Hill Climbing

Climbing hills that have roots, rocks and step ups requires an element of luck; however the old adage 'the harder I practice the luckier I get' could have been written for this very activity. Climbing these types of hills requires strength, balance and the appropriate technique.

Our method of tackling these hills is summarised here: 1) look up the hill to where you want to go; 2) remain relaxed at the bottom of the climb and ensure that you are in the correct gear (do not try to change gear on the hill) as you transition into the base of the hill; 3) do not rely on momentum to get you up the hill; 4) use your upper body too provide both balance and control of the bike to ensure you are not pushed off line; and finally 5) if you don't make it have another go and do not worry about pushing the bike up the hill it will still be there next week.

Get into the appropriate gear (one that both gives you momentum and also allows your legs to spin), and ride into the transition of the hill. Look up the hill and spot a smooth line, never look down. Remain seated (FS or hardtail) and pedal smoothly into the hill, position your body so that some weight is over the back wheel but your head and shoulders are forward. If the hill is steep the steering can become very light, if this happens twist your wrists down on the handlebars (imagine revving a motorbike) this will force your arms and torso down towards the crossbar and your head over the stem. Sliding forward to the tip of the saddle will also help if the hill is very steep. Keep pedalling smoothly while using your upper body to balance and keep the front wheel on the ground. Keep this up for as long as you can, there is no substitute for strong legs. Smooth pedalling will take you over most obstacles; however if there is a root or rocky area throw your hips forward aggresively as you reach it, this provides a burst of momentum that will help in most situations.

Have fun and remember hills of this type are hard and were difficult for everyone when they first started to ride them. Here we are riding a pig of a hill at Leith Hill Surrey 4th November 06. This hill is not very long or very steep, but as you can see by the faces, it is hard!

Riding Drop-offs

One of the most useful techniques to master for general trail riding is the ability to ride drop-offs. What is a drop-off? a sharp descent over the edge of a lip. Drop-offs can vary in angle (steepness), roughness, length and both ease of approach and ease of riding out at the bottom. In many cases the longer the drop the more gradual the ride out, this greatly simplifies things.

Riding a drop-off can be split into 6 golden rules: 1) unless you are very familiar with it always look over before riding down; 2) ensure there is a smooth run out at the bottom; 3) pick both an entry line and the line you will take down the drop-off; 4) always ride slowly over the edge in a smooth and controlled way and do not pedal on the way down; 5) stand up with the pedals in the horizontal position and lean your weight over the back of the bike (get your body over the back wheel) and finally 6) do not touch the front brake (do not even cover the front brake with your fingers!).

Using these tips it is possible to ride down very steep drop-offs. In our experience small drop-offs usually cause the most problems as they are steep and tend not to have a smooth transition into the run out. If this is the case then it is even more important to get your body weight over the rear wheel and stay relaxed, look to where you want to end up after the drop-off not into the bottom of it.

Trouble usually occurs when the front wheel either gets stuck in a rut or is grabbed sideways by a root or rock. As always when learning a new technique practice makes perfect. With Drop-offs take it easy and let the confidence build up, don’t be cajoled or bullied into something that you don’t really want to do.

Here we are riding some drop-offs during a ride at Leith Hill on 28^th October. The pictures do not show the real steepness of these drops, the drop in the first photo is almost vertical!

Ditchling Beacon to Lewes loop. Mud Riding Technique

The South Downs exhibit a remarkable 'Jekyll & Hyde' transformation with the change in the seasons. What were beautiful sections of sinuous flowing singletrack turn into deep baths of viscous sticky mud that can easily trap the unwary. Instead of avoiding these sections get stuck in and challenge yourself to ride them without dabbing a foot. In our experience this is great fun and causes as much if not more enjoyment than blasting the trails when they are dry and dusty. The ride below contains some cracking mud bath singletrack that is also badly rutted (significantly increasing the difficulty) due to overuse of horses.

The key to successful mud riding is to have the appropriate technique at your disposal and as always when learning a new technique practice makes perfect. Get into the 'attack' position (pedals horizontally level and supporting your weight with relaxed arms, shoulders and legs), lean slightly forward to put some of your weight onto the fork. Gear selection is critical, spinning the pedals is no good (you will spin out), leg torque is needed. Select a gear that is one or two gears harder than you think is necessary and use leg power to get rolling, once you are moving keep the pedals turning and do not change gear. Stay relaxed and do not try to freewheel a section, it is essential to keep pedalling and maintain momentum. Your weight slightly over the fork will provide adequate steering control but the front wheel will slip sideways very easily so avoid any sudden changes in direction. Look 10-15 metres down the trail and make your steering choice early and smoothly. If the bike begins to stall unweight the front slightly and give a hard couple of pedal kicks, or bounce your weight onto the pedals and give a hard couple of kicks, both of these techniques are usually successful in preventing stalling. Using this approach it is possible to ride lengthy sections (a couple of hundered metres) of thick sticky mud that is 2-3 inches deep.

Mud riding is tiring and does require strength, not only of the legs but also the arms and upper body in order to both maintain balance and react to the inevitable sliding. Any uphill sections no matter how gentle the gradient will immediately be noticable, conversly any section where gravity is on your side will make life much easier. Always use specific 'mud tyres', they retain a clean tread pattern and will find grip in the most unlikely places. Mud riding is great fun with the added benefit that if you fall there will be a soft landing!

OS Explorer Map 122. Pick up the South Downs Way directly north of Brighton at any point between Jack & Jill Windmills and Ditchling Beacon. Take the SDW east towards Lewes but leave it just north of Ashcombe Bottom and continue directly east past the Trig Point at Black Cap. Follow the bridleway that leads to the Training Gallop and riding school (this trail ultimately passes Lewes Prison), ten metres after going through the first gate after Black Cap there is a narrow bridleway signposted on the right, follow this for 200 metres of excellent mud riding singletrack. Go through the first gate on the right and across the field in a SW direction. Stay on this trail going through the gates until the trail begins to drop parallel to a patch of trees, after 100 metres take the sharpe right turn and descend down the narrow singletrack to the gate at the bottom. This descent is steep, usually muddy, rock strewn and very slippery, take care. Go through the gate and climb up the trail across the field towards the trees. The trail continues to climb through the trees where it is muddy, slippery with rooty sections that are trecherous. The trail emerges from the trees and continues to climb around the edge of two fields to rejoin the SDW just north of Balmer Down. Turn right to climb (almost at the top!) on the SDW. At the 'T' junction go through the gate and turn right to follow the SDW back to the high ridge between Plumpton Plain and Black Cap. There is another fantastic mud challange where the trail passes through a tree lined section. There is lots of mud, many hub-deep water filled holes and steep ridges, go for it! Follow the SDW way back towards Ditchling Beacon. In the current conditions this is a 2 hour ride from Ditchling Beacon compared to 75 minutes in the summer.