Mountain bike riding technique: Crack every uphill with Braydon Bringhurst

These are the moves:

• Stone steps on the ascent
• Rock steps and ledges
• Bunny Hop
• Line selection
• Interview with Braydon Bringhurst

Braydon Bringhurst (35), Team Canyon

The American from Idaho loves the challenge of technical uphills. His premise: ride smoothly uphill instead of hopping up like a trial biker. This requires experience and skill. Braydon reveals the most important manoeuvres here.

Stone steps on the ascent: on, on, over!

Stone steps on the climb are particularly treacherous. Braydon Bringhurst uses a trial manoeuvre for this. This requires less approach speed - but timing is crucial here.

1. On it... Build up at least walking pace. Position the cranks horizontally just before the obstacle. Lift the front wheel in good time and place it on the rock step. You can do this with the manual impulse: go low over the handlebars, stretch dynamically backwards and upwards. Result: The front rises.
   
2. ... on it... The first step merges with the second. As soon as the front wheel is on the rock step, you build up energy for the bunny hop impulse. To do this, go deep into compression and then stretch dynamically forwards and upwards. This movement should be fluid so that the rear end follows suit.
   
3. ... over it! The speed is lost through the action. Therefore, you now need to pedal fast and hard. Shift your centre of gravity forwards so that you regain pressure on the front wheel. Hone your timing. Practise the manoeuvre on the flat to begin with.

This ledge is tricky. It's high and in the middle of the uphill. This means I have hardly any speed. So I can't use the so-called lunge, but have to unpack the backwheel hop. Admittedly, it's not an easy move, but it can definitely be learnt. The best place to start is on the flat, e.g. on a tree trunk. - Braydon Bringhurst, uphill expert

Is there an ideal gear for technical uphills?

Braydon says: "Yes!" For technical uphills, he chooses the third or fourth sprocket (from the lightest gear). This allows him to ride at a solid pace on rough terrain without having to shift gears all the time. When Braydon pedals hard, the chain must always sit firmly on the sprocket.

MTB riding technique: mastering rock steps

Stone steps and ledges are the most common challenge on technical uphills. The ingredients for overcoming them successfully: Speed, timing and technique.

1. Tempo: Speed is everything! The approach to the key section should be as straight as possible. Start with momentum, saddle down, for a lower centre of gravity. Sight the step and set the cranks horizontally just beforehand.
   
2. Timing: Timing counts: Take the weight off the front and place the front wheel on the front part of the step while riding. Now swing your hips towards the stem at lightning speed. Result: The rear follows the step.
   
3. Pedalling power: The momentum decides whether you get stuck or keep going. In other words: take as much speed with you through the action as possible. Pedal hard on the step immediately to accelerate.

Find a smooth line to the obstacle. You must place the front wheel on the step while riding. Timing is therefore very important. After swinging your hips forwards, your centre of gravity moves back to the central position so that you can pedal without losing traction at the rear. - Braydon Bringhurst

Finding the right lines

A good eye is required when choosing lines, keeping an eye out for traction, steps and speed potential. The most important prerequisite: "Keep the wheels turning"says Braydon.

1. Views: Similar to downhill, it is also important to look ahead on technical uphills. A straight line is usually the best. Steering movements inhibit speed, balance and traction. If the line cannot be ridden straight, it should at least be without too many sharp bends.
   
2. Weighing up: Check your line for off-camber sections. Can you roll over every obstacle or do you have to lift the front wheel if necessary? Manoeuvres like these cost energy and rob you of momentum - an aspect you should take into account. Also important: traction!
   
3. Pull through: Your gaze wanders between the front wheel and the target. Balance your weight perfectly in the bike so that you always generate enough pressure at the front and traction at the rear. Even if the last few metres to the finish seem almost impossible, keep going. Keep pedalling!

Believe me or not, looking for lines can be really fun. I now find several at the first attempt. In any case, the line should be fluid and smooth to ride, i.e. without hooks. That would kill the flow and put unnecessary strain on your balance. - Braydon Bringhurst

Bunny hop: jump over obstacles

The Bunny hop is the all-terrain manoeuvre par excellence. It allows you to simply jump over obstacles. This also applies to the uphill version. The movement remains the same, but there are still differences.

1. Difference in the rise: There are more energy-saving manoeuvres on the uphill to overcome obstacles. If the terrain is steep, it takes a lot of speed to bunny hop over steps and stones.
   
2. Build up tension: Pedal hard to pick up speed before you reach the obstacle. Position the cranks horizontally in good time. Now bend low over the bike to build up tension.
   
3. Manual pulse: Stretch backwards just before the obstacle (manual impulse). Result: The front becomes light. The subsequent movement must follow on smoothly from this. Timing is crucial!
   
4. Hip swing: Now the rear must pull back before it hits the obstacle. To do this, push your hips towards the stem. This causes the rear end to lift off. Both wheels are now in the air. Obstacle overcome!

Remember that it often takes many attempts. I rarely manage nasty uphills on my first attempt. You will learn from your failed attempts and gain a feel for line, traction and the necessary technique. Believe me, nothing is better than finally making it after countless attempts. Look for challenges and set yourself goals. Personal goals. Also realise that the journey to success is also part of the whole. It's often more fun with friends - but don't get frustrated if your mate does it faster. - Braydon Bringhurst

The setup

Braydon is not a fan of the platform function on the shock. At least not on technical uphills. "Here I need a sensitive rear end for a lot of traction," says Braydon. He lowers the saddle completely for the necessary freedom of movement. Clipless pedals help with power transmission. The suspension setup is based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Braydon also uses the same setup for the descent.

Interview with Braydon Bringhurst

The US-American from Idaho started BMX and skiing at an early age. Braydon later became a competitive high jumper. He switched to mountain biking in 2016. He quickly realised his talent for technical uphills, but Braydon also rocks in the park. For this uphill project, he deliberately chose his Canyon Spectral: "A lighter bike might have been more efficient, but I'm someone who wants to do everything with a bike."

BIKE: You love technical uphills. What appeals to you?

BRAYDON BRINGHURSTYou see almost unconquerable passages, you think, ponder, try again and again, grit your teeth, but at the end of the day you conquer the beast. It's like bouldering, but on a bike.

Some call you the Uphill King.

That's cool, I'm glad - but there are riders who can manage such uphills just as well. Trial bikers, for example - they do it their own way. For me, however, it's about riding flow and style. As soon as I start bouncing like a trialist, I lose my enthusiasm. I want to ride up the mountain as smoothly as possible.

You've ridden up the legendary Whole Enchilada. 2638 metres in altitude, partly exposed, almost always technical and blocked. Every single section. A record! Why did you decide not to go for an official Guinness World Record?

That wasn't important to me. I knew that the project would require all my energy. I needed the right people around me. So I chose a small team of close friends. I didn't want strangers fidgeting around me.

Was there a point where you had doubts? There were moments of frustration when I wanted to thunder my bike against the rocks or throw it straight down the slope. It was at the key section, The Snaggle. I tried again and again, but I just couldn't conquer this nasty steep section. After more than 50 attempts, I finally managed it.

>> The whole story about "The Whole Enchilada" with Braydon Bringhurst can be found here. <<

And then you were sure you could manage the rest? Things got really dicey much later, after all the key sections. The many attempts took time and it was getting dark. The temperature dropped and it started to rain. I knew that if it snowed, I was in a bad position. The ground was wet and there was no traction in the root passages. On top of that, I already had over 2000 metres of hard uphill in my legs.

You've been training on this trail for years, taking up to 800 attempts for some key sections during preparation, with a team and film project breathing down your neck. How did you deal with the pressure?

Yes, there was definitely pressure. The team consisted of around ten people. But most of the pressure came from me. How did I deal with it? I knew I had what it takes. That helped enormously.

What was the biggest challenge of the project? The organisation. Getting everything under one roof. The birth of my daughter a few days before the attempt took up a lot of space in my head. The timing was also unfavourable, as winter quickly sets in in the mountains in autumn. My strategy: I want to let go of things that I can't influence anyway.

You can hear yourself talking yourself down in the film. There was also a therapist in your support team. Did he come up with the idea?

Yes, among other things. Dr Manning made me aware of the importance of positive thoughts and how negative thoughts can have a direct impact on your actions. He also advised me to be in the now. Not to think about the past or the future. If I had thought about what lay ahead of me after all the failed attempts at one of the key points, I might have given up straight away. It's better to focus on the moment. And I kept reminding myself: I've got what it takes!

For one job, you needed over 50 attempts on the project day. You seemed frustrated, annoyed. In the film, it seemed as if you hadn't always internalised the advice.

I am no saint. At times, I also lost my composure. Mostly when my thoughts had already overcome the obstacle. In my head I was already further on, but in reality I was still gritting my teeth over the section. I often felt like punching my bike.

You also had to prepare yourself physically. In the film you can be seen riding a racing bike. Does that help for a project like this?

Conditionally, if I had only trained endurance, I would have lost my speed, which I needed. Explosive, maximum strength for a few metres. I trained strictly according to a training plan. We modelled it on football and football training. For days on end, I jumped from a standing position onto a stack of pallets. Over and over again.

Your team has put together a nutrition plan for you and calculated how much water and calories you need for the climb.

It was awful. My mate was standing next to me, constantly handing me energy bars or water. I stuffed the stuff down my throat and choked it down with a big gulp of water. I realised that my body would go on strike if I didn't eat. Nevertheless, I wanted to throw up the stuff.

How long did it take you to recover?

Recovering was difficult. My wife was waiting at home with two children and a baby. It took a month before I was mentally and physically up to speed again