Ok some tips for climbing

1) take your time! if you watch most people climb a hill, they look like they are running away from a fire. they try to get up as fast as possible. maybe mentally you would like to, but your body says different. don't think of it as a horrible obstacle, but as an opportunity to focus on your body and breathing. for every up there is a pretty cool DOWN (woohoo!)

2) so from 1)...spin it out...gear down to granny front and back and spin easy.

3) chew the handle bar. depending on the pitch, you may have to slide your butt foreward in the saddle and bring your chin right down to the bar. exaggerate the movement on easier climbs to get the technique down.

4) breathe! you would be surpised how often you hold your breath on a climb.

5) move your body, again depending on the pitch and the terrain, your wheel may need its traction moved around. that might mean letting off the back end a bit, or leading the front end over something.

6) smile! remember why you wanted to try mtb to begin with. like i said in
1) climbing is an opportunity! find the joy!

Enoy!

hannah

PS learning to climb a hill slowly will help you climb it faster. i have passed many many women in RACES trying to shoot up an 8 minute climb. they would be a tiny bit in front of me, and i would be spinning away. by the time we get to the top, they would be out of breath and i would literally putter by.