I've set myself a goal to tackle a 500m-ish run of steep single track on a local trail by the end of the Summer (Tynycoed, if any of the Welsh boys are reading) – up it, not down it. I know it can be done because a few local riders have said they've done it, although it seems that most fail. It's a mixture of soil and roots with the occasional boggy bit. Supreme fitness and balance are a given, I know (I'm working on that and a long way off what is required), but how can I optimise my chances? I'm on a Fuel EX8 with Jones ACX 2.2 all round, flatties not cleats. How can I make it easier for myself? I keep plugging away at it at least 3 times a week but so far only manging half way up. Fatter tyres? Mud tyres? Speed? Lockout forks? Propedal? Stand on the pedals? Sit down all the way? Numpty newbie question, I know, but I'm a man on a mission and any advice would be gratefully received.

OK what goes wrong, that'll help

can't trun cranks, wheel slips, front wheel goes light and you wobble off line?

If its the later then get really far forward, sat right on the nose of the saddle

3 pints. Strength and bloody mindedness of ten men.

Done.

Learn to pump.

Yes, rear wheel does often slip (hence wondering about fatter tyres) and when it gets really tough the front intermittently lifts. It's the spinning rear that often stops me. I seem to fare better sitting but leaning really far forward. I know I'd probably do better with cleats because I find it much smoother putting power down on a road bike (less likely to slip?), but I just can't get on with them offroad (Crank Bros Candys – after breaking a few ribs because I couldn't uncleat fast enough, gave up – so now on DMR V12s)

Learn to pump?

walk….like i do

Aye – learn to pump. Sounds like this bit of trail needs a lot of bodyweight movements to get the front over obstacles and the rear to grip. Look up pump technique of get someone to explain it to you.

Walk? Nah! No way. I've got to do it. How am I gonna do it? How do I optimise my chances?
(Every time I have to resort to pushing my bike, I feel an overwhelming sense of failure and shame in a "hope nobody's looking" kind of way)

as low as 20 psi in your rear tyre will help to give the tyre a bigger foot print giving you loads more grip – you may have to put some back in to finish your ride though

Interesting goal, and I have a few climbs up here in the Lakes that I would love to clean as well.

A few tips from me would be

1 Thumbs on the top of your bars
2 I would use spds (imho)pull up?/better cadence?
3 Sit slightly forwards over the nose of the saddle
4 Slow and steady is better than too fast
5 look for the easiest line anticipating loss of grip through the rear tyre,loose rocks/roots/mud etc.
6 Mentally brakedown the full climb into smaller more managable sections,this way its easier to pace yourself for each bit.
7 Maintain momentum and grip but avoid spinning or riding too fast
8 Stay on the higher part of the track/camber as its always easier to drop down if you slip on the front tyre, or loose grip at the back.
9 Concentrate on your line/breathing/ and try to avoid following other riders too closley.
10 Sit down all the way, but I do think its good to stand up and stretch your legs if you can at some point.

Bike Prep for climbing
1 Adjustable travel fork is better but not vital imho
2 Shorter stems are good
3 Any 60a dual compound tyres/2.3s I can recommend
4 wide bars are good
5 saddle position/height is critical for comfort,weighting the rear tyre and grip,slightly lower than your normal pedalling stroke is best for me,(keeping your heals slightly below the pedal axle seems to be a help.)

All imho of course,good luck on your challenge 😉

Top man, GaVgAs!

look up to where you want to go, weight in front of the bb, wirsts and heals down and pedal smooth

Cheers Tinners,riding with Max at Keswick bikes has "brought me on" a bit 😯

Very smooth and slow. Don't chase at the start, get the right gear at the bottom, churn, don't sprint. Be prepared to move your weight about but keep low on the bike, barely off the saddle, spend as much time sitting down as you can.

Thanks, Samuri. You mention gears and I forgot to ask – I tend to select absolute bottom granny ring ('scuse me, vicar), but sometimes find that I make better progress one gear up from the lowest but then run out of puff sooner. Is it better to build up the strength to get up in a higher gear rather than "slower but easier" in the lowest?

if you go lowest, you give yourself no where to go

Very smooth and slow. Don't chase at the start, get the right gear at the bottom, churn, don't sprint. Be prepared to move your weight about but keep low on the bike, barely off the saddle, spend as much time sitting down as you can.

+1

Thanks, Jedi. Could you elaborate a bit on that? The climb is fairly even all the way, so I reckon that if I get into a gear I could stay in that gear all the way up. Do I aim on building strength in my legs in coming months so that I can get up in the highest gear possible or is it just trial and error trying out different gears?
At the moment, lowest feels "less stable" (if you know what I mean) but I can go on for longer before conking out, stamina wise. Next gear up from lowest gear feels better but can't keep it up all the way.

elbows low, ass forward on the seat (don't stand up if you can help it), look ahead at where you intend to go. avoid loose big rocks, be prepared to pul the wheel up over obstacles to big to shunt over.

good luck, you'll get there eventually.

"Mentally brakedown the full climb into smaller more managable sections"

Yep

Keep something in reserve for when you have to get over a steepening. Climbs I do are not much more than 200m gain, so 500 gain without fluffing it or exploding seems like a big challenge. Good luck.

try to keep even cadence and change gear where you feel you need to stand.

Two things that work for me are:
– controlling my breathing. Before a steep climb I take a couple of deep, slow breaths with full exhalation.
– relaxing my upper body. Try not tense your arms, jaw, shoulders etc. Just let the legs work.

My personal preference is to sit (on the nose of the saddle if the front is nodding) and spin, unweighting the front over rocks, roots etc but not standing.

Doubt he means 500m gain in altitude on singletrack, that would be a **** massive climb – probably 500 m in length and steep.

The good thing about climbs on the MTB is that they're generally not about supreme fitness, actually. Any recreational rider can have a dig at tough climbs, if they're willing to give it their all. No one's interested in how fast you can make a bastard climb, it's whether you cleaned it or not. Tick or cross. If the climb gets long with multiple steep sections then yeah, you need to be properly fit – but most climbs on the trail aren't like this and we can all have a go at them.

Multiple section approach as already described is the best way to address it – break it down like an old spectrum game (if you're old enough to remember them). Lv1, then Lv2, then Lv3 etc. Good rear tyre will make a big difference. Also, are there a few sections you can soft pedal to recuperate a wee bit? If it's 500m of full on attack then that's miles harder.

Yes, you're right. I'm useless at assessing distance but the steepest bit is probably more like 200 plus metres in length and once you're on the steepest bit, it's fairly even all the way with lots of roots along the way to hinder progress. I haven't got GPS on my bike but I should work out the distance/elevation on my phone to give you a better idea. Comments given here are very useful though and giving me a real feel for what I need to do.
So what I'm getting so far is lower tyre pressures, sit forward, relaxed, slow and steady pace. Anything else in relation to technique or bike setup? What about locking out front forks – make much difference?

no dont lock your forks and use the softest of your shock setting too as you said traction has been your problem and you need to go over thing instead of them knocking you off course

"The best way to get up a long, steep, run"

your right "run"

I've found standing rather than sitting, with a slightly higher gear helps.

Obvious really but get fitter. So make sure you are getting in some steadt state training as well.

Walk.
pedalling when you can walk faster is just dim