Alright, they’re not cheats; none of these tips involve
strapping a hidden motor to your bike and quietly whizzing your way to the top…
But they are a set of directions that will make climbing feel
like cheating compared to how much you struggled before.
Suspension
Suspension
Is your shock set up like it should be? No, I don’t mean
just flicking the lockout switch – although if you’re not using this and struggling
to climb, it should be the first thing you change! You don’t have to be the world’s
best home mechanic or a tech wizard to set up a shock; google your frame
manufacturer’s advised setting for that shock (and if that isn’t an option, revert
it to the ‘factory’ option). It’s just turning dials and setting pressures so
there’s no harm in repeatedly adjusting things until they feel right. Rule of
thumb is that the more air in the shock the stiffer it is, but that doesn’t mean
whack it up to max pressure and leave it there; it won’t be good for the shock
and will completely obliterate ride quality. The better option is to make sure
you’re factoring your riding weight into shock calculations and fit an appropriate
spring / pump it to a suitable pressure. This means taking your water bottles,
backpack, pads, tools, helmet etc into account and setting you shock and fork
weights based off of this number. Bear in mind that for really rocky, technical
climbs a bit of inefficiency is a fair trade for grip, so sometimes it’s better
not to lock out the suspension and keep traction as you’re scrabbling over
roots and rocks. In this case, having a shock set to your weight is essential
in making sure that traction is there without needless pedal-bob wasting your
energy.
Drivetrain
Is your drivetrain working how it should? You don’t need to
spend thousands upgrading to XTR DI2, but is everything free moving and
efficiently? There’s a reason the top road racers are riding ceramic bearings
on immaculate, perfectly-aligned drivetrains. Mountain bikes get dirty; even
when the trails aren’t muddy there’s inevitable dust which gets everywhere and
builds up. Ensuring that yor drivetrain remains as free from this as possible
keeps it running much easier – jockey wheels are a prime area for grime build
up. If you find during cleaning that the teeth are mashed, it could be time to
upgrade to a metal counterpart, giving you the option for easier pedalling and
a shiny new anodised addition to your build! Use a suitable lubricant on the
chain to make sure everything is as slick as possible; WD40 is great for
shifting rust but not as a consistent lubricant, so make sure you have some
dedicated chain lube in stock. Ensure that your gears are as crisp as possible
by using the twist adjustment on the shifter itself because a
poorly-functioning drivetrain costs energy, speed, and money as things wear out
at a faster rate than necessary. Fitting an oval chainring, designed to get more
power with additional consistency out of each rotation, could be a worthwhile
upgrade but is one of the more expensive options on the list.
Bearings
It’s worth noting that it’s not just your drivetrain which
needs maintaining. Check your pedal bearings, as a stiff pedal (especially if
you have adjustable resistance) can make a massive difference, as does a notchy
bottom bracket affecting the perceived consistency of pedal strokes. Likewise,
wheels with notchy bearings not only ruin the feel of the trail, but could actually
be slowing you down; get that buttery smooth new-bike feel and you might just find
that new-bike enthusiasm emerges.
Wheels and Tyres
Upgrading from 26” to 29” might be a bit extreme (and
impossible, on most frames) but getting tyre choice and pressure perfected can
make climbing a breeze. Step one is making sure the wheels are as true as
possible, as a buckled wheel is throwing your energy all over the track.
Similarly, make sure tyres are seated properly and relatively ‘straight’
because you’d be amazed how many wheels look buckled because the tyre isn’t a
straight fit; the more linear your contact points with the trail are, the more
efficiently your energy is transferred through them. Tyre choice is completely
personal preference, and an expensive pursuit if you keep trying different
configurations without success. If climbing is your issue, consider two
questions: are your tyres set for the conditions, and how much rolling resistance
is there? If you’re trying to sprint up cross country climbs on a 2.5” super tacky
wet tyre when the ground is just a bit damp, you’re carrying a lot of weight and
throwing a lot of unnecessary rubber down. I’m not saying to fit up some
gravel-esque slicks, but consider if a marginally narrower tyre with a tread
that has less resistance could do the same job. If changing tyres aren’t a
choice, consider the pressures. Too low, and that same issue of dragging an inordinate
amount of rubber over the ground slows you down. Too high and the wheels will
spin quickly, but offer no grip on the climbs. Again, this is personal
preference but it could be worth experimenting by adding 3-5 additional PSI,
testing it on the trail, and adjusting it accordingly.
Saddle
Are you sitting comfortably? Everyone knows the tiptoe-test
for seat height, but have you considered the position of your seat in relation
to the rear wheel? If you find yourself struggling for grip when things get steep,
consider moving your seat; most will have two lines signalling the amount of
available adjustment. Not only is this upgrade easy, it’s completely free! If sliding
the seat on your existing post doesn’t do the job, consider a layback post
which automatically pushes the saddle roughly an inch over the back of the seat
tube, putting your seated weight over the rear wheel. However, the trade-off
here is that you’re most efficient when directly over the pedals so there has
to be a balance between being able to leverage your weight when pedalling, and keeping
the rear wheel planted; nobody wants an ideal riding position that goes to
waste as the wheel skids inefficiently over the ground rather than thrusting
you forwards, but there’s also a reason that ‘cool’ laid-back chopper look
never caught on in the Tour De France! If you’re feeling flush, dropper posts
are a brilliant, but expensive, option for getting seat height perfect by
allowing you to adjust on the fly so that no momentum is lost between differing
terrain.
Finishing Kit
So obvious it goes without saying; if you’re uncomfortable,
you won’t perform at your best. Make sure your contact points with the bike are
as good as possible. If you’re using flat pedals, are the pins long enough and
are you in receptive footwear which grips these pins effectively. If you’re
maxed out on flats, consider the clip-in option as a means of transferring as
much of your power through the pedals. Without going into a lecture on
ergonomics, make sure your grips are in a comfortable position. As a cost-saving
exercise, starting by simply adjusting the angle of your bars is the best bet, bringing
in the option of cutting them down or buying a wider / different rise set later
on. It’s worth considering width as a slightly wider bar (whilst still remaining
comfortable) opens up your chest and makes breathing, particularly on the heaviest
of uphill sections, that bit easier than if you’re shoulders are slumped forwards
gripping narrow bars. Similarly, whilst a stem’s length influences handling
agility, the rise of the stem can help keep you comfortable. Finally, makes
sure you’ve got a comfortable grip with some give because the majority of us
squeeze the bars, bracing our upper body when really putting the power down
through the pedals. The softer the grips, the more comfortable this often-involuntary
response to climbing becomes as you are left to focus on building up lactic
acid in your legs rather than through an unnecessary death grip on the bars.
Try these tips and let me know how you get on. Best case
scenario: you gain climbing abilities that you never knew you had from some
relatively cheap and time-effective pointers. Worst case: you’re still not as quick
as you’d hoped on the climbs, but your bike is mechanically spot-on with all
aspects dialled in exactly how you want them, with maybe a few new shiny bits
too!