I feel like I’m in a tiny minority on this forum of people who prefer the climbs to the descents, but wondered if I am literally the only one?

I mean, I like a downhill, particularly a smooth, flowing bit of singletrack, but overall I prefer a good climb.

I can’t be alone in this, surely?!

Not really, I have been known to enjoy a good climb, bit of tech, just the right side of challenging….

Fire road climbs can **** off.

Alpine road climbs – yes

Switchbacky singletrack climbs – yes

Fireroads – no

Not sure I prefer them to descents though.

I don’t mind climbing at all. But don’t prefer them. I’ll see you at the top though, I’m not the quickest!

At the minute absolutely no, as I’m as unfit as I have been in the last 8 years. I can’t say I have ever ‘enjoyed’ the climbs, but do get a sense of satisfaction if I make it in a one-er!

prefer the climbs to the descents

I don’t enjoy the climbing in itself, but I’ve never liked doing shuttle runs. I enjoy doing a complete lap of a trail with a climb and a descent. Doing half a lap just isn’t satisfying.

I’m slow, I bitch and moan and curse on the way up but yea I enjoy climbing. One reason I have zero interest in a e-bike because I like putting the work in myself on the climb.

Enjoy, yes. Prefer, no chance.

Adrenaline over endorphins

Wouldn’t say I prefer them, but I do love them! I see them as very much 50% of cycling, especially a techy off road climb, and where the fitness shows (or not!), but all climbs are good for the soul and body!

no

A needed evil to get the descents

but all climbs are good for the soul and body!

and for the views

Sometimes I prefer climbing to descending, other times it’s a 50/50 call….

I’m shite pointing downhill usually though!

All depends how fit you feel.

I like climbing, descending and going flat. I don’t hate any climb, particularly.

Yes

Yeah, love climbing – particularly techy stuff, but big alpine passes, short hard road climbs, whatever – love flat twisty stuff, love descending too. I live and ride lots in the Peak, and given that most stuff is either up or down, you’re always going to spend more time climbing than descending on any sort of circular route, so you may as well love the ups.

I think it’s one of those things that it’s hard to enjoy if you’re not fit though.

Currently mostly riding an e-bike as I recover from long covid and it’s just not same, but still great being out. Oh, and managed 1200m of backroad and bridleway ascent in two days last week on the very definitely leg-powered cross bike. That made me very happy 🙂

I don’t mind climbs on the gravel bike but don’t really like them on the MTB.

for me its part of the ride so yes I enjoy them, I like the exertion the time to enjoy the scenery the satisfaction of being at the top, even a cheeky race with someone quick. I enjoy a climb more than a crazy steep or rocky descent

I enjoy the climbs just as much as the descents.
We’re not exactly blessed with the best trails where I live so if I didn’t enjoy the climbs I’d be screwed!

I think it’s one of those things that it’s hard to enjoy if you’re not fit though.

Yep. A thumping hangover is pretty much like being massively out of shape. Climbing sucks when your legs feel like jelly and you’re on the verge of puking your breakfast.

I do. I feel odd-one-out because all mates mostly hate it.

Prefer road/fire-road climbs tho.

Source: A lifetime of living in the West of England and riding from the door + suspected masochism combined with mild hillbagging fetish.

Favourite climbing kit:

– 531 touring bike, triple, rando/drop-bar, on the hoods or shoulder.

– 29er, double, flat-bar on Ergon GP3 bar-end grips

Favourite masochism combo:

– Singlespeed 26er
– Risers, no bar-ends
– Fat, unfit, athletic pubalgia

Too heavy* to enjoy climbing

The only mtb climb I’ve “enjoyed” was at Glycorrwyg – White’s maybe ?

*It’s all relative – I’m only 80ish kilos but the lads I ride with have either more power or less weight, often both
Off to the lakes for a few days soon and have rented ebikes for wife & daughter. I’ve a feeling I won’t like those climbs either 😅

Alpine road climbs – yes

Switchbacky singletrack climbs – yes

Fireroads – no

+1. Fireroad climbs are effectively a rough road, climbed on a heavy bike. Purgatory.

Absolutely. This morning I’ve been out on my “new” Gen 1 Flaremax. Really buzzing about the climb I cleaned for the first time ever. Any idiot can roll down a hill… 😜

Yep, enjoy the climbs. Road or fire road are all good with me. Steep descents are worst for me as I run a low geared fixed gear (good for climbing!) but hard work to spin at 200rpm for too long going downhill.

Right now, no. I’m a fat unfit mess so anything approaching even slightly uphill can eff right off.

Previously though yes I’d quite enjoy clearing a techy climb without a dab or having to stop. As with most people though fire roads can GTFO.

I live and ride lots in the Peak, and given that most stuff is either up or down, you’re always going to spend more time climbing than descending on any sort of circular route, so you may as well love the ups.

Aye, on my first couple of road rides after moving here I decided I only needed two gears – big/little and little/big…

Love the climbs, I’ll even cherry pick times to go out and make some of squamish’s best descending trails into my new fave climb. Getting harder now to not be a trail conflict though with how much more trail traffic there is.

Prefer? Some days I’ll go over the top having completely wrecked myself on the up to merely hang on for dear life to survive the descent.

The whole ride is the ride, and the whole ride is to be enjoyed.
It’s not a series of descents linked by necessary evils.

Get to admire more of the surroundings on the way up than down too.

no

A needed evil to get the descents

Same, I could climb faster than I generally do, but then I’d get all sweaty and tired doing something I don’t enjoy.

The only concession I’ll make is until someone builds a chairlift that gains 500-1000m locally to me, most of the places I ride would get very boring, very quickly without the climbs.

Enjoy, yes. More than the descent, not a chance!

you’re always going to spend more time climbing than descending on any sort of circular route, so you may as well love the ups.

This is my perspective.
I spend longer climbing than descending so if I didn’t enjoy the climb why would I ride?

As a card carrying RUCKUS member I’ll take a techy climb over a techy descent any day.

It’s not a series of descents linked by necessary evils.

That’s exactly what it is.

I’m pretty fit so climbing doesn’t bother me, but give me a choice & I wouldn’t bother with it at all.

I don’t mind a good climb. I’m shit at riding bikes up hill, but they can still be great. Especially if theres a good view!

Since I’m shit at descending (even roads) I’d say most definitely!

Riding a bike up hill is pretty much my happy place. Even on a never ending fire road, just getting into the rhythm and emptying the mind is just perfection for me.

god no.

Yes! Road cross or MTB love it.

I sort of do.

I definately didn’t used to enjoy winching my way up a climb, part of that was lack of fitness thing, part poor technique and gear choices, not that I’m an Adonis with flawless technique now, but I’m capable enough that I’m not intimidated by long, hard climbs, and I do feel a bit of a sense of achievement when I get up something tougher…
I do choose routes now and then that I know will test my fitness with some extra climbing.

Plus descents are sort of a reward for dragging your arse up a hill, assuming you can keep some energy for the way down. This is part of why I feel like E-bikes would ruin a ride for me in some ways, the knowledge that I didn’t “earn my turns”… I still prefer coming down the other side, and I oddly sort of exempt up-lift days from that sort of stoical philosophy, paying to be driven/carried up a hill for a day is somehow OK in my head.

The thing I did slowly learn that also helps me is that I just can’t go racing other people up climbs, you have to do it at a speed/tempo/gearing that suits you personally, try to keep up with someone who’s going faster than you are comfortable with that day and you’ll be bolloxed much sooner than you want. Find your natural climbing rhythm/comfort zone and go from there.

As often as not, someone who is actively trying to tear your legs off on climbs will eventually blow, that may be before the end of a ride, the limiting factor is recovery and that differs for everyone on a daily basis.

I suppose it’s a bit like TTers in some ways, As an aspect of any flavour of cycling pedalling up or along in an efficient manner can be a satisfying experience, tweaking your technique learning to move as fast as possible and conserve energy, but it’s not all that “social” and not everyone’s button is flicked by precisely the same things of course…