What makes a frame / bike a good climber?

[02gf74]

I can accept what you are saying if you are cycling without holding the bars - otherwise there will be weight transferred through the forks with each pedal stroke, especially when out of the saddle.

 

[Woz]

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?

I'm no techy rough stuff rider, and my routes involve more off the saddle. Yes, without lock-out you notice bob off the saddle and it's a royal pain. So, I went out and spent cash on forks with a lock-out (Rockshox SID).....all great except the lock-out only works on full extension which is a retarded as you actually want the front lower - at least 20 to 30%.

So the conclusion for me was to go rigid or learn to sit down and climb without the bob. I'm currently on full rigid.....

 

[petitpal]

Depends how you ride out of the saddle as well - if you're in a big gear and bouncing up and down on the cranks then yes, the front end will be like a pogo stick. Think it's all just about working with what you're riding and applying as much brain as leg.

 

[MikeD]

Bouncing up and down on the bars like a gibbon is poor form regardless of your choice of fork

Anthony: Not about lockout exactly, but I did a thing years ago with as-identical-as-possible hardtail and FS bikes, matched for weight and everything so the only difference was that one had suspension. Lots of riders, lots of runs, HRMs to try and keep rider effort something like constant. On a road climb the FS was consistently slightly slower. On a very slightly rough (basically gravel track with the odd washed-out bit and some ruts) trail there was nothing in it. We wanted to do a more technical climb too but it proved hard to get enough consistency to get reliable results. Based on that, once it's even slightly bumpy having suspension at the very least does no harm, all else being equal. Obviously in real life all else isn't equal, especially since HTs tend to be lighter than FS for a given amount of money. But it's an exactly equivalent situation to an FS bike with the back end locked out.

 

[hamster]

The advantage of low weight is overstated - it's the combination of bike plus rider you are hauling up the hill. It's not nothing, but saving 1kg will make less than 2% difference in all up weight.

 

[MikeD]

2% is 2% Mind you, the difference between me on my lightest MTB and me on my heaviest MTB is about 3.5kg or roughly 5%, which is definitely in the realms of significant. It's about 10kJ less work to get me and the light one up 1000ft than for me and the heavy one. That's about ten Mars Bars

 

[highlandsflyer]

I generally use a reasonably light FS with lock out on the rear. Climbing (if I can remember last time I did much), I leave the rear locked, front open.

This is on fairly rough trails, the front end soaks up the obstacles I would otherwise need to hop, given it is unweighted already.

When standing, which is totally necessary on some sections, I use bar ends.

So sue me.

 

[hamster]

2% is 2% Mind you, the difference between me on my lightest MTB and me on my heaviest MTB is about 3.5kg or roughly 5%, which is definitely in the realms of significant. It's about 10kJ less work to get me and the light one up 1000ft than for me and the heavy one. That's about ten Mars Bars

One dietary calorie is 4.2kJ...so that's exactly 2.5 calories...or a couple of sticks of celery! :shock:

Losing 1kg off the rider is almost always both cheaper and more effective.

 

[highlandsflyer]

2% is 2% Mind you, the difference between me on my lightest MTB and me on my heaviest MTB is about 3.5kg or roughly 5%, which is definitely in the realms of significant. It's about 10kJ less work to get me and the light one up 1000ft than for me and the heavy one. That's about ten Mars Bars

I think an ordinary Mars Bar has around a 1000kJ.

 

[Matthews]

I've always found an engine helps. :shock: