how can i get over my fear of steep hills that deal with heights. I want to climb them but scared to death that ill flip it backwards.

 

it usually wont flip going up steep hills as long as u dont slow down and then pop the clutch [did that like 5 yrs ago on my fist quad with clutch] just be stedy on the gas and if u really need to lean ahead but u usually dont even going up some of the steepest and after ur first couple hill climbs ull want to do a bunch more

 

Start with smaller hills and work your way up....

Hills can be tricky.... I've been riding for 20+ years and there are still hills that I don't like to climb that others will. If I don't like the approach or the incline or the top-off, I won't do it because hills are the easiest way to get hurt and do major damage to your machine. Even if you get out of the way, a large hill roll, will smash the heck out of your quad and cost you money.

I always tell people not to go beyond their comfort zone unless they are training to be a professional racer or something. It is fun to test yourself, but be reasonable. Scout the hill and the situation. Make sure you are going to have traction all the way up and over, and make sure you know about any kickers or off-cambers on the hill that you might need to compensate for. Stumps, rocks, loose soil.... any of those things can mean disaster if they catch you by surprise.

The main thing about hills, is that they require total commitment..... you CAN NOT go half way. You have to psyche yourself into high confidence, you have to believe you are going to make it and you have to visualize yourself reaching beyond the top. Any hesitation can get you hurt. Just make sure you hold your technique, and stay on the gas no matter what. And make sure you are with friends who are willing to give you some tips about the particular hill. Watch them climb it, and just copy what they do, assuming they are on similar machines of course. A 4x4 and a high performance sport machine will require different techniques most of the time.

 

Steep hill climbs give me the heebie-jeebies too...so don't feel bad....

I'm 45 and just started riding in January '07 with no other off-road
experience at all.....and my Brute Force only has 54 hours on it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Hills themselves don't scare me, it's the off-cambers and such that
I'm still having a problem with.

I'm actually getting better at hill climbs...heh....

As the others have said, screw up your confidence, but not to the point
of throwing logic out the window.....weight forward; stand up if you have to.
If it's not too steep, and I'm sitting, I'll shift all the way up to the airbox
on the Kawi.

Stay on the throttle, but don't mash it....nice and steady...I find if I need
more traction/torque, LIGHT blips on the throttle help (after mashing the
throttle once and seeing my front rack come up over me...GAGH!)

I actually backed out of a hill climb this past Thursday.....the experienced
riders in my group were exploring a hill climb they haven't done in quite
some time, and I got about 3/4 of the way up and saw them take a few
off-camber turns.....I was waiting my turn, and said....NOPE.

One of the guys took my quad back down the hill and then up a more
level route....I walked to the top as it was only about 50 yds left.

So, my pride was hurt, but I knew I made the right choice.

Friday, on the other hand, I rolled it.....ARG!!!!!!!!

Saturday, I stayed flat and level.....LOL!

I always make it a point to tell the people I'm riding with my level
of comfort, and 99.9% of the time, everyone is OK with it.

It's easier said than done, but as someone replied, start small and
move your way up.

Sometimes that's not always the case. When that happens, I always
make sure I'm the last to go up so I can watch what line and technique
the others are using.

If I feel confident, then I'll go. If not, then I'll either look for another
line, or ask for a winch up, or ask someone to take my quad up for
me and I'll hike it up.

Confidence building is the key here I'm finding out......I've noticed
my trail speed has increased, and most of the hills are negotiable.

I'm not a speed demon, but I'm not taking trails at 7 MPH anymore [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I hope at least a _little_ of my babbling helped.....

Tom D

 

Like those that posted before me, it is all about confidence! And also like they said, once you do it once you will want to do it over and over. It is always easier for me to down shift, rather than to try catching a higher gear. So I start up a hill with some speed, and if i slow down too much I just shift down, and be steady on the throttle!

Another thing I have learned is when you do get in trouble don't panic, when I have trouble on hills everything seems to be in slo mo. I have learned that if the bike wants to tip backwards to either push yourself away from the quad, or push it away from your path. Having a quad come down on you, or roll over you isn't fun. I speak from experience. I also always try to grab onto the bike somehow, after it has cleared my path. Just to prevent it from rolling down uncontrolled, because I have done some serious damage to it by letting it flip, roll, and smash into whatever is in its way.

Don't mean to scare you, just to let you know what to expect if something goes wrong. Start small and work your way up. And while you are learning don't attempt a hillclimb without someone else there. Another rider will help you build confidence, and will help you if something unexpected happens. Good luck!