[Closed] What's the obsession with the down being the only "fun" bit?

I ride up so I can ride down.

I get uplifts so I can ride down more than I ride up.

Riding up is ok because I can. I do mess about though, well maybe not so much on the ups but certainly on the flats.

Its probably because most people on here are overweight.

I like being on my bike. Think I'm too old and never developed any decent skills to go fast going down, and not into falling off at appreciable speed, so I just enjoy myself at a relaxed pace on the downs. Have to say I don't really understand uplift stuff, seems more to do with motorbikes than cycling.

it's "cool"

I enjoy a good climb! Can't get my head round pushing up just to ride down! 😕

I ride up and push down.

I enjoy climbing in a strange way - it's a challenge. A different type of challenge to that big rocky drop-off on the way back down i grant you, but still a challenge.

Depends on the terrain - not much fun to be had "working" fire roads, and much as I enjoy the challenge of a technical, singletrack climb, and cleaning a difficult, steep one, I still prefer the speed and adrenaline rush of a fast descent, with jumps, drops and whatever else is on offer.

Then again, I'm not a middle aged man on a 29er.

I do like a good technical climb, or maybe even a non technical climb if it's a good gradient and the views are nice.

I ride down so I can ride up (serious). Sometimes.

I prefer up and flat, but then i am a roadie to heart and crap on the downs.

To me its all good. Being on the bike out in the fresh air is whats counts.

I used to enjoy climbs.
I used to be a lot thinner.
There might be a correlation there!

I do still enjoy a climb, especially on the road bike where I'm almost loath to turn around and go down again. I think part of the problem is my mountainbikes are currently a singlespeed (which can do short technical climbs eg at Swinley or Cannock which aren't long enough to call climbs really) or long non technical ones on the fire road, so not that enjoyable. Or the Pitch, which is just a slog up the fire road and bomb the descents kind of bike, it doesn't really like going along and the front wheel needs it's orders signing in triplicate and relayed by a quartet of virgins before it'll do what you ask uphill it's so slack!

I like some climbs and a lot of flats, but a good descent is better than a great climb.

I like the downs because I like speed, getting to the top of a horrible climb is a different sort of satisfaction. I enjoy both.

EDIT - what Northwind said

I like DH, I enjoy the odd DH race, also enduro. But then a good XC race is also ace, as is the feeling of beasting out a pain-train on a fast flat section, taking turns on the front. Sometimes it's good to get your climb horn on up some brutal contours.

It's all bikes, it's all good!

You're posting this on Singletrack, not Dirt or MBUK. I think most folk on here appreciate a bit of everything, not just the descents.

I like uphills and downhills equally, but in different ways. It's all about testing yourself against the terrain isn't it?

Controvertially, I don't like downhills particuarly, I'm too nervous. Flats are awesome, building up to DH speed on fast flowy trails is a great feeling! Uphills, well, I like em! Mostly though because my mates don't and its the only part of a trail where I can go faster then them

Up and down is all part of the ride to be enjoyed really.

I can understand the obsession with downs as it is more of an adrenaline filled thing but I don't feel like I've had a ride if my legs don't ache from the ups!

Just being out on the bike is fun enough for me. I have never really mastered going downhill fast, and I have no wish to repeat the injuries I sustained the last time I threw caution to the wind and tried.

I don't mind climing, and I don't mind natural obstacles, but I wish they'd stop putting pointless obstacles in manmade climbs - save the entertainment for the downs.

I don't mind some ups as long as there's an element of line choice or a decent view with the promise of a good descent. Flat, I mean proper flat, not a very slight downhill I really hate. It probably comes from living in York for a while and the very depressing doorstep riding.

I'm lazy....unfit....and never been suited to long distance/endurance type sports despite being fit in other ways....did kick boxing for years and go gym and push weights.

Used to ride BMX and for me riding is all about the thrill and feeling of rhythm, pumping, jumping, droping, railing, pumping and jumping some more....all curiously of one of the only free things in mountain biking....GRAVITY!

i only ride downhills to get to the bottom of the next climb,

Pretty simple really; Fun (fear as well for that matter) and adrenalin go hand in hand, you don't get adrenalin hits riding up (scary steep hills aside) so 'Fun' is associated with going down.

Technical climbing is more of a challenge than 'fun' and anyone who enjoys fire road climbs might as well speak to me in Chinease as I'll never understand them anyway.

Riding flat Single track is fun too, definitely. But down is more fun if you enjoy that natural high... I've seen some pretty big smiles at the top of a long climb though.

A good ride has both.

Technical climbing is more of a challenge than 'fun' and anyone who enjoys fire road climbs might as well speak to me in Chinease as I'll never understand them anyway.

never heard of endorphins then?

Adrenalin on the DH, endorphins on the uphill. What's not to love?

I like riding my bike. Up, down, flat, it is all part of the experience.

Up, along and down. It's all good.

About "fun". There are two kinds of fun: "fun now", and "fun later". Hard, draggy climbs are "fun later".

The term "endorphin rush" has been adopted in popular speech to refer to feelings of exhilaration brought on by pain, danger, or other forms of stress

I hear you but I would not call this 'fun' in the same way that a gravity fed Adrenalin rush hits you, especially as it takes so little effort. I suppose it's a bit like bondage, some people just get their kicks differently.

EDIT; I'm not suggesting that people who prefer climbing are into bondage. That's for a different thread entirely...

More cautious downhill now than in my 20s/30s mainly because a stack up and injury has greater consequences. Now love the challenge of covering the terrain and enjoying it, singlespeed addiction had brought a whole new set of challenges because it's a bit lumpy round here.

Because unless I sprint the entire hill in the big ring I am not getting much fitter and/or releasing many endorphins. I am just bored (though nice scenery is always nice).

There's no skill in a fireroad climb, there's barely any proper physical struggle either. There's no adrenaline rush. There's no sense of fear or speed.

The only positive is a chance to chat to your mates whilst riding; which is always nice.

there's barely any proper physical struggle either

You're riding up the wrong hills.

I love climbing up hills
I love blasting downhills

so long as im on the bike i love it 😀

I ride (like most others on STW) up as well as down. There is something special about continual momentum and the way the bike handles at higher speed. I really, really like descending and see climbing as an occasional pleasure. But it's pleasure in a slightly masochistic way.

Flat trails are interesting as I like the sprinting involved and technical challenge as you can't just blast through stuff. I like to feel as though I'm flowing through the trail, not puffing and panting at high cadence on top of it.

Each to their own!

Is enjoying DH really so bad?
If I've climbed up (not something I particularly enjoy TBH but accept its part and parcel of riding a bike) why should I have to justify the (pretty obvious I'd have thought) pleasure one find in descending on an MTB?

If you really find riding down duller than up might I suggest you're either doing it wrong or you are just a boring old git.

DH is still a test of skill and stamina...

Everyone I have ever met who prefers going up to down turns out to be way slower than me on the downs. And I am dead slow due to being short fat and crap.

[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/confusion-bike-type-transition-content#post-3194947 ]Quoting myself from earlier this year
[/url]

Preferring xc over going downhill to do fast corners and jumping is like quitting sex so that you can spend more time perfecting your chat up techniques.

Everyone I have ever met who prefers going up to down turns out to be way slower than me on the downs. And I am dead slow due to being short fat and crap.

Does anyone actually prefer going up? 😯

What i'm really trying to get at is, generally, frolicking is only entertained a lot of the time, if the ground points down. A majority of the ride will be spent enjoying being out, but not enjoying the bike interaction to the max, since most of the time riding is the up and flat bits.

What i'm suggesting is, taking the mind frame of only putting the saddle down, standing up, working the bike and the terrain and reserving it for the way down. By thinking of riding like this, you'd be selling yourself short wouldn't you? Since down is the only time you get any real jollies and the up and flat is a majority of it.

I'm suggesting that surely riding is more fun if you mess around on the ups and flats as you would on a down? More smiles per mile? Bad habits? Lack of motivation? No interest? No skills? Lack of creativity?

The up and flat is an excellent time to perfect your skills and put them into use on the downs? Sit down mashing the pedals, being bored, or messing around?

How do you plan to play around on the climbs, exactly? 🙄

My favorite trails are undulating. They make you work the downs for free elevation gain on the ups.
They generate flow, speed and excitement but don't have the dangers of long high speed techy descents.
I'm too old for that shit now and can't afford any more injuries.
If I can't have undulating then I'll have techy climbs over descents too.

Love the descents, with a passion and have been spotted pushing up the local hill even though I can ride it reasonably comfortably because I am only interested in the descents some days.

I enjoy the satisfaction of a technical climb and the effort and skill required to do it.

I understand the physical achievement of slogging your guts out up a fireroad for however long but don't ever expect me to enjoy it.

However on a road bike I see the hills as one of the challenges so do enjoy them, touch perverse there I think!!

One other point is descending isn't always about the speed, there are some awesome lakes spots where the speed is low but the tech is high!

I've got enough fitness now to not find too many climbs a killer. They're okay but there's absolutely zero enjoyment about them. I don't really understand how they can be enjoyable and how some even get a buzz about their time up a climb. But then I don't enjoy road riding or going to the gym either. All seems to be head down, stare at the ground and pedal. The only bonus about climbs on a mountain bike is they result in descents.

Flat is okay, if it's decent singletrack. Endless cross country flat across fields is boring.

Down - not just fun, but a thrill and involves risk (but risk you are in control of, unlike throwing yourself off a bridge on a bungy with the hope the dude tied it on properly or got the right length).

The up and flat is an excellent time to perfect your skills and put them into use on the downs? Sit down mashing the pedals, being bored, or messing around?

Like what? I mean, I practise wheelies sometimes. What else do you suggest?

climbs teach you balance, correct weighting of the bike, traction control, brake control, planning ahead and line choice. all these skills transfer over to DH.

continuity - Member
Because unless I sprint the entire hill in the big ring I am not getting much fitter and/or releasing many endorphins. I am just bored (though nice scenery is always nice).

There's no skill in a fireroad climb, there's barely any proper physical struggle either. There's no adrenaline rush. There's no sense of fear or speed.

The only positive is a chance to chat to your mates whilst riding; which is always nice.

IF you can talk to your mates on the climbs, you're all climbing wrongly 🙂

I talk to one of my mates if we're at his pace... although he can't actually talk back 🙂

The hills are certainly a challenge for me at the mo, as I'm still new. I love the feeling of when I get to the top of a climb I havmt conquered before. Not the feeling of my heart about to rip through my chest, but the one of completing a challenge.

I like the flats after the climbs cos I can then recover before throwing myself down the hill to stupidly climb again!

What's the obsession with the down being the only "fun" bit?

Because a lot of people are not intelligent enough to fully appreciate mountain biking holistically.

Like skiers - sit down to get a ride up, then just slide down again.

I don't think you should be allowed to ride down something you can't be bothered to ride up first.

😉

Cos I'm a big fat biffer, so when we get to the downhill bits gravity becomes my friend, no longer yours, race whippet!!! So you best get out of my way! Muhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! 😆

because i'm fat and gravity dictates i go downhill faster and easier 😀

I tihnk most people aren't fit enough or mentaly strong enough (come at me) to appreciate the climbs. When you are fit and can really attack a climb its an amazing feeling. I've lost a lot of fitness lately so can't really attack them but still enjoy conquering a good climb. Especially if its rooty, wet and technical. My favourite technical climb is just north of portsmouth running along behind peoples gardens. Fantastic little track.

[img] [/img]
If they put chairlifts in at trail centres.....what percentage of rider would ride up?

Fricken love fireroads!!

from a while back but one of my fave posts on here ever

Eccles - Member

Mostly I enjoy eating more than crapping, but sometimes you just have a really good, satisfying extrusion that leaves you feeling on top of the world, invincible, bluebirds singing as you go to wash you hands and so forth. It's an odd feeling that I don't think you could replicate the other way, and not one you'd normally share.

Climbing is like that, though less scatalogical.

I quite like climbing, it can be very rewarding - well you normally get a damn good downhill as a result don't you 🙂 but cleaning a tricky up or a long grinding technical climb, well it's quite a feeling of achievement innit? Done one uplift day and plan to do more coz lets face it downs are easy thrills.

Like what? I mean, I practise wheelies sometimes. What else do you suggest?

climbs teach you balance, correct weighting of the bike, traction control, brake control, planning ahead and line choice. all these skills transfer over to DH.

Cheers GW, just the sort of thing i'm trying to get at. Picking difficult lines, finding bits to pump, tapping your mates brake, trying to wheel spin, not trying to wheel spin, moving around the bike, getting position perfect. These things seem to reserved for the down, things that need time given to, if you ain't practising it in a car park, you need to practise it somewhere, easiest way to do it is to treat the entire ride as a game, not 99% a means to an end.

I guess this view of mine is bought about from being a BMXer, i ride a bike to piss about on it, if i'm not pissing about, i'm wasting my time, it isn't fun. I lead rides occasionally, people ask me how i do x skill or make y turn, the simple answer is practice, practice, practice, that's normally followed by "i don't have time", then i proceed to watch them spend 95% of the ride sitting down bimbling along, looking uninterested in any features to attack unless it's on the down.

downhill, you use gravity to get out of trouble, a techie climb you don't have that option, you have to have skill, line choice, balance, etc. oh and fitness.

Not saying that none of these apply going down, just that climbing is harder to do well.

Then in my case i enjoy riding and not being hospitalised/off the bike/ i have bills to pay etc.

The best riding for me is tight twisitng singletrack through trees, fitness, line choice, and speed all in one.

mrmo TBF for donwhill you need quite large cajones too, any chicken can have a crack at a climb knowing that (aslong as they unclip properly) it'll be consequence free if they fluff it.

I see people who become super fit and obsessed with climbs don't bother much with the downhills. Their body craves the kind of physical stress that comes from climbs. They end up as roadies 😛

But seriously, the bike set ups are quite different if you're seriously into climbs. You won't be doing super fast and powering climbs on a downhill bike or even slack AM bike, nor will you be doing near vertical gnarly downhills on a steep angled XC or Cross bike with your head tucked forward and down if you think that kind of climb technique transfers to DH. At least not without landing on your head.

donk, you aren't riding the right climbs then, i know climbs that will see you fall along way if you get it wrong and as for putting a foot down that isn't really possible either.

I agree with this.

climbs teach you balance, correct weighting of the bike, traction control, brake control, planning ahead and line choice. all these skills transfer over to DH.

Fireroad climbs might not teach you much unless you attack them... in which case they teach you about pain and fitness.

I'm about the complete ride, if possible I like to ride everything smooth and "clean" with no dabs and no forced stops. In the 20+ years I've been riding my local [s]forest[/s] mudpit I've manged all the sections individually, but I've never nailed the lot in one ride. I'll not take easy route's to increase my likelyhood of riding it "clean" because it's not the point... the grin on my face is the point. I take the same mentality to the hills, if I can ride the climb then I well.

The down is not the only fun bit, but generally it is the most fun bit.

mrmo TBF for donwhill you only need gravity, any chicken can have a crack at a descent knowing that (aslong as they unclip properly) they'll fall to the bottom eventually even if they fluff it.

Riding up a climb (whether road, fireroad or trail) that I couldn't get up before gives a great sense of achievement. Riding down a descent (or over an obstacle) that I couldn't do before gives a great sense of achievement.

It's all good. One is more of a physical challenge, the other (often) more mental, but I'm not sure I could choose between them.

Cheers

Andy

If you really, really hate climbing, push uphills and can only see the point of downhills, may I kindly suggest you:

1. Have a word with Ton.

2. Take your stupid pyjamas, silly hat and ridiculous inappropriate americanisms, piss right off and buy a motorbike. Dude.
Honestly, you'll enjoy it more. It's louder, more expensive, more antisocial and you can annoy far more people who enjoy the outdoors, cyclists as well. 😀

If your mum won't let you keep your motorbike at home, ask one of your shcoolfriends if you can keep it at their place.

Does everyone really have such little fun on the flat and ups?

Never think about doing anything other than in the saddle, head down, pedalling? Maybe messing about?

Wouldn't you get fitter/stronger/make more of the ride if you worked the terrain as much on the up and flat as the down?

Pretty much, yes. I can't ride fast enough on flats and ups to find it exciting. I'd need to be able to maintain about 20 to stop me getting bored, I get bored on the downhills sometimes! I even changed back to a hardtail to re-introduce a bit more "fun" on the downs - not claiming to be an epic rider but I just don't get excited about riding unless I'm flying. Ski lifts are the way forward.

I used to enjoy long flat singletrack but those days are gone.

I can enjoy technical climbs, but my bias towards DH means my bike isn't a great climber. A shorter travel, steeper angled lighter bike would make the climbs more enjoyable, but then the descents would be less fun. As said above, fireroads are a useful way up, but not much fun.

Teh downz is betta cos dey is more sicker init blud. Cant pul massiv skidz uphil or get phat air.

coffeeking - Member
Pretty much, yes. I can't ride fast enough on flats and ups to find it exciting. I'd need to be able to maintain about 20 to stop me getting bored, I get bored on the downhills sometimes!

D'you not think you 've picked the wrong sport?
Seriously?
If you just want excitement, try Russian Roulette.

It's not supposed to be an adrenaline soaked, high fiveing self obsessesd toss-a-thon all the time.
The quiet bits are good too.

I like it all - climbs and descents, rain and shine.
It is what it is, perfect as a whole.
Take any bits away and you ruin it.*

*Apart from punctures and mechanicals - obviously, which ming.

Take any bits away and you ruin it.

depends what you are used to? I can't abide standing around munching cake or making the Pub your destination personally, but to many people thats integral to the ride.

I ride up because it is neccesary. I even enjoy clearing a techy one, but would never choose that in favour of a good descent

so much pent up aggression rusty

but possibly bang on the money 😉

mrmo TBF for donwhill you only need gravity, any chicken can have a crack at a descent knowing that (aslong as they unclip properly) they'll fall to the bottom eventually even if they fluff it.

Never used to enjoy climbs til i got fitter, now i quite like the challenge of more technical ones. Plain fire road ones are boring though.

I even enjoy clearing a techy one, but would never choose that in favour of a good descent

Cake and pubs are not an essential part of riding in Britain.
Some perverts do without either, I believe.

However, you can't avoid climbing, unless you choose to only do uplift days.
If you're healthy enough to do it, might as well enjoy it.
S'better than the alternative.

Or you could admit that you are a wuss, let mother nature slap you in the chops, whinge, whine and complain about it 'till you give up and buy a motorbike.
You'd have more fun.

I love going up and down, a bit of jumping and dad size drop offs. Technical climbs that you can't always do are a challenge without having to worry about injuring yourself. The downs are great but don't last long enough so if you only liked them mountain biking would be a bit soul destroying. Funny that now I have seen quite a few jumpy, somersaulting, and huking films and think it is all a bit samey and boring. Where's the soul and the peace that I find in the forest and mountains? Looking at that new Ant Hill film, strength in Numbers and it made me think that surely Mountain biking isn't just about product placement, big stars and getting rad. *** off and try to sell something to some other fool.

D0NK - Member

so much pent up aggression rusty

but possibly bang on the money

Catholic upbringing innit - suffering is good, m'kay? 😀

@honourablegeorge: Why the snipey comment about middle aged people? I am middle aged and I like riding uphill and down dale. I know some other middle aged people that like to do the same. If you are lucky, you might reach "middle age". What will you do then? Potter around the garden? Sit with a pipe and slippers?
If you are lucky you will still be riding up and down hills, probably on a 29er.

It's not supposed to be an adrenaline soaked, high fiveing self obsessesd toss-a-thon all the time.
The quiet bits are good too.

Isn't it supposed to be whatever you want? You don't have to have some pretentious whimsical Mint Sauce spiritual experience while out biking either if you don't want to. 😛

I like techy climbs or flat/undulating stuff if it's interesting or nice scenery. Still not as good as a great descent though. Slogging up a fire road with no views doesn't do it for me usually.

grum - Member
Isn't it supposed to be whatever you want?

Bloody hell, just when you're enjoying yourself, a perfectly reasonable person comes along and ruins it for the rest of us. 🙂
Well done. I hope your proud of yourself. 🙄

It might be the sadomasochistic in me but I love the steep climbs the most, dont get me wrong the downs are great too, but for me it's the burn of the lactic acid in your legs and the sense of achievement when you've made it to the top without getting off and walking. Each to their own though!

I'll happily accept GWs point that many climbs have features that require the use of "DH transferable skills and fitness" I still don't accept there is any greater pleasure to be taken in a climb though, yes you should be paying attention (do people really just switch off their brain on climbs?), applying thought is not the same as enjoyment...

Most riders would normally be trying to pick lines and make moves that get you up efficinetly anyway I'd have thought; save a bit more energy, get your eye in with bike handling, etc, but only so you can apply it all on the descent...

This thread smacks to me of someone caught up with the idea of virtuous suffering, where they get to tell us how utterly awsome they are because their tolerance for combined bordom and physical discomfort is so much higher that everyone elses, Sounds cool but no sale Ta. I'll endure climbing without complaint, but don't expect me to join in evangelizing over the benefits to the soul of trudging to the top when I know there's a much more interesting descent coming after.