[Kihaji]

So I've mostly done road in the past, with a smattering of trail riding here and there, nothing even remotely challenging. This summer I'm wanting to do some more trail riding but am finding my skills are a bit off.

The one area I'm working on right now is climbing, I don't know what it is but whenever I'm in steep climbs (think 8-10% grade over ~100M) my front wheel comes off the ground and I'm essentially riding a wheelie until I dump it.

On my road bike with grades that steep I was always taught to roll my hips forward, dump about 80-90% of my weight on my seat and focus on keeping a smooth stroke. Consequently I usually never stand.

My question is do I need to keep more weight forward? Maybe stand for the climb to raise my center of gravity? Or do I just suck and am doomed to loosing skin every ride?

 

[reflux]

On steeper grades where keeping the front wheel down is an issue, I do two things. 1) lean forward and closer to the stem and 2) slide forward on the saddle.

 

[tu_es_bici]

rest your chin on the stem, and slide forward in the seat.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

What reflux said. If you wish to stand, be sure to find the right balance point between the tires to do so. Standing can unweight the rear wheel in some cases, and in combination with a less-round pedal stroke, can cause loss of traction.

 

[Kihaji]

Went out this last weekend and pretty much just rode the same incline over and over. I'm starting to get the feel for it, it's just wierd. I'm so used to kind of "floating" my upper body and trying to get my weight over the BB on the road.

More skin lost, but its getting there. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[yadadada]

This is my second season riding a mtn bike after lots of road biking. So you are definitely not alone. It took me a little while to figure out how to place my weight on the bike. I usually stand when I'm climbing, because I tend to ride with my seat fairly low and standing makes my stroke much more efficient. Practice is where it's at though. You just have to ride! Good luck and have fun!

 

[Wumpus]

I usually stand when I'm climbing, because I tend to ride with my seat fairly low and standing makes my stroke much more efficient.

That's fine on a hardtail, but would be super inefficient on a squishy.

 

[klutch]

rest your chin on the stem, and slide forward in the seat.

you might not want to do this...the first bump you hit the stem is goona dent your chin

 

[SkaredShtles]

Get some barends.

 

[OGRipper]

Traction is rarely an issue climbing on a road bike, but almost always an issue climbing steep stuff on an mtb. In addition to the weight shifts noted above, I've found that a smoother stroke and a bit of patience can really help - instead of standing up and mashing hard, shifting around, try to stay calm and keep your body in one place - somewhere in that sweet spot - while you focus on getting the power to the ground. A steady, consistent driving force helps me keep traction more consistent.

Bike set-up plays a roll too. A tall fork, high stem, tall bar, and shorter stem can all have a negative impact on climbing prowess because they shift your weight back on steeper stuff, making you work harder to keep the front end from wandering all over the place. Some of those are great for descending, so you need to find the right balance for your kind of riding. A fork with travel adjustment or lockdown can really minimize the compromises.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Traction is rarely an issue climbing on a road bike, but almost always an issue climbing steep stuff on an mtb. In addition to the weight shifts noted above, I've found that a smoother stroke and a bit of patience can really help - instead of standing up and mashing hard, shifting around, try to stay calm and keep your body in one place - somewhere in that sweet spot - while you focus on getting the power to the ground. A steady, consistent driving force helps me keep traction more consistent.

Bike set-up plays a roll too. A tall fork, high stem, tall bar, and shorter stem can all have a negative impact on climbing prowess because they shift your weight back on steeper stuff, making you work harder to keep the front end from wandering all over the place. Some of those are great for descending, so you need to find the right balance for your kind of riding. A fork with travel adjustment or lockdown can really minimize the compromises.

Word.
I have a 5" fork on my HT and steep climbs are pretty damn difficult when Im laid back like that. On the other hand, the geometry feels spot on most of the time and the riding position is confidence inspiring especially at speed. It's always going to be a compromise unless you have a travel adj. fork, but even when I did have one, I never wanted to stop and adjust it.

 

[tu_es_bici]

you might not want to do this...the first bump you hit the stem is goona dent your chin

It was a joke.

Bend your arms alot more, and get forward on the bike, and dont put alot of power down in a low gear. GO to a higher gear if you have to!

I rarely ever use the lowest gear, ussualy somewhere i the middle of the small ring, even on tough climbs.If your using the easiest gear, itsgoing to make you do wheelies more, just like on the road.