How do I keep it down? - MTB front wheel

[Ramrod]

29er's do not lift !

Seriously their centre of gravity seems to be better. I used to lift the front wheel all the time on my 26 er merida 96.

I have a 29 er andthe front still lifts. As mentioned before. Maybe i just have tooooooooo much power. NOT!

[Tienie]

Then u gotta lean a bit forward mate ! One tends to look upwards when going upwards ! That will then make you shift your weight backwards.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Tienie

[Hairy]

HANG ON A MOMENT !!!!!!!!!

 

I just realised this whole thread is either a hoax or a joke. Really now .... do you JHB boys and girls really have steep climbs in the land of the big smoke?

 

Recon this thread is just to string us along

[supertorro]

On the really steep bits it should feel like your saddle is getting amorous with you....

[Iwan Kemp]

Yesterday I was riding out at Thaba trails, and coming up from the Fire Station section there are a few short (up to about 10m) sharp inclines.

I had to dismount to get up these, mostly because I just could not keep the front wheel down. I tried hard to get my weight forward and bent well forward, but still couldnt do it. I also tried not to pull on the bars at all.

 

Any advice?

 

1. Carry as much momentum going in as possible

2. Select the correct gear, or as close as possible before (knowing your trails help a heck of a lot)

3. Sit on the tip of your saddle

4. Focus on giving smooth, even pedal strokes

5. Pull down and back on your handlebar

6. Look UP. No, even further. Looking just in front of your wheel is where things start going wrong.

 

-1. DO NOT move your saddle unless your setup is wrong. No use being able to power up a short section or three, but stuff your back and kness the rest of the time

-2. DO NOT run a longer stem. (See above for sane reasoning.)

[DJR]

Listen to Crow, he knows what he's talking about.

[BMXER]

Simple, ensure your seat is at least 2 inches higher than your bars.

[davidlangebaan]

I find spinning and lifting much less of an issue on a 29er. But I don't think its simply down to the big wheels, rather down to the geometry changes required to accommodate them, since the chainstays and wheelbase are likely to be longer which should help prevent these problems? Several people have told me about the better traction on a 29er and I feel it uphill but on a gnarly downhill I found my old Trance more planted and less skittish than my Anthem 29er.

To solve the OP's problem a 29er would help - in my limited experience. But you end up buying your skills not learning them so go with the Crow on this.

[Blackadder]

Richard it's just about practice, and getting enough weight forward but not so much that your back wheel spins. I speak with the authority of someone who has tried and failed the steep climbs that make up the Fire Station section at Thaba about five times, flipped my bike once, and, finally, last Sunday, somehow managed to get up all of the climbs without any problem at all.

 

I think the Crow's advise about looking up not down, coupled to just relaxing a bit, is spot on.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Blackadder