my favorite
stretch of trail. ;-)

Proving that mountain bikers are even sicker than we thought. .John .

===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

[Per ElmsäTer]

Mike Vandeman wrote:
> On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 20:16:10 -0400, "John Grossbohlin" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Proving that mountain bikers are even sicker than we thought. .John

I finally got you all figured out Vanderman. You are just plain f-ing jealous beacuse you for some
reason or other are not capable of going out on a MTB yourself and having all the fun that we do.
C-mon grow up and get over this grade school mentality.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

 

[Cameron]

"Per Elmsäter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike Vandeman wrote:
> > On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 20:16:10 -0400, "John Grossbohlin" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > Proving that mountain bikers are even sicker than we thought. .John
>
> I finally got you all figured out Vanderman. You are just plain f-ing jealous beacuse you for some
> reason or other are not capable of going out on a MTB yourself and having all the fun that we do.
> C-mon grow up and get over this grade school mentality.
>

As a kid he kept falling off his tricycle. And he never progressed past his training wheels. So he
resents anyone with any coordination.

--
Cameron

 

[Westie]

"Bob M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]... <snip>

> I've stood on many hills just to prevent the severe butt pounding, but I standing is more
> problematic, as you have to be very good at weight distribution.

I find standing to be very awkward - trickier to balance the weight distribution
forwards/backwards. I tend to mash too much and end up spinning the back wheel out because I
develop too high and too uneven torque while standing. And I find it MUCH more exhausting pedalling
while standing. And that's just on the smooth obstacle free uphills! LOL! Grassy uphills have got
to be the worst though.
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)