Riding a bike is an excellent way to exercise while enjoying the great outdoors. If mountain biking is your thing, chances are you're going to be traveling uphill from time to time. Most bikes come with different gear settings that make riding over certain terrain much easier for the rider, especially when it comes to an uphill push.
The Hill
Before you begin to climb the hill, it's important to determine the type of hill you're climbing so you can prepare yourself accordingly. There are three types of hills: convex, even-glade, and concave. The convex hill is steepest at the bottom and seems to dip down as you approach it. A concave hill is steepest at the top and will appear to rise up higher as you near. The even-glade hill has a uniform incline from bottom to top.
The Gears
Now that you've determined what kind of hill you're approaching, it's time to choose the proper gear. The lower the gear, the less effort is needed to move the bike forward. You'll be moving slower, but when going uphill, this is crucial. If you're approaching a convex hill, you're going to want to approach it with a low gear, and then shift up once you pass the steepest part at the bottom. For a concave gear, start at a medium gear and then downshift once you reach the top. For even-glade hills, use whichever gear is most comfortable for you to maintain, as the hill's incline remains constant.
Cadence
Another factor to keep in mind when choosing the right gear for biking uphill is cadence, or the speed at which your legs rotate the pedals which is measured in revolutions per minute. Low gears will have a high cadence and when used on flat ground can tire your legs out quickly. High gears will have a low cadence but high resistance, also tiring you out. When climbing uphill, it's important to have a high cadence, as the incline of the hill will offset the low speed at which your bike is moving, preventing you from tiring out quickly.
Gears and Chains
Any bike with more than three gears on it uses two shifters to change gears, one on the left handle and one on the right. The gear shift on the left handle will change the gear ring near the pedals and the right shifter changes the ring on the rear wheel. When you change gears, change them uniformly so that the chain doesn't wear out through stretching. Using the lowest gear on the left handle and the highest gear on the right will cause this to happen, and vice versa.
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