What makes a frame / bike a good climber?

[24pouces]

More important than the bike/frame : the biker himself !

In all my bikes, I got :
short chainstays and long chainstays,
small 24" rear wheel and 26" rear wheel
very stiff frames and elastic titanium…

all the bike are nice for climbing,but they give different feelings, and it depends on the ground you are riding on : smooth, hard, technical.
And a good solution for a biker could be worse for another, because… we are differents.

My favorite bikes for climbing :
Ferraroli California (loooong chainstays) Kona HeiHei (sweet titanium) Klein Attitude (so stiff aluminium)…
Old Cannondale with the rear 24" wheel : this bike climbs where 26" (and modern 29") are stopped !

 

[Bullpup]

Thanks for the comments.

It is interesting to note the consensus seems to relate to the rider not the bike yet in so many discussions on this site, the comment "climbs well" appears fairly often - hence the question.

 

[Baldyz1]

Climbing

Something I love more than anything, climbing that is. If a ride does not include a decent climb then it is time wasted.

Critical to climbing is weight of the bike of course. Try and get below 26 pounds or you are slogging for sure. Short travel with shorter wheel base will get you over both wheels more evenly. This will mean a sharper head angle rather than what you find on the best downhillers which are fairly slack.

You need good tyres; Panaracer fire XC or Bontrager Mud X are near tops for me although recently some Nobby Nics on my 29er are pretty good. Tubeless let you run lower pressures which gives more grip over roots.

The rest is down to your weight and your legs and your ability to shift weight on the bike. A bike that is too big for you will not let you climb with agility.

In the full suspension world you need a bike with VPP or perhaps something like the Specialized Brain system to stop bobbing of the rear and absorb the ripples that break traction.

Best climbing bike for me of all time has been the Yeti ASR SL. Now I have a Specialized Comp Carbon Epic 29er and this is close but the bike is bigger so needs more input.

The only other tip on climbing in current conditions is to keep pressure even on the pedals, accelerate before roots and obstacles and glide rather than ride over them and be prepared to get a foot out if all goes wrong on the steepist stuff. Nothing more embarrassing than bailing off backwards.

 

[Woz]

Most already mentioned:
- slightly more weight over the front. Naturally, you will shift your weight over the pedal axle to overcome resistance when on steep climbs by going out of the saddle. So, longer stem, bar-ends etc. if you are the "mashing bigger gear" type rider.
- with less weight on the back, you need to maintain good traction on
the drive wheel, so don't skimp on tires. I've found shorter stays
help in this scenario just slightly.

If you are a "sit-down" and "twiddle in low gears" type of person, then actually longer stays, steeper angles, and lower bars will help keep the bike from lifting up at the front.

In general, just get a reasonable weight balance fore and aft.

 

[MikeD]

Re: Climbing

In the full suspension world you need a bike with VPP or perhaps something like the Specialized Brain system to stop bobbing of the rear and absorb the ripples that break traction.

Best climbing bike for me of all time has been the Yeti ASR SL.

...which is neither VPP nor has anything like the Specialized Brain system

"Best for climbing" is rather broad to be specific, really. The bike most likely to help you up a steep, nadgery, bumpy climb isn't the same as the one that'll be fastest up a long, smooth drag.

 

[jonnymcenroe]

Maybe it's technique after all.
i feel comfortable climbing most ascents.
Check my signature for my Rocky, it weighs a tonne and then some and i'm only 9st but it climbs really well.

 

[Anthony]

Re: Climbing

"Best for climbing" is rather broad to be specific, really. The bike most likely to help you up a steep, nadgery, bumpy climb isn't the same as the one that'll be fastest up a long, smooth drag.

+1 Full-suspension with lowish tyre pressures for the former, hardtail with highish pressures for the latter. But legs basically.

I'd be interested to know whether anybody has evidence that lockout actually helps you climb faster. I never bother and I've never missed it, but I'm light and have reasonable power:weight ratio, so I never get out of the saddle, I just turn the pedals and I don't feel any bob. If I was heavier and had to use my weight out of the saddle, I expect I would experience bob and then I would need lockout?

 

[Logic.Al]

Best bike I've ever had for climbing was a Pace RC200 F4. I hated climbing (still do) but with that I pointed it a hill and it went up like a rocket. No idea why cos other Aluminium frames I've owned haven't done it.

 

[02gf74]

lock out or rigid forks help as you are not losing energy in compressing the fornt suspension - usually you are travelling so slow that the suspension is not going to be abrobing bumps per say - whcih becloe steps that you need to lift or unweight the front to get over.

 

[FluffyChicken]

lock out or rigid forks help as you are not losing energy in compressing the fornt suspension - usually you are travelling so slow that the suspension is not going to be abrobing bumps per say - whcih becloe steps that you need to lift or unweight the front to get over.

Odd as it's never bothered me and having even rudimentary MAG21's hit roots and things helps save a sudden jolt every now and again.
and MAG21's are 'lockout' based but I run mine almost active.

I'm not sure what energy it's absorbing here.. as it's the pedals turning the cranks, turning cogs that turns chain that turns cogs (held apart by a stay) that hit pawls that make uses a hubs spoked to a rim with a tyre on it causing friction with the ground.

At no point is the front fork involved in that.
It can be off putting sometimes, but then should shouldn't be jumping up and down on your forks anyway