Muni uphill pecking vs. rolling

I have a question regarding going up STEEP sections where there are a LOT of protrusions such as big rocks and roots close to each other. Are there sections it would be impossible to roll over and you simply have to ‘peck’ over the network of roots. I’m not talking about manageable inclines with a few bumps here and there…

If you follow this link - the PICTURE on the bottom left is what I’m talking about only with the roots in closer proximity and going up not down!

http://www.bikepirate.com/x-country-trails/eskdale-bike-park/

I will try and get some specific photos later this week.

It’s hard to tell for sure without being there, but that section looks “peckable”, but sometimes the ground surface can be too slippery to maintain traction, wet and crumbly, or too loose and will basically collapse under the rider’s weight while pecking.

This is the picture you were referring to. It look like a fun section to ride down as well, and catch some good air too! The area just to the biker’s left looks like it would be a good launch point for a rolling drop.

A purist would probably try to peck up that, I would just get off and run the uni up the hill.

Its not the best picture, as the sections I’m talking about have way more roots, so I don’t think there is danger of the surface giving way - the incline is about right though.

I know what you mean with the crumbly sections though! Its a good thing to make a mental note of!

I would be surprised if any normal human could roll up that section. Even pecking up would be very difficult due to the surface slipping.

Just try it both ways.

But add more roots and it gets grippier, so it really depends on the details.

A sane voice.

For skills development, I’d give it a go but in the context of a general ride, for me, the energy expenditure may negatively affect the rest of my ride. I was riding yesterday at post canyon here in Oregon and there were a few sections of steep, rooty hills that I wanted to work on, after making it up most of them, I was SPENT, it made the fun DH and singletrack toward the end of the ride sketchy :slight_smile:

Philosophically I feel defeated if I have to get off and walk every 10 meters or so. Surely I must be able to get to a point where I can ride anything a bike can (at a different speed off course). I feel SO frustrated at the moment as this is exactly what is happening - my rides are punctuated by “un-ride-able” sections that make me feel like a failure! I have to improve either my technique or fitness or both.

What I want to know is if it would be best to hop up or try to chicken walk up a steep rooty section - perhaps a combination depending on the amount of protrusions?

I agree with Tirving - energy wise working hard on these small sections makes me loose form for the rest of the ride because of the energy expenditure it requires. Some days I go out to the local track specifically to work on problem spots only, rather than for a fun long ride.

I also think it might help to do base building this winter to improve my aerobic capacity.

fify. :slight_smile:

I first started riding muni on a 20" I didn’t have many skills more than riding and small hops. I Actually prided myself on being able to peck up very steep technical sections and I still enjoy doing so. There are a few muni spots local that are more hiking trails than mtb trails. They’re comprised of a lot of short steep ups and downs and wind around about 4ish mile loop. I still enjoy taking my 20" to these trails and doing a kind of combo muni/big street ride. part of what I enjoy most on these rides is pecking up the steep sections. To me it’s not only rewarding but fun, the more technical it is the better.

I don’t do quite as much of this when on my 24" just because the extra speed makes tooling along on flat and semi steep grades a lot more fun. However if a steep bit comes along on my 24 I usually stop and do some big street type tricks on it. Pecking up the hill, riding backwards at the top and then airing off the top down the hill and trying to hit a smooth spot and ride out.

Sorry Terry - I have no idea what fify means? Hopefully it is the magic word I have to day to unleash my latent rough terrain ascending skills!

Haha, it’s a fairly common acronym for “Fixed It For Ya”. I was basically confirming what you had said about strengthening your cardiovascular system by increasing your physical output. I always try to find more difficult lines/sections of trails, not only for the challenge but also because it will make you a stronger and better rider over time.

For sure - noone’s gunna improve by doing what they’ve always done! I’m never going to be able to ride up rough terrain by walking it!

I typically try to roll up as much as I can until I can go no farther, and then transition to either a side-hop, or if it’s not too steep I’ll try forward-hopping over the smaller roots and roll up some more once past them or side-hop if the roots/rocks are too abundant. It’s helpful to be able to hop on either foot in order to make the transition work the best. It looks like the middle section of that hill is the steepest and I’d need to side-hop that but the start and the end sections of that hill look kind of rollable. You could even try roll hopping the first part if there are some roots in the way.

In other posts you mentioned you had a 26" with 125/150 dual cranks. Are you using that to attack that kind of hill? I have a 24x3 with 170 cranks and I am not sure I could climb that hill as it stands, much less with 150 cranks and a larger wheel. I know everyone criticizes the 24" wheel because of the lack of tire choices but I really love it. It’s built for that kind of stuff.

Rolling vs Pecking

Always try t roll if you can. It is much less wastfull energy wise. That hill does not look rollable but should be very peckable. If it is slippery and slidy then do smaller pecks and your wheel will bite better.

Unicorn

+1 on the normal. A couple of years ago I saw a guy roll up a 12 set of stairs on a 24 Muni. I sat their slack jawed and had to re-watch it 10 times, partly to make sure they were regular size stairs.

I think good riders could rid up that hill at an angle. Route selection to avoid the routes would be tricky, plus a bit of zig zagging.

Roll up that hill.

Maybe if the guy was on a larger wheel and had a SH@TLOAD of momentum he could get up a large section of that hill but I think that the wheel would spin out on him before the top.

But rollong up partway and then pecking the rest is the way to go!

Unicorn