Mountain Biking - Do you carry your bike or push?

Hey I was wondering when do XC riders carry their bike or push their bike? And what is the correct way of carrying your bike (with a hydration pack behind ya) Thanks

Hey I was wondering when do XC riders carry their bike or push their bike?

kind of an odd question... but the only time i'll ever push/carry my bike is when the hill im climbing is way too steep for me to climb, or if im on a severe side slope where i could possibly fall to my death, or the possibility of paralysis :)



And what is the correct way of carrying your bike (with a hydration pack behind ya) Thanks

bottom of the top tube resting on the muscle above my collar bone

i only carry my bike when i go up the stairs.
i just lift it up with one arm and walk

Im a big fan of riding mine.

yeah, hmm but last time i tried carrying my bike through bottom of the top tube resting on the muscle above my collar bone it felt really uncomfortable, or maybe i just carry it wrong. Care to post some pics for me ^^

Im a big fan of riding mine.

I'm a big fan or rides that require some hike-a-bike. You're guaranteed to be in some techy terrain.

If I don't have a pack full of electronics, I'll shoulder it. If I'm loaded down, a push is in on tap.

http://www.paradigmhosting.net/images/rondane.jpg

A silly thread deserves a silly answer.

IMHO steep hills with beach sand always require the push up. I just started mountain biking sense yesterday

Around here there is a lot of pushing getting done, especially by me in the second half of a race. A lot of the climbs I do on the first or second lap of some of the courses I struggle to push towards the end of the race. This past weekend I did a lot of pushing, mostly because I died about 1 1/2 hours into the race. The race before that I did a crap load of pushing because the course was a muddy mess that I could barely walk.

I very rarely ever carry my bike. If I'm to tired to ride up a hill I'm probably to tired to carry a bike up it.

hmm, well the reason why i ask this silly question is because I went into this competition and some of the riders carry their bike so I was wondering, wouldnt you be wasting more energy carrying your bike rather then pushing it? Of coarse I see the advantage when climbing up the stairs but somehow I prefer pushing the bike although its harder, I just lift up the front wheel and let the rear wheel do all the bumping. I think this is bad for the bike

I am pretty sure the bike will be fine if it is on the back wheel, considering they are ment to be able to handle stuff worse than bumps...

I rarely carry mine, unless a river is in the way.. like my group did in Moab. I almost made it across the gap, and fell in. It was just a tick to deep...

For me it depends on how much mud there is. If the mud is too deep to push then i will carry and just run it. If it is on a steep hill then i will push.

My hardtail is a heavy mofo and I avoid carrying it unless I'm doing some kind of water crossing hopping from rock to rock. Going up hill, I push it up.

John Galt - you take gorgeous pics. I envy photographers for having the eye, skill and patience to take such nice pics.

I don't XC, but I just walk mine up the mountain.

lol, anyway any tips on cycling across the river? I see some riders do it but It seems they are wasting more energy rather then pushing their bike, but its faster though.

When it's too steep to ride? Or I'm just plain too hammered? Both. Whichever gets the job done.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/scrublover/Summit%20Rides/assumetheposition.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/scrublover/misc/pushing5_sm.jpg

rivers are fun to ride through....refreshing too

is that the correct way of carrying your bike? Looks erm comfortable? Yeah its fun crossing river any tips on crossing it? Low gearing maybe?

John Galt - you take gorgeous pics. I envy photographers for having the eye, skill and patience to take such nice pics.

Thanks, but that picture was taken of me by a friend. I just worked it a bit in Photoshop.

is that the correct way of carrying your bike? Looks erm comfortable? Yeah its fun crossing river any tips on crossing it? Low gearing maybe?


correct? there isn't really a correct. this was a little over 800 feet of gain in a half mile. the top tube there was resting on the top of my pack. more comfy for a prolonged carry, for me. with my big bike, the frame is such that i can't easily that way, but it works great for my hardtail. it depends on your frame design. if it's a short carry, i hook the nose of my saddle over my shoulder.

carry vs. push just depends on the terrain.

water crossings? sometimes lower gearing and slower speed, to finesse my way through if it is a long one. sometimes higher and faster, to punch across with momentum. sometimes neither works, and you get wet. other times, it's just easier to hoof it across and get wet from the start. again, there is no universal answer. depends on the terrain involved.

thanks

rivers are fun to ride through....refreshing too

I do, too. At least if they're shallow and easy to cross.

I will also walk across skinnies particularly over rocky/watery areas as I lack the experience and guts to do them well. Here's an example of one I SHOULD have walked across. Apparently there's an "after" picture. Following this picture there was a lot of blood and water. I've asked my buddy to send it to me so that I can post it up.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/buzzrider/St-Adele/PICT1709.jpg

A silly thread deserves a silly answer.

Obviously you haven't ridden in conditions when bike portage is necessary.

Sometimes I find it easier to carry my bike with the underneath of the saddle's nose over my right shoulder, with my hand steadying the handlebar. Works great when the triangle area is cluttered with tall bottles.

yeah I do that way eastbiker but It seems I suffer from front wheel kept hitting the stairs, lol

If you carry a bike across your back during an XC race, you'll end up smacking somebody if the face with it... When racing, if you're not ON your bike, you stay out of the way of riders - whether you're pushing or carrying.

I almost never (<0.1% of the time) carry my bike, too much fuss. If I can't push it up because it's too steep the last thing I'll do is pick my heavy mofo bike up, raise my centre of gravity and tumble down the hill. :D

Obviously you haven't ridden in conditions when bike portage is necessary.

Ofcourse i have. You thought i was serious? Everyone carries/pushes thier bikes at some point.

The question seemed goofy to me "how do you carry your bike?" so i responded with a goofy answer.

Geez.

If you don't have to worry about bottles, and there's enough room in the front triangle, you can put the top tube on your right shoulder, then extend your rigt arm forward and grab the handlebar. Having your arm extended rounds your trapezius and deltoid muscles, so the frame doesn't sit directly on your collarbone.

As for pushing or carrying, I do whatever is most convenient. Push on smoother trails, carry on rough ones.

A silly thread deserves a silly answer.


You thought i was serious? Everyone carries/pushes thier bikes at some point.

The question seemed goofy to me "how do you carry your bike?" so i responded with a goofy answer.

Geez.

You sounded more like haughty rather than goofy. There are times when one has no recourse but to carry one's bike, especially over rough terrain. Asking the best way to do this is hardly silly. But to each his own.