Do you prefer going uphill or downhill? Let us know in the comment below!

Rich is a real ace, that session looks tricky. I would do the left, unless I could have a real good run up, but clearing it - right at the top there’s a spot where both wheels hit a dusty ledge at the same time. Knowing myself, as I do, that is the foot down and mild curse word point…

Excellent technical advice, great technique, Rich. Useful and relevant for me, thanks.

Weight reduction is huge for climbing. However, body weight reduction > bike weight reduction. Don't be a weight weenie when your BMI is greater than 30🤷‍♂️

Next challenge; same climb on flats! ;)

This is the content I want to see! Thank you. I love seeing little technical climbs broken down like this.

That was amazing!!! I learnt so much. Thank you so much for repeating the climb and discussing things like saddle height and suspension lock out and clipless vs clipped in. I'll be watching again when I find a climb like it so I can session it with a bit more knowledge.

The uphill rock steps up always get me !😂 Should practise more on local trails - thanks for sharing Rich 😁

Force yourself to look to where you need to go, and in this case that is up. While being aware of it, it is so easy that your neck starts dropping and you start to look down, and then more down and before you know it you have stopped. You need to resist the desire to look down because that equals failure. Where you look is the most important because that is where you will be planning to reach. The next step is to keep the pedals moving, and force yourself to get up there. So often times you just got to give it the beans, and technique will only come over time as you accomplish more climbs. Overthinking technique will only make you not try, so screw it because getting up to the top is the important part, not how it looks. Being aware of where to look and whether the cranks are turning or not is key simply because you'll know a line *_after_* you have accomplished it the first time. Overthinking lines will cause hesitation, so just be aware that willpower is what makes or breaks any challenge, as well as being aware that failure is part of success.

In interesting to watch your feet as you climb. It's like you're walking up each step. Cool technique.

Great vid !!!

@gmbn

Ай бұрын

Thank you!

You should ride at Hawes in Mesa while you are here in town!

Nice to see you’re enjoying our trails out here in Arizona!! My little 7 mile loop in Peoria (Sunrise Mountain) offers some VERY technical sections on the north face that I still hike after 16 years of living here!! That said…I only this year upgraded from my trusty 26” Epic to a 29” Rocky Mountain Growler…yes, a hardtail!! 😂

@SJSCHOCH

Ай бұрын

Heck yeah! I dig having National Trail in my back yard.

I like steep smooth banks to ride up, hit them not head on but at an angle, lock out the suspension on the rear of a dual suspension bike so as not to kick your pedal into the ground on your high side of the slope as you can end up in a nasty tumble. Hardtail bikes are perfect for such banks.

“Wont be able to plow through this section” Laughs in 29+ size tires

@Haik86

Ай бұрын

Joins the laugh with 27.5 fatbike 4.8" tyres.

@razzor4708

Ай бұрын

Joins the laugh with 27.5 + 2.80'' size tires....

Tough riding in AZ. Higher consequences. Great way to progress

Did you try the waterfall.

I always try to gonup that on left. I never clean it.

@gmbn

Ай бұрын

Let us know if this video helps you clean it!

option 2: spare yourself from hitting max heart rate by walking up it.

@Acceleronics

Ай бұрын

OTOH, there is one rough, but not technical, climb that is too steep for me when I'm out of shape. I've noticed that my heart rate monitor shows a higher BPM when I'm pushing the bike the rest of the way to the top compared to when I was riding to the give-up point. My respiration rate is also higher when pushing compared to riding.

@qualm43

Ай бұрын

@@Acceleronics that makes no sense.

@Acceleronics

Ай бұрын

@@qualm43 I'm sorry you feel that way. I am only reporting the data I collected. FWIW, the climb I'm referring to is fairly long, much longer than the climb in this video. It's about 30 degrees and badly rutted

Successful I know but Rich, or Mr Cameraman ol did you, or Rich change from approach line left to Approach line right at the top or is a natural merging of those lines?

@NJtoAzMountainBiker

Ай бұрын

A lot of the features if you will have 2 ways out at South Mountain.

Now, turn around and go a bit further down and climb waterfall ;)

@JonsMotoGarage

Ай бұрын

😄💯

@NJtoAzMountainBiker

Ай бұрын

Yes!

Great advice Rich. Now a follow up on how to build climbing endurance. Is it more than just just keep doing climbs? One note, you are running a transmission drive train, shifting under load is one of the benefits.

I for one rate my nelson rigg gear I have the hurricane dual sport saddlebags, 40lt duffle and backpack/tailbag on my KLR. They are completeing rackless and best yet being waterproof i load them up on my jetski for jetski camping. I debated over hard and soft and for my needs glad i went soft but thats me :)

Now on a hardtail!

@gmbn

Ай бұрын

Might be slightly harder but the same rules apply 🤙

My top tip is: add 5 more hours of pedaling per week to your training and eat a little less.

@rider65

Ай бұрын

🙄🙄🙄🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

@Andybarney555

Ай бұрын

Nah... top tip get an ebike!!.. eat pies!!

@andrewgillman6327

Ай бұрын

Understand balance, find a mentor, be reasonable with ones expectations and develop skills with a positive attitude and have fun with friends. Sucking is the beginning of mastery.

@user-xx6zy9uv7s

Ай бұрын

How is eating less going to help?🤣you’re just gonna burn all your muscle away mate, making it harder, no progress

@JackMott

Ай бұрын

@@user-xx6zy9uv7s Cycling power is almost always limited by your aerobic capacity not your muscle size. This is why guys like Pidcock, Pogacar and Vinnegard can do 450 watts for an hour while being anorexic stick figures.

I climb a mountain every morning with a 32-45 gearing. That's pretty much the only way I found 😂

Why do you want to pedal up there?

Rich you're a little too good at this for the failure examples. Give me a call and I can show everybody how it's really not supposed to be done

I suck at climbing on my mtb but wanting to get better.

@rider65

Ай бұрын

There's no replacement for practice. Practice makes for progression. Every ride you should spend at least a few minutes to much longer practicing the weak points of your riding. One of the keys to getting up technical climbs or getting through any technical section is going to be balance. First and foremost practice static balance until you are very good at it. Then practice other trials maneuvers you will be amazed at how slow speed skills will help your trail riding immensely.

@Traildude193

Ай бұрын

@@rider65 thats very true I'm just getting back into shape

Hello from India ❤

water boy.... fetch it

How to improve your mountain bike climbing: Learn to bunny hop 😅

I just push up

climb -27.5, problem solved. oh sorry we want to sell 29s -yes but they need more power to roll-ssssh....dont tell them -but its pure physics-ssshh...🤫🤫🤫

Looks like a film set.... what you doin in merica town?.. get back to FOD!!..

How to get better at climbing? Be an absolute machine, like Rich, or go buy an ebike😂

@joshuaallswang8016

Ай бұрын

So you’re saying “Be tough or be soft”🤔 tough question…lmao

@jonm7272

Ай бұрын

@@joshuaallswang8016 It's just a joke mate (clue is in the smiley). I'm sure you're a real double hard mofo that can climb straight up the side of a house on your amazing top of the range whatever blah, and would never ever consider ever riding anything as gay as an emtb.

@LaurentiusTriarius

Ай бұрын

Live in the mountains. Results 100% guaranteed

@jonm7272

Ай бұрын

​@@LaurentiusTriariusyeh, for sure. I live in Wales, you get fit fast here if you're into mountain biking, or even road biking. It's all hills 😂

Just buy an ebike, that improves your climbing skills massively 😂

Ebikes are not the answer

May be faster in this case to run up. And you dont trash your 6k carbon frame.

@ifitrollsrideit530

Ай бұрын

That would be the cyclocross way. Nothing against that, especially if you can do it fluidly as it's probably more efficient but cleaning a technical is magic. Locally I've got some climbs that have taken me ages to work out and others I can't quite do. Videos like this let me live in hope.

Like if you never came off your bike on a climb

@gmbn

Ай бұрын

The lack of likes speaks volumes!

The best way to improve your climbing technique? Get an ebike!

@gmbn

Ай бұрын

That's one way to do it

@stefanprobst1979

Ай бұрын

What a stupid solution. You can also buy a motorbike and forget to try mountainbiking.