Noob’s Guide to MTB Racing #4: Going Fast Uphill and Downhill

Bike races are won in the climbs. For the most part, your climbing performance will depend on your strength, aerobic fitness and power to weight ratio. But there is some technique you can apply to make the best use of your abilities.

Build speed leading up to the base of a climb: The more momentum you have at the start of a climb, the further up the climb it can carry you. If you’re going from a descent directly into a climb carry as much speed through from the downhill to the uphill.  If you’re going from a flat into a climb, start your effort early to build some speed going into it. Either way your momentum will carry you further up the climb with less effort.

Stay seated for most of the climb: You are more efficient sitting down. You can produce more power standing, but at the expense of using significantly more energy, and requiring more oxygen. Keep your butt in the saddle and stand if necessary, just at the tail-end of the climb to get yourself over the top.

It’s OK to stand for short climbs: Putting a bit more effort into short climbs is worth it if it allows you to maintain momentum.

Keep up the effort you are putting into climbing over the top of a climb and down the back side. This allows you to get yourself back up to speed and cover ground faster. Climbing is hard, usually you will feel like letting off the gas as soon as you’re at the top, but then you’re stuck at the top putzing along slowly, and losing time. Pace yourself so as to keep the effort going for just a few more seconds. Build up your speed on the flat or descent that follows, then you can take it down a notch. This is a good way to pass people who blow-up on the climbs too.

For steep climbs, move your body weight forward. Doing so will keep the front wheel down, maintain traction and put you in a powerful pedaling position. For the steepest climbs, you’ll want to bend your elbows, move your chest down towards your bars and your butt forward and plant your taint on the tip of the saddle. It’s not comfortable, but your legs and lungs will hurt so much, you’ll hardly notice.

For steep or technical descents, you’ll want to get your body weight back and down. Your butt should be hanging behind and below the saddle, your inner/upper thighs should be in contact with the saddle for control, and you should be hovering about an inch above it. Keep your cranks parallel to the ground, keep your knees and elbows bent and ready to react. Keep your weight off the front wheel.

Don’t be afraid of speed: Speed alone is not dangerous. In fact, speed can make traveling over that rough section you find intimidating smoother and easier. Carry as much speed as you can into the next section.

PRACTICE!: Try pacing yourself up and over climbs on your trail rides. Find the steepest climbs you can and challenge yourself to get up them, and then to get up them fast. And you don’t need to be out on the trail to practice a lot of these techniques. You can work on a lot of this on the road bike, or find a local park with rolling terrain.