It is inevitable - anyone who pedals will have to deal with a technical climb. You could get off and push, but why not play around with some of these techniques and have fun with your mates trying to get up those technical climbs. 

Heart rate 

Obviously, fitness is going to come into play on technical climbs. There is a climb at my local trails where the most technical part is about halfway up. This is where I need to put the most power through the pedals, use my balance and manage a small step - so it’s the most physical part of the climb. The key here is to give your heart rate the best chance.  
 
At the start of the climb, I work on long and slow breathing with a view to keeping my heart rate as low as I can before I enter the more tech section. I also try not to pedal too hard on the ‘easier’ part of the claim to help regulate my heart rate. It basically means I am not gassed before the tech section that I know is going to push my heart rate to the limit. You could see it as clever climbing. 

Finding traction 

As a climb gets steeper, you need to make sure your mass is spread across the front and rear wheel. The rear wheel obviously needs weight on it as it is the wheel giving you drive but the front wheel also needs weight so it doesn’t start to wheelie and loop out. To make sure the weight is over the rear wheel imagine a line going from the centre of the earth through the grip point of your rear wheel and up to your hips.  
 
Then to ensure you have weight over the front, pivot at your hips to bring your shoulders down closer to the bars. It is easier to do this sitting down so I would encourage you to sit down until you really need to stand up. When you stand it is harder for stability and rear wheel grip but will be helpful if you need to punch up a step. 

Stepping it up 

Having the ability to do a small wheelie with the front wheel and a rear wheel lift will help navigate any steps you encounter. If possible, try to keep some momentum as you come towards the steps, then use either a little pedal or slight weight transfer to lift the front up the step. 
 
As your front lands and whilst you still have some momentum, transfer your weight up and forward (basically leap your body up and onto the step) this will help lift the rear wheel. At this point it is important to instantly pedal again as your momentum will likely be lost. Having good balance is going to help this even more. 

Tech Climbing tips 

Tech climbs are often slow, so work on your track stands, endo turns, front wheel lifts, wheelies in the car park or even on a slight hill as that is going to get you ready for the tech feature on the climb. 
Bike setup 
A couple of things you can do with the bike before a tech climb are: 
Gear selection: this is quite personal but tech doesn’t always mean you want to be in your easiest gear. Too easy a gear can make your wheel lose traction. So, a sensible gear where you can apply power without spinning out. 
Seat height: generally you want the seat up - there might be the odd climb where you want the seat a bit lower if it is super technical to give you confidence if you need to jump off. 
Seat position: the steeper the climb the more forward you will want it. Also pointing down slightly, when on flat ground, so it levels out as the climb gets steeper. 
Suspension; lock out or not. Benefits are the bike will hold it’s geo and not ‘bob’ as much but the drawbacks on tech climbs are the rear wheel can bounce off the roots and lose traction. 
Tagged as: Coaching tips
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