Climbing

[Wilko58]

If you are referring to me as the OP you have me wrong I'm afraid. For me the essence of mtb is fast technical descents. Yes some climbs present their own challenges but for me climbs are mostly a PITA necessity. The reason for my original post was to promote a discussion about what promotes success in climbing....failure means having to do it again!! I.E. a double PITA

@Mikerb No, not replying to you. It was to Plummet who we questioned why have an eMTB if you don't want to go fast.

 

[Stihldog]

how did we get on to flats v clipless? Personally my shoe ( 5-10) and pedal ( Raceface Atlas) combo has never led to me slipping off the pedals or given any difficulty getting off the pedals when I want to. I did try clipless once just out of curiosity. Hated the shoes.....and the pedals!! The only downside of my pedal choice, is that the pedals are excellent at ripping skin....usually at ankle level at the back of the leg when I am negotiating a bridleway gate..............the solution is to walk ( whiilst still on the bike) like I have sh*t my pants or just started to learn how to ski...........ie doing a bambi

My neighbour and I both enjoy climbing the same trail sometimes. He’s clipless and I’m magnetic. It’s a very technical climb but I never really analyzed the difference between our techniques. But sometimes he can clear the climb and I’ll have a few dabs.

He’s got more skills than me but he’s almost 20 years younger …which could be why I’m faster.

 

[Wilko58]

Oh, I enjoy a great technical climb on an e-bike, But the down is where my heart is.

With that said. If I only went the same speed as the mtb, i'd sell the e-bike and carry on mountain biking. The only reason a technical climb is more fun is because the more power and speed allows you to clean stuff you otherwise wouldn't.

So even though you say its not about speed.... it still is because you couldn't go that fast up a climb without the motor.

Power I agree but speed less so, unless speed also includes walking pace!
Where speed is achievable, for example fire roads, it isn't the speed itself but the ability to maintain the speed over a longer distance and that's where the e-MTB comes in.
But, in my case, an e-MTB increases my physical ability and fitness level (and makes me feel more skilful than I am!). As an example, there is a set of steps which I climb regularly which are an irregular height and distance apart and, without the power of my e-MTB., I would probably just fall over sideways!

 

[Ndanger]

ah...the " air dab" usually followed by the other freestyle trick, the "falling log"! I think the last time i did that was on a trail that ran around a steep hill about half way down.......just a narrow trail probably mostly made by cows making their way back to the farm. The hill gave a superb view of the coastline so I stopped to take a photo. I put my left foot down onto what looks like a grass stump...turned out to be just mostly fresh air. Me and the bike went off the side of the trail and I ended up on my back head first pointing down the hill...the bike on top of me. Fortunately my mate was on hand to help!!.
Never seen any benefit in using anything other than flat pedals on an EMTB......on that occasion i would probably have suffered a damaged ankle if clipped in. As it was it was just subject to uncontrolled laughter by my mate!!

Haha... Air dab been there done that. And yes getting untangled "upside down, in the weeds and gratefully not on fire"

 

[Stihldog]

It's the same for any clipped in system, surely?
My first attempt at riding clipped in was with Shimano SPDs. I set off OK, but rapidly discovered that I could only unclip easily if my foot was below the crank. The further above the crank the harder it got, until I just couldn't unclip. Comedy falls ensued aplenty.
I had promised myself that no matter how hard it seemed, and no matter how many times I fell off, I would stick with it for at least three months. Anyway, 18 months later, it took a three-day ride in the Yorkshire mountains* to finally make me realise that flats were the way to go. Every single rider on that outing was on flats, except me! They had zero problems; I was all over the place; the lesson was not lost.

Note* Not really mountains as such, they just felt like it. Hill starts so steep that I couldn't get going because the bike started rolling backwards before I could clip in. Very much NOT comedy falls because I couldn't unclip fast enough.

Shortly after I got my 2nd or 3rd road bike I graduated to clipless spd’s. These were great and looked kinda cool . Fairly easy disconnect technique but awesome for a push or pull leg motion. Until a mom pushing a baby carriage suddenly passed in front of me at an intersection.

I hadn’t practiced a quick or emergency release and my options were limited …swerve into traffic, tumble over the edge, or lay the bike and myself on the pavement.

When I finally stopped sliding on the pavement I came to rest inches away from mom. Her reaction was shock , or fear. I shouted “I’m ok”! But I wasn’t.

My legs and arms experience road rash along with damage to my bike, clothing, parts of my face and riding glasses. No damage to my helmet because I never wore one back then.

Depending on how you look at it …I was either a hero or a fool.

 

[Pedec]

I think even in the snow my dropper is 50%. There’s so much sudden twisting and turning that stability and momentum becomes important.…especially during a climb.
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Not every trail here is climb-able, but I like the challenge. Oh…and the crash is usually not as dramatic.. But what goes up usually has to come down. So there’s the rub…it’s a compromise. But I enjoy climbing .

But climbing any trail, any time, keeps you busy. Geometry can be critically important and quick access to the bar buttons is key. I just wish I could apply those skills to my keyboard typing problems.

You need a fatbike e-bike. Works great.

 

[Stihldog]

You need a fatbike e-bike. Works great.

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Yes, that’s the beast I need sometimes. Last week I ran into the guy who follows my tracks in the snow. Eric has a YouTube channel and films his adventures. Sometimes in the snow on this mountain.

I expect to see him again this winter. He has a Bulls Fat EMTB. Two cameras on the bike and one on his helmet. Carries bear spray too.

I lower the air pressure on a new pair of Maxxis Assigia 2.6”. (6-8lbs). Still makes for a challenging climb.