Watch: How to ride uphill switchbacks

Develop your mountain bike skills and learn to ride through tight uphill switchbacks with coach Peter Glassford

Canadian Cycling Magazine October 19, 2018

Up your mountain bike game with coach Peter Glassford. Cleaning tight, uphill switchbacks is one of the most technical aspects of climbing on a mountain bike. Making it through those crux corners helps you save energy and enjoy your time on the climb. When you follow these tips from coach Glassford, you’ll learn to pick your line and corner with confidence on your local trails.

Making it around uphill switchbacks smoothly requires a combination of balance, line choice and, finally, body positioning. When you combine all three effectively, you can carry speed out of corners that used to make you put a foot down.

Switchbacks are hard when they’re smooth. Add obstacles like roots or rocks to disrupt your flow and they get even more complicated. Coach Glassford will help teach you the technique to get through the trickiest of tight climbing corners.

For more tips on technique from Peter Glassford, head to the Canadian Cycling Magazine YouTube channel.