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Questions after first single track ride

1K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  Adam_B. 
#1 ·
Two questions, where there is a short steep hill to go up, how do you judge what gear to be in? if i start off to low i don't have any momentum. If i start in a higher gear, i die about 3/4 of the way up and it's difficult to pedal. Do you shift half way up under heavy pressure?

Second question, how do you deal with mud? I had a few times where i got in some mud and my back tire would break loose. Do i need to lean back to get more traction?
 
#3 ·
Gear selection will come with practice...try a gear in the middle of the two you tried...

Often you have to stand and hammer....carry more speed into the bottom...

We have very steep gullies I bomb them in big chainring and a high gear on the back...

On the way up the other side a grav a handful in the rear and hammer up.....

Shift before you have to.

Weighting between front and back is the key to alot of biking...

You know you have it down perfect when you are slowly spinning your rear tire while at a stand still...finesing you weight back ond forth...

Sooner or later your foot is going in the mud.
 
#4 ·
Same way an 18 wheeler does on the highway, pick up speed at the bottom/before the incline and then drop gears before you lose RPMs. Gets trickier when there's obstacles on the way up, but that's the general idea.

As for mud, there's a lot of types of mud. Deep mud, leaning back will sink your wheel. Slick mud, leaning back is the way to go.
 
#6 ·
fireball_jones said:
As for mud, there's a lot of types of mud. Deep mud, leaning back will sink your wheel. Slick mud, leaning back is the way to go.
I don't generally ride in muddy conditions on my local trails because it tears them up. I wait for them to dry out. However, when on fire roads or other vehicle tracks, I find that keeping up my speed, a slightly lower gear, and constant pedaling, will get me through the thickest mess. :thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
Don't shift under pedal pressure when you change gears. It's hard to do on a hill so keep your momentum up and take the power off your pedals as you change gears on the hill. If you try and shift while powering up the hill you're likely to bend or break any number of drivetrain parts.
 
#8 ·
If it's really steep, you'll mangle parts shifting because it's too difficult to give that 'pre-shift' kick that let's you ease up long enough to switch gears, so you'll need to get in the right gear before getting onto the slope.

As mentioned earlier, weight distribution is key. Learn to adjust your butt-on-the-saddle position as necessary to maintain traction, and adjust on the hill as needed. On brutal steep loose climbs, you can also tuck your elbows in and down, and then as you take each pedal stroke, pull back & down on the bars to drive the lugs of the tire down into the earth for increased traction.

If you're going to stand on steep/loose climbs, you need to have an incredibly smooth pedal stroke and power delivery. Too sharp, and you'll spin the tire and stop.
 
#9 ·
It took me about a year to really appreciate the gears and which ones to use. When going up a BIG hill, I usually put it in 1x1 or 1x2 before hitting the hill if I can't get momentum prior. If I have to go through mud, I keep my butt on the seat to keep the weight in the back and in gear 2x3 or 2x4. I never change gears under pressure.
 
#10 ·
I'm new to MTB'ing. Been riding a place with a couple up hills. I have been able to down shift one gear on the rear and pedal faster to get the speed up faster than what I have been riding at and usually can stay seated while getting to the top. I'm not saying this the the best or correct method, but what works for me.
 
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