Silly question about riding uphill

[smilingcat]

I zig-zag up a very steep hill to find the gentlest climb it means I'm riding bit farther but when you are on a super steep hill, I'm looking for ways to relieve the steepness.

For instance on a very steep hairpin turn (180degree turns), I go on the outside not on the inside. The difference can be 25+% grade on the inside turn while on the outside it might be down to 15% grade. It's the difference between being able to climb or get stopped!

Another reason to zig zag on a hill climb is sometimes you are looking to launch yourself away from those are riding your wheel on a race. By making these moves, you are hoping to drop the guy behind you. You are hoping that the guy behind you hasn't been paying attention to the subtle grade difference on the road so that you are launching off on a easier grade while the guy behind you has to try to catch you up by going up a steeper grade...It's also mental too when you are trying to shake off the guy behind you.

And if you are on a straight steep hill zig-zagging will reduce the grade because you are traveling more. I was just doing that zig-zagging up cause it was just too steep and I was blowing up.

[gnat23]

Another reason to zig zag on a hill climb is sometimes you are looking to launch yourself away from those are riding your wheel on a race. By making these moves, you are hoping to drop the guy behind you.

This is, of course, what I *say* I'm doing.

-- gnat! (but really I'm swerving like a cross-eyed drunken paperboy hoping I have a few calories left to clip out, if suddenly necessary)

[luv2climb]

Here's a perfect example of one of the very few times I've had to do this. The last half of this vid shows me climbing a hill with grades up to 25% on my single-speed 16" wheel Dahon Da Bike folding bike. I had to "tack" the hill on the steepest parts in order to make it up.

Be forewarned, there is very heavy breathing in this video due to the effort involved. Also, I crash at 1:13 when the handlebar latch comes undone when I attempt to climb out of the saddle. This causes me to laugh uncontrollably, even after resuming my climb.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow_8b-7AfN4

[suzbyrd]

The professionals zig zag going up a hill because they are either A)trying to see where the competition is, or B)trying to drop someone off their wheel. They hardly ever zig zag because they are bonked or its too steep. Yes, we may have to zig zag to make it easier, but these guys are highly trained and they wouldn't do unless for strategy reasons.

[Seajay]

Smiling Cat has it.
Often on steep climbs the inside line is REALLY steep....in order to stay on top of a gear and maintain speed, often you will ride to the outside.
You really don't see the pros "tacking" up hills. Maybe a bit of weave only because they are putting a lot of upper body into keeping a particular gear going...but that's about it.

[Catrin]

This is an interesting thread. On a related topic I TRIED to start going up a little hill on a mtb trail the other day...and lifted the front wheel off the ground in the attempt I walked it to the top and then started....

[indysteel]

This is an interesting thread. On a related topic I TRIED to start going up a little hill on a mtb trail the other day...and lifted the front wheel off the ground in the attempt I walked it to the top and then started....

We did a drill for that at the clinic if you recall. Get your weight forward--either a little or a lot depending on how steep the hill--in order to give your front wheel some traction. Think b**bs to the tube. Where it gets trickier--and the North Gate Connector is a good example of this--is when you're going uphill and need to get your weight off your front wheel a bit to deal with roots or rocks. I'm still trying to work on that; it's hard!!!!

[Hi Ho Silver]

This is an interesting thread. On a related topic I TRIED to start going up a little hill on a mtb trail the other day...and lifted the front wheel off the ground in the attempt I walked it to the top and then started....

Back in the stone age when I mountain biked, I learned a really effective technique for going up hills. Basically, your upper body should look like a jockey racing a galloping horse - your butt should hover over the back part of the saddle (so you get traction on the rear tire), and the back should be kinda horizontal with your shoulders down and forward (to weight the front wheel and keep it from lifting up). In that crouched position, you can easily move your torso forward or backward to attain a good compromise between rear traction and front stability.