Well here in Vegas there is a lot climbing , and I am from Mich. and there is'nt much climbing out there .
Anyway can any of you give me some pointers ?
I sit back and watch my bro-inlaw and friends climb up all day long while I go around , for some reason I can not get past the fear part
Any suggestions ?

 

I was a little scared of the hills too. Our hills where we ride are very steep, curvy, and have tree roots and rocks sticking out of them! I just finally followed my buddy really close, kept up my momentum, and just did it. Now, I try not to even think about it, just go for it. Most times after I do it it is like, "that was nothing!" Thats the best advice I can give.

 

I understand your problem brother. I live in Michigan. But we do all of our riding down in the mountains of Tennessee. There are some steep rocky trails to ride there. I didn't ride them right away, but stayed on the other stuff until I got comfortable on my machine. Then, I got a bit more bold, and so on. There is still stuff down there I haven't done, but I will. It's hard to get the fear out of your mind. Unless your just the wild type of person, of course. I'm not that type.

We call it the pucker factor. The rougher the trail, the more the pucker. Once you do a couple of them, and realize you are probably a better rider than you give yourself credit for, you won't be able to stay off those hills. It is addicting. Don't spend too much time at the bottom looking up. It almost always seems to me that it looks worse than it is. Not ALWAYS, but most times. Make sure you get up enough speed too. Especially on a sport bike. You don't want to go too fast, but you can normally slow down, when you can't necessarily speed up. Having your safety gear on will also give you a bit more confidence. It's also the smart thing to do, especially when starting out.

So I would say. Know your abilitlies. Know your machine. Know your limitations. Just do it.

Good Luck!!!

Scott

 

Cool thanks , now once I go up them the fear is gone and I am proud of the little ones I have done , in my pics of logandale I am on the yellow EX , I never got the nerve to go down .
any advice on go down ? When the rear tires start to slide and I start going side ways I always have to climb back up the hill on foot to retrieve my stomach and cookies

 

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make going down hill, especially over rocks and tree roots etc... is that they stop. You need to keep momentum going down, even if it's only a little. If you're going down a steep hill and come to a rock, DONT STOP!! That's how the rearend will want to come up, and guess where you're going??? Dont' go too fast, it only takes a little. I try to look ahead a bit, rather than right in front of my machine. It's good to know what's coming up.

Practice, practice, practice

 

Cool , Cool thanks alot I will practice

 

momentum is the key, not power (although I dont ride sand, this may be different in sand)

If you have to shift down, near the top,,,,be careful, you may go back to the bottom.

Keep enough of you weight on the back tires for them to get traction (some people lean too far forward and spin too much)

 

Ah, There's nothing quite like the feeling of having a 600 pound quad flip over on top of you.

I've had this happen twice in six years of riding - would have been three if my brother had not been at the top and grabbed my front axle to keep it from going over. Saying "been there- done that" increases the pucker factor.

All the above advice is right on. If you are uncomfortable with a hill, find another way until you are. A part of making it up a steep hill is how well you ride, a part is what bike you have. My old bike, a King Quad, was not the best hill climber. Lack of engine meant that staying in one gear was not always possible. Lack of suspension travel meant that a root or rock on an uphill climb would pop up the entire front end of the bike.

The best thing you can do is to just build up slowly. Once you make it up a hill, go back and do it several times to get some practice. Knowing that you can make it does make it easier than a new hill. If you have four wheel drive, use it. Pick a gear that will let you maintain a steady speed - fast enough to keep up momentium but not too fast to bounce too hard on rocks. Watch the other riders in your group - if lesser bikes make it to the top you probably can too. If experienced riders on powerful quads have problems, consider placing a few friends at the trouble points of the hill to help out if needed.

Practice, practice, practice.

Jaybee

 

Jaybee-- You said it as perfect as it could have been said. After re-reading my post, I guess I was pretty vague. I made it sound like I wanted him to just do it even if not comfortable. That was ABSOLUTELY not how I intended it to sound! Sorry! Just another example of how useful these forums are. Thats also a good point on the suspension-I may try to soften up my front shocks to absorb some of those roots and rocks a little. Never thought of that. Thanks!

 

Also,,,,

The key to a good hillclimb career is,,,,, the ability to deal with a situation.

Only making it to the steepest part........and then stopping.

There is a proper way to recover and stop!!!!

the key is to not let the quad
a. flip
b. get away from you
c. freewheel
d. crush you


I know people that have lost,,,,and I mean 'lost' their bikes and almost their lives,,,,,,tumbling down the side of a mountain,,,hitting trees and rocks.

You have to be able to 'lock it down' at times. Even if it shuts off. Then you can regroup, and if necessary, get some help.

It is an art to be able to back down steep hills when needed.

have fun, be careful