Steep technical climb - how you tackle them?

[medoramas]

I had this mothertrucker tonight.

It was my second attempt - the first one happened to be two weeks ago. It was a bit slippery. And - I gotta be honest - my technique tonight was plain easy: I walked... The older I get, the lower is my fear threshold :roll:

I will try again when it's a bit dryer.
Do you consider yourself as a good technical climber? Do you think full suspension would benefit over fully rigid retro machine?

 

[Lookback]

Hmmm, looks fun.

No getting round it, full suss let's the rear wheel dig in and find traction where a hardtail might spin out. All you need to do with full suss is sit there and find the legs to keep spinning.

That said, I like climbing stuff like that on a hardtail. Much, more technique involved. I usually go for weight as low as possible, and then try and shift your weight around to keep the traction.

Where is that anyway? Looks very similar to a climb up from Ubley in the Mendips.

 

[Tazio]

Sit down and spin. Then as it gets more desperate out the saddle pretending I'm Contador, then back in the saddle. Then realise I'm either going too slowly for it to count as forward motion of I fall off in a very slow harmless style.

 

[medoramas]

Hmmm, looks fun.

No getting round it, full suss let's the rear wheel dig in and find traction where a hardtail might spin out. All you need to do with full suss is sit there and find the legs to keep spinning.

That said, I like climbing stuff like that on a hardtail. Much, more technique involved. I usually go for weight as low as possible, and then try and shift your weight around to keep the traction.

Where is t?hat anyway? Looks very similar to a climb up from Ubley in the Mendips.

It's in a lovely village of Littlehempston, just next to Totnes, South Devon.

I have never ridden a full sus, don't know the experience really. I started riding more seriously about 2 years ago, after 14 years break. And just when I began noticing that I can ride stuff I wasn't able few months back, I had to find that hill... :-\ "I am cra*" syndrome again!

It will be hard work, you really need to put all the weight over the handlebar to not flip back, but then there is a lot of those big steps - shall I lift the front wheel, or just ride straight on it and the gradiend will lift the wheel anyway?

 

[Andy B]

Sit on the nose of the saddle (keeps weight forward to stop front wheel lifting)

Put your thumbs next to your fingers, on top of the grips & pull your wrists & elbows down (pushes the rear wheel into the ground for grip)

Spin at a relatively high cadence in a low gear

Turn the air blue with profanities (well it works for me)

 

[Lookback]

Sounds a bit mad, but practise Trackstands on the flat. Then, when you stall a bit on one of those steps, you can balance for a sec and then try and get going again.

 

[Tazio]

Sit on the nose of the saddle (keeps weight forward to stop front wheel lifting)

Put your thumbs next to your fingers, on top of the grips & pull your wrists & elbows down (pushes the rear wheel into the ground for grip)

Spin at a relatively high cadence in a low gear

Turn the air blue with profanities (well it works for me)

Sounds like a scientific version of my theory.

I forgot to add that after the inevitable collapse into walking I normally have a fag on the way to the top as I walk trying to push the bike with what little dignity I have left.

 

[medoramas]

Turn the air blue with profanities (well it works for me)

Aaaah! That's where I'm doing wrong! Does it have to be English, or can I enjoy myself in my native?

 

[REKIBorter]

Sit on the nose of the saddle (keeps weight forward to stop front wheel lifting)

Put your thumbs next to your fingers, on top of the grips & pull your wrists & elbows down (pushes the rear wheel into the ground for grip)

Spin at a relatively high cadence in a low gear

Turn the air blue with profanities (well it works for me)

BITD I was known as a good techinical climber. Hard to believe these days but Andys' technique is spot on. Nose of the saddle, push down on the bars, body low to help, keep the momentum going and ease up on any bits that may cause a loss of traction.

 

[FairfaxPat]

One other thing, if it's slippery you might try lowering your tire pressure to get more grip.