How to Dismount Safely Going Uphill??

I have a Trek FX 7.3 WSD, and have ridden up a couple of .2 mile long streets which were extremely steep. In part the reason I was able to get to the top is because I feared that if I stopped, mid-hill, that the bike & I might flip over backwards, or at least I would fall trying to dismount. I did make it to the top and it was very difficult (I'm very fit), but there may come a time when I can't make it to the top and have to stop and dismount. Any ideas or thoughts? Maybe I won't fall....maybe it's my imagination. Are my fears founded in reality or ??? :eek:

Do you ride with clipless pedals? Do you stand up and pedal?

If you're sitting, clipped in, I guess there is a point on a very steep hill where it would be difficult to stop and unclip without overbalancing backwards. I only get this when trailriding, every now and then I can't make a short steep incline. But I'm virtually always standing at that point, which makes it a lot easier to move my weight forward over my feet. Unclip fast, put a foot down, lean forward, let my bike lean over if it has to.

I go up short hills like that and there are ways and means of getting up without having to dismount. I like to practice for when i do dirt & often just sit in the saddle on the roadie when I encounter some sort of hill.

Why not shift your weight around in smidgen bits? When you're going up the steepest part of the hill do as mountain bikers do "boobs to de tube" and keep moving.

Engage your core muscles & don't hold onto your handlebars for dear life. Don't worry about how slow you go as the hill will end soon enough.

Hi and thanks for responding. At this point I have platform pedals, so clipping in/out isn't an issue. I am sitting and leaning way forward. I think it's more just a fear than a reality. I could try it sometime, but usually I'm trying to keep myself going as a challenge to myself.
Thanks again.

Yes, I definitely engage the core and thank goodness for all the core work I've done. Excellent tips. Thank you both.

I guess it depends where you ride.
If you have enough space, it helps to position your bike in an angle to the hill you are climbing and then dismount on the side that is "higher" on the hill (more uphill) - this way you stand "above" your bike when dismounting and aren't in danger of flipping over (I'm not sure if I did a good job describing what I mean).
If you are in a steep singletrail where there is no space to reposition your bike, you can use your brakes to get more grip so you can hold onto the bike while dismounting.

I can't remember any occasion where I was in danger of flipping over backwards, but it can be an issue to have enough standover-height when you have to dismount in difficult terrain.

@Susan, that's an excellent idea! These hills are in quiet neighborhoods on public streets that are asphalt or cement(?). I understand what you are saying, now I just have to remember it. I think I will practice on some lesser hills.

Well, I've never flipped over clipped in on my mtb. But stopped and got one foot out to have the bike then sideways roll over on top of me. Then the second foot releases typically.

Ouch:(.

I've been on some short steep hills on my roadie like that. I honestly could not figure out how to dismount without toppling over like my mtb. The trail hurts. But pavement into a drainage ditch would hurt worse. So, I kept climbing. Literally to the point of feeling my hr being so high I've seen spots before my eyes. Dhrrrr:o... not good.

Hope your tips help here!

Oh... btw, one diff between road and trail is the shoes imo... on the trail at least we have grippy soles... full carbon road shoes don't have that traction on slick road pavement, fwiw.

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Originally Posted by Susan

I can't remember any occasion where I was in danger of flipping over backwards, but it can be an issue to have enough standover-height when you have to dismount in difficult terrain.

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Once in a while when i'm going up the steep hill back to my house (which is virtually at the end of every ride I take, D'OH!!!) my front wheel lifts up off the pavement for a moment while I'm climbing and it always catches me unawares and scares the Dickens out me! :eek: lol!

@Miranda, I wear Specialized "Tahoe" cycling shoes, without any cleats since I have platform pedals. So the bottoms of the shoes are like hiking shoes.

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

@Miranda, I wear Specialized "Tahoe" cycling shoes, without any cleats since I have platform pedals. So the bottoms of the shoes are like hiking shoes.

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Well that helps. Idk for me... if I get it, I'll let you know lol. I love riding clipped in. I feel nekkid without it.

once I was on a hill I could not get up (or at least that's what I believed) I got as close to the curb as I could and just leaned over and landed gently in the grass.
I still get scared on steep hills (wondering if I'm not going to make it) but so far that's the only time it's happened,

ps if you're not clipped in, it's a lot easier, just lean a little and put your foot out.

IMO it's the better part of valor to dismount BEFORE you're certain to fall over. Sure, there will be times when you wonder whether you gave up too soon ... if you could've made it up that hill. It beats tipping over onto your side and being flattened by a semi. Or even just getting roadrashed.

Oakleaf, I could not figure out how to dismount, since i was clipped in. tipping over was the only way I could get off that bike, it was too steep and I didn't want to be in a position where I could get myself hurt.

But that's what I meant.

Once you're in that position, yes your options are limited and there's a probability you'll fall (probably a smaller probability than what it actually FEELS like, but it happens for sure, probably to all of us, it's definitely happened to me).

My point was that now, I dismount BEFORE that happens. When I'm starting to run out of muscle or oxygen and I look up at that hill and it's only getting steeper and/or it's not going to crest any time soon ... that's when I dismount. Not when it's "OMG I'm going to fall over and I need to get off my bike."



ETA: to the OP, you can only actually flip over backwards if your weight is behind the rear axle. It would have to be a steeper hill than I've ever heard of where you couldn't prevent that just by moving your weight over the pedals ... which you naturally do when climbing anyway, to get the force of gravity behind your pedal stroke. What's much more likely to happen is that you un-weight the front wheel enough that it loses traction and slips out from under you.

This is something I will pay attention to next time I do that hill. Thanks to all for your education and advice.

Usually when I get to that point on a hill, the pain of tipping over seems a somewhat better option than the pain in my legs and my lungs! :p

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Originally Posted by Susan

. . .
If you have enough space, it helps to position your bike in an angle to the hill you are climbing and then dismount on the side that is "higher" on the hill (more uphill) - this way you stand "above" your bike when dismounting . . .

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Susan, thx for sharing this tip. I've never ridden a hill so steep that I feared flipping over backwards but I have sometimes gone so slowly that it was hard to control the bike (I guess that happens at 2 miles an hour!). I've had a few occasions when I've lost my balance when I stop mid-hill but I think your suggestion will help quite a bit.

I have been known to check out the traffic behind and ahead and then ride two strokes of so across the road to unclip both feet, swing back into the right hand side and lean over and stop. I have gone over a couple of times sidewise when I couldn't get unclipped and had decided to get off- fortunately I tend to fall to the right most of the time.

The best advice is either to become a super strong I can take every hill rider, or constantly monitor your breathing and muscles against the amount of hill left and get off as soon as it even begins to look like you might not need it.

I had some issues with this when I was mountain biking, but never on the road. I've walked (i.e. gotten off of my bike) twice, but thankfully before it became critical.
My issue is getting started on a hill. I mean even little rises. I know just about every alternative route to having to stop at a light/stop sign on a little rise, as I have been known to scoot myself across the intersection with my foot... not especially good for the cleats. If I am strong enough to get up big hills, I should be able to do this, but I get totally uncoordinated, especially if it is under pressure due to oncoming traffic.

Thanks Marni & Crankin, fortunately I've gone up this same hill maybe a total of 2-3 more times since I've posted this and haven't had to get off. It's a .2 mile hill and looks deceiving from the bottom. I must say that I usually sit the entire time going up, but last time I decided to stand and pedal - only problem is that I forgot to shift to a higher gear, so I was in a way too easy gear to stand and pedal. I didn't want to shift mid-hill, so I just sucked it up, finally sat down and pedaled. I'm always thrilled when I'm at the top and my heart rate is about 175 bpm!

It's usually fine to shift mid-hill. Just lighten up on the pedals a bit as you do it. I usually shift in the rear when my pedals are at 3 and 9 for that reason.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

My issue is getting started on a hill. I mean even little rises. I know just about every alternative route to having to stop at a light/stop sign on a little rise, as I have been known to scoot myself across the intersection with my foot... not especially good for the cleats. If I am strong enough to get up big hills, I should be able to do this, but I get totally uncoordinated, especially if it is under pressure due to oncoming traffic.

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I often have this problem too, particularly when cars are around (and, I assume, all eyes are on me). I have gotten better about it later, just forcing myself to puch down on the top pedal with all my might, but I still occasionally end up scooting on my toe for a bit!

Maybe it has something to do with our "short" stature.

Don't pay so much attention to the incline that you forget to clip out :o I was just reminded of this tonight... while I may be sore tomorrow the only thing really wounded is my ego.

I also have a problem getting started going uphill, so I am glad to know this isn't unusual - so I try very, very hard to not have to stop. As far as falling is concerned I think a sloping surface is even more of a problem for me since I only unclip/stop with one foot (past surgery issues). It isn't a problem very often, but very occasionally it does come up.