Let me touch upon the topic of riding a bike, which will be of interest to those riders who have already ceased to be content with “mattress rides” and who are beginning to be interested in the technique of overcoming descents, ascents and turns, as well as other similar issues.

Indeed, these questions are worth considering, as the evolving rider will certainly want to learn some important riding techniques that will make his riding even more exciting and interesting.

Mountain bike climbing technique
Personally, I have always been interested in climbing. When I got my first mountain bike, I was a little disappointed that I was using it for other purposes, riding more in the city. However, the day soon came when I had the opportunity, together with my friend, who already had experience in racing, to go towards a nearby village, abounding in beautiful hills. There you could train and experience the beauty of mountain biking in its native environment. Immediately upon arrival, we began to storm the first hill, which was of medium steepness. My friend did great with it. I failed all my attempts to conquer this seemingly not very steep hill. Either my rear wheel slipped, then the front wheel came off the ground, then I didn’t have enough pressure on the pedals so that after a while I was no longer able to turn and, completely exhausted, stopped driving, and after that I went up the hill on foot, carrying take your bike with you.
Of course, I was wondering how my friend manages to overcome this climb so dexterously, and he shared some secrets with me.
In essence, all hill climbing technique comes down to obeying the laws of physics, which allows you to successfully distribute body weight on the bike and continue to move forward to the top. But before we talk about weight distribution, let's not forget to mention that just before climbing, you should choose exactly the gear that would allow you to not slip on the one hand (in case you chose too low a gear) and on the other hand do not lose all your strength in the middle of the climb (when you have chosen too high a gear). Do not change gears when you have already begun to climb the mountain, as you risk breaking your rear switch. As a last resort, if the climb is not very steep, then you can try switching to one gear, increasing or lowering it (do not try to switch two gears up or down at once, otherwise you will completely “kill” your transmission). You need to switch so that at the moment of switching to another gear, there is not much pressure on the pedals. It is only necessary to smoothly accompany the pedals at the moment of switching. But again, I repeat that you need to switch before overcoming the rise. So, having chosen the desired calculation of the stars, you are ready to start overcoming the slide.
Let's talk about your position on the bike, which would be desirable for successfully overcoming the mountain. For some reason, when we run uphill without a bike, we intuitively correctly distribute our weight so as not to stop in the middle of the climb. On a bicycle, we only have to adopt the principles by which we distribute body weight when running uphill.
Running uphill, we tilt our body forward, our arms work harder, our head is more pressed to the neck than usual, our legs are strongly pushed off the ground, almost all the muscles of the legs are involved: the load falls on the calf muscles, as well as on the ankle, which is unbending, provides a successful lift, thigh muscles that add power.
The same principles of weight distribution apply to climbing uphill on a bike. If you pull too hard on the handlebars up, it will cause the front wheel to lift off the ground. As a result, you will stop and you will overcome the rest of the climb on foot (although stopping on the rise is not a reason to give up, we will talk about this a little later). And at the same time, by choosing too light a calculation (gear), you run the risk of starting to slip the rear wheel, which will also lead to a loss of energy and a stop on the rise.
It is possible to overcome the rise, being in one of two positions: sitting and standing.
Climbing up the hill while sitting, you need to understand for yourself that the steering wheel should not be pulled up, but back, that is, towards the stomach. It is also necessary to bend the arms more at the elbows to bring the head closer to the takeaway. This will put some weight on the front wheel, preventing it from lifting off the ground. Even better, if you manage to pull the handlebars down a little more, give it a try! If you position your shoulders at a 90-degree angle to the climb path, you will be even better able to distribute the weight on the bike, increasing the grip of the wheels.
To increase traction and increase the force on the pedals, you need to shift your body weight slightly to the front of the saddle. This position will allow you to comfortably overcome not too steep, but long climbs. At the same time, this position will allow you to evenly screw up the hill. Moreover, uniform screwing is one of the main components of successfully overcoming the rise. The main mistake of many riders is uneven pedaling, when the biker turns too slowly, then suddenly almost completely slows down the pedal due to lack of strength, then, starting to turn while standing, loads the pedals with all his weight, which leads to slippage. Properly chosen gear and smooth twisting without pauses will allow you to continue to climb further to the top. It's okay if you have an easy calculation and you climb the mountain while sitting. The main thing is that the pedaling should be incessant. If the pedaling is intermittent, it will definitely lead to a stop.
When you feel that you can no longer cope with sitting pedaling, this often happens on very steep and long climbs, move on to standing up riding. However, this also requires some skill. It is also important here not to pause in pedaling. If you only push the pedals down while resting when the pedals are at the six and nine o'clock positions, this can also lead to a stop on the uphill. Pulling the pedals vertically upwards from the six o'clock position will only allow you to use clip-on pedals. But you can follow the normal, non-contact pedals a bit when they are in the six o'clock position towards the nine o'clock position. You just need to practice on flat areas. Try to accompany the pedal along the entire path of its movement, although this will not work without contact pedals, still strive to do this using even ordinary pedals. Try to mentally connect different muscles of the legs to the work, consciously distributing your effort on them. This will help you get less tired on the climb.
Remember that standing up will put more pressure on the pedals than sitting down. Therefore, it is worth switching up one gear if the steepness of the climb allows. If there are horns on the steering wheel, use them effectively. If you are in in a standing position and have loaded the front wheel well with your weight, it is possible to pull the horns up, but if possible, use the horns pull back.
Standing riding finds its use on very steep inclines and in junctions, sections where the steepness of the incline increases dramatically. Standing up also allows you to be centered on the bike when needed. Balance is also important here, because if you shift your weight too much, you will start to slip, and if you move too far back from the center position, the front wheel will definitely come off the ground. By placing the weight in the center of the bike, you will also prevent the front wheel from wandering. If you keep your balance on the pedals well, you will clearly go to your goal without unnecessary wobbles.
You need to stand on the pedals with your knees bent as much as possible, this will increase the grip of the wheels with the surface. You need to stand, not stretched out to attention, but as low as possible. Here you also need to bend your elbows well so that your chest is directly above the steering wheel. Just don't overdo it or you risk losing rear wheel traction on the trail.
And yet, if your strength allows, stay in the saddle during the climb for as long as you can. This is a better position, especially if you use platform pedals rather than clipless pedals. The transition to standing usually shows that the rider is going uphill on his last breath, and his strength will soon run out. However, on the final part of the ascent, the use of standing riding is very justified, since it is at these moments that the forces end.
Still, it is possible to save strength if you do not strain those muscles that are not involved in overcoming the rise at all. You can determine how exactly you should relax. Once you've chosen a specific cadence, stick to that dynamic pace. If the lift is very exhausting and protracted, then try alternating between sitting and standing.
There is another secret that helps to overcome the most protracted