How to conquer the rocky mountain climbs???

[Escapee..]

So I've been riding for just short of 4 years - Mostly MTB.

 

I've just completed 2 races - Route 42 MTB race and Croc2Croc MTB stage race.

 

Both races had difficult, rocky vertical climbs (IMO). I'm talking uneven surfaces and steep climbs. Most people walked these climbs, including me

 

Prior to both races I worked on my climbing strength. I'm able to do long steep climbs as long as I can hold a steady rhythm... But as soon as the climb is uneven and traction is difficult, my HR jumps into the 90%+ range and I run out of steam within a few minutes, until I need to unclip and walk...

 

My question is:   What changes to my training must I make to conquer these climbs???

 

When out training on those steep long climbs, add a couple of hard interval sessions.

[Serious Panda]

Ironically, I was riding one 

 

This means you need a new Rocky Mountain

[Grey Hubs]

When out training on those steep long climbs, add a couple of hard interval sessions.

Yip, think most of the climbing sessions were without interval type training. Think this could be part of the problem!

[Patensie]

Practice them. Fitness will help as momentum is your friend but you need to build some confidence. Practice trackstanding as well. And the answer to all tech stuff: get flats & a dropper post;-)

 

Edit: I ride flats & a dropper; my road bike has cb mallets

[NotSoBigBen]

Practice them. Fitness will help as momentum is your friend but you need to build some confidence. Practice trackstanding as well. And the answer to all tech stuff: get flats & a dropper post;-)

 

Edit: I ride flats & a dropper; my road bike has cb mallets

I am disappoint [emoji15] no mention of broomstick handlebars and miniature stems?

 

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[Patensie]

I am disappoint [emoji15] no mention of broomstick handlebars and miniature stems?

 

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taken as a given. My xc bike is steel; real & a 26er. Wish it was a bfe but an inbred & even after a fail that would have killed an alu 29er; it aint dead D. E. D. Dead

[Mamil]

I also have struggled on the hills - I'm still battling but I have got a lot better - I have found that it's about taking little rests on the climb - not stopping but taking advantage of a 3 or 5 meter easier stretch by slowing cadence, bringing heart rate down a bit before the next big effort required for the next obstacle. A long technical climb seems to me to need repeated maximum efforts for short durations followed by periods of relative low effort / recovery. Sometimes those max efforts are longer though - like 20 or 30 seconds - those are killers.

 

I've also learned to stand up on the bike for a big effort and finding the point with my weight where the back doesn't lose traction but I can use my weight and the extra power standing seems to generate to get over a short very steep section. Before I would feel too weak to do this or the back wheel would lose traction but as I've got fitter and physically a bit stronger this is easier.

 

Also - deliberately easing off at the bottom of a long climb - and easing into the effort rather than aggressively attacking from the bottom.

 

And I've also learned to accept a walk every now and then - it's an interesting game I play with myself - I want to stop, I feel the stop coming on but then I tell myself that walking is just as hard and when I can't anymore then I just accept that I will walk up this hill and try to keep my heart rate down as I do so and not get frustrated or angry with myself. Just accepting it really helps I find.

[arendoog]

You have to find the balance between cadence ,speed and balance on the bike .If i ride to slow with high cadence i cannot keep my balance .If torque is to high ,the front lifts .Slower cadence ,high torque works better for me .When riding switchbacks i imagine i am climbing a flight of stairs in front of me .Your body will adapt it to the correct forward position and push away with your quads .The best climbers i have watched over the years all had exceptional balance on the bike ,even at very low speeds 

['Dale]

Personally I find a high cadence to be more effective for me. Like 85-95 rpm at around just under threshold (or over depending on whats happening with riders around you)

Not too effective for rocky sometimes as you can spin your rear wheel and lose momentum

[Mamil]

But then you need the leg strength to push that gear.

Not too effective for rocky sometimes as you can spin your rear wheel and lose momentum

[cadenceblur]

Been mentioned before but not enough in my opinion. Line choice is very important, look ahead and plot the path with least "resistance" if possible.

[CogitoErgoSum]

As mentioned - line choice, high cadense, find a point in between front and rear wheel to shift your weight where front wheel doesn't lift and rear wheel doesn't spin.

 

And might be benign, but tell yourself "peddle big circles"... ie mindset... don't jar and hit down on the peddles... big circular motions

 

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[Mamil]

and it all goes hand in glove - there are times when I'm right at the limit of strength and heart rate that I have absolutely no control over where the front wheel is going - the bike is choosing the line and not making good decisions. This is usually seconds before I stop. It's a whole body activity this - arms, core, pectoral muscles and of course legs.

 

 

 

Been mentioned before but not enough in my opinion. Line choice is very important, look ahead and plot the path with least "resistance" if possible.

[Guest]

I ride with an oval ring and the one place I have really found an improvement is on the climbs. it seems to give a much more constant torque which prevents the "square" pedal effect and minimises the loss of traction  when extra torque is suddenly put on the back wheel.

[Bomberman]

[Mamil]

It is HTFU - the techniques of line choice, weight distribution and so on are only possible if you get stronger and fitter. Looking at the youtube videos of how the top guys train - it's full body strength and functional training combining balance with strength and aerobic capacity and the ability to go into anaerobic territory and come back down repeatedly.

 

It's also why the total ascent figure on a race is misleading - 1000 meters of climbing on a farm road or nice vineyard is a different story to 1000m on a rutted loose jeep track or an interminable rocky set of switchbacks.

 

As this noob keeps having to find out.