Rich: Now, what goes up must come down.
That is a fact and we all have to go down, but we only tolerate the ups, really, a lot
of us anyway.
In this video, we're going to take a little look at how we can make those ups actually
a bit more fun.
[music] Now, whether I race XC or I have a sprint
and enjoy a race or it's on the liaison, I think of it, it's kind of like type 2 fun.
That means at the time you're cursing it and hating it, generally, not always but most
of the time, after the race or after you've completed that climb, you're like, "Well,
actually, that wasn't so bad."
We're going to look at how we can get you smiling on the ups and tackling any climb
that's put in front of you.
[music] Before we even set off on any climb, let's
have a look at how we can tackle this best mentally.
Climbing can be a fairly daunting task, especially when it's quite a big old climb and it just
seems to go on forever and ever.
What I'll do here is I will break that climb down into sections so that each time I complete
a section, it's like a small win and mentally, I feel like I've actually achieved something
along the way.
Another little thing that can help mentally is that if you have a cycle computer on the
front of your bike, you can see the stats and see what you're pushing out, be at heart
rate, speed, average speed, obviously, all these things in your mind can help you pace
yourself and help you get to the top of that little bit easier.
All of these little small wins can really add up to affecting you mentally and giving
you a real positive boost.
Another great little tip actually is if you're riding with friends, that can help take your
mind off of it, no end and the time will fly by.
Now, we've talked about the mental approach, I think we should start tackling some actual
climbs.
[music] Now, when you're tackling that uphill nemesis
of yours, having the correct technique and body position is going to be crucial.
We're going to take a look at here at what a good basic position is and what you should
be doing and when.
Firstly, when climbing, you'll want to stay seated the majority of the time unless the
climb, it takes you need to stand up, such as it gets really steep or rough.
This will help keep your weight back over the rear wheel to stop it slipping and give
you much-needed traction.
You'll want to assume a fairly neutral riding position.
However, if the gradient of climb changes, you may find yourself shifting your bodyweight
forwards or backwards for grip.
While seated, you'll also want to keep your upper body leant forward to stop the front
end going too light and picking it up, making you go wobbly and lose control of steering.
Arms bent to absorb any impacts and to move the bike around.
[music] Oh, now, gearing, let's talk gearing for climbing
because it is a really important one and it can make all the difference whether you actually
make it up or not.
When you're hitting these short, sharp little climbs like this, being in the correct gear
beforehand is hugely important as it's very difficult to change when the pedals are under
such pressure.
We said that when we tackle these longer, more mellow climbs, finding a right gear for
the right cadence for you is also just as important as it means you can just nicely
spin and keep a steady pace the whole way.
As I mentioned, getting your gearing right before the climb is really important.
You want to enter the climb in that gear that you're going to be confident you can get up
in.
Trying to change gear whilst going up these steep little climbs is going to sound horrible.
It's going to sound like you're murdering your neck.
Oh, gear change.
Oh God.
Oh God, I guess I didn't like that.
You're going to do damage to your drivetrain, it's going to find it very hard to shift through
the gears because of the pressure it's under.
Again, the same with cadence.
Once you've done a few climbs and got used to the gradients and what your fitness levels
are, you'll find out soon what average cadence you'll be able to keep up and keeping that
the whole entirety of the climb will really allow you to get up it feeling fresh-ish at
the top, hopefully.
Lastly, think of the gearing you've actually got on your bike.
Now, most bikes these days come with a 1x12 setup and that big ratio at the rear should
be enough to winch yourself up almost any climb.
However, if you do live somewhere especially mountainous, I'm a bit jealous, but you might
want to think about a smaller chainring on the front to make it even easier.
[music] Bike choice can play a massive role in how
easy you find the climbs.
Wrong bike, struggling.
Right bike, perfect.
I've got three different bikes here lined up with mine.
I've got my Pole Stamina 180.
She'll go up and down, but she much prefers the down.
We've got a Nukeproof Reactor trail bike, this is a 29er 130 mill and I would say the
jack of all trades and does them all pretty good.
Lastly, Nukeproof Scout, a hardtail, the best on the climbs, I would say, the most efficient,
lightest and easiest, but probably a little bit bumpy on the way back down.
All three of these bikes are going to go up, but one of them is far more suited to it than
the other, and that is the hardtail.
When you're thinking of buying your next bike or you're riding sort of generally tackles
mostly up hills, have a real think about what the best bike for you is going to be.
[music] You've nailed the basics, you've chosen your
bike, and you've got hopefully a bit of fitness, what about the types of climb?
We're going to take a brief overview now of what are the types of climbs out there that
you're most likely to tackle and how to tackle them.
Our first type of climb is the short and steep climb.
Now, these are quite cheeky, you're going to find yourself with more body weight over
the front.
You want to try and tackle them with more intensity because they're generally shorter
as well.
On these short and steep climbs, you're also going to really drive through the legs, putting
the power down for grip and traction.
Now, those long and mellow climbs.
These are the ones where you want to settle into that rhythm we spoke about, finding that
good cadence and also using a cycle computer if you have one to keep an eye on that heart
rate and speed to make it all the way through the top.
Also, don't be too aggressive on the pedals.
Now, the techie climbs.
These are the trickiest to master generally, and often the hardest to get up.
They're going to require more movement on the bike and more thought of gear selection,
shifting your body weight and line choice as well.
Well, that sure is some meat as we've put in today to hopefully help you tackle any
climb on your mountain bike.
Now, if you want to see a video on climbing mistakes that I made, just click over to the
site here.
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It would be fantastic.
[laughs] [00:06:47] [END OF AUDIO]