Bicycles Asked on February 7, 2021
It is tricky to start pedaling uphill, especially with some complicating factors out there. I want to learn the proper technique.
For any uphill, I put my saddle at "XC height", that is, leg nearly straight when the pedal is in it’s lowest point. Is this correct?
You are spinning up a steep slope, suddenly the rear tire shoots a large stone out and you loose control. You either have to get off the saddle and put a leg down, or tilt the bike at 45 degrees and put a leg down. In both cases the bike comes to a complete stop. How do you re-attack the slope?
If you try standing on the pedals for more initial power, the back tire will spin out on the loosely-packed dirt and gravel. To sit on the saddle is awkward, as the slope is adding to the saddle’s height.
You are blazing down a 6 degree decline on an unknown trail, do a swithcback … and are faced with a 500 meter barely rideable uphill. You try to switch gears, but do not succeed in time. Now you are at a totally wrong gear, some 10 meters up a hill, that you must ride up. What do you do?
White scenario:
Black scenario: ride back down.
Saddle height for MTB might need to be a bit lower... I'll skip being the expert on that though as I've heard all sorts of preferences...
Your balance steps in greatly here, how slow can you ride or how long can you stay upright when stopped; how much front tire popping up during that climb can you handle. That doesn't answer anything, but obviously it helps. For some more tangible tips (adding to your list).
Black scenario: yup, just too steep to start on. It's a fact that we can ride steeper than we can start on.
White scenario:
Answered by Michael on February 7, 2021
Along with what @Michael has stated a technique I use is to find a rock, tree root or other obstruction to keep the rear tire from sliding downhill. With the front brake applied start to pedal. When you have both feet off the ground and on the pedals release the front brake and start to pedal smoothly. A stroke that is too quick will re3sult in the rear tire beginning to spin and result in you being stopped again. It is a technique you can practice on the road or less technical incline. The key to making it work is a smooth yet powerful consistent pedal stroke.
Answered by mikes on February 7, 2021
One trick that I've been trying (but not quite perfecting...yet) is something I learned from motorcycle racing: brakes aren't just for controlling wheelies, but also wheel spin. It's a manual form of traction control! So...when trying to restart on a loose uphill, besides the other things mentioned here, I've been toying with controlling the rear wheel spin by modulating the rear brake as I apply power to the pedal. The more I feel I've got the weight back on the tire, the more I let off the brake. This still requires some practice, but it has shown promise so far. I feel the front brake method mentioned above still allows for the rear spin that kills much needed forward momentum.
Answered by Keebler on February 7, 2021
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