How To Climb Switchbacks Like a Pro: The Ride Series MTB Skills Clinics Rich Drew

Switchbacks, one of the most frustrating things to deal with on a mountain bike. Let me break down my methods to help you climb switchbacks like a pro! Are YOU ready??
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Let's jump right into it shall we! Dealing with switchbacks doesn't have to be maddening. A few simple steps will have you cleaning some of the most difficult turns on your trails.
Step 1: Vision! Look as far ahead as you can. The further ahead you look, the more you will slow the trail down.
Step 2: Gear Choice! Be mindful here. Don't just run it up the cassette and into that 50 tooth. I've seen this many times and people simply spin out. Making torque is awesome, but applying it is even more important. Play around with gear choice and see what works for you. Try to be a rock crawler in four low!
Step 3: Line Choice! Do your best to open up the turn as much as possible. Said another way, use as much of the trail as you can. Generally speaking, I prefer to make a tighter turn when I enter and let it open up as I roll out.
Step 4: Lean wit it!! Lean into the turn and allow the bike to get rotated. Most newer riders lean away from the turn and this drags it out even more. Start slowly and work your way up with this.
Step 5: Slide forward on the seat to help get your center of mass even lower.
Once you get all of these elements in check, it's just a matter of pedaling through the turn and applying power. Find a switchback that you're fairly comfortable with and play around with some of the inputs. Let me know how if works!
BIKE: Fezzari Delano Peak www.fezzari.com/delano
HELMET: Kali Maya 2.0 kaliprotectives.com/products/...
KNEE PADS: Kali Mission kaliprotectives.com/collectio...

[@JD-dw3jp]

Not to take away from the coaching but the deer were my favorite part (7 min.)

[@richdrewtherideseries]

You and most others J D. I get it. Trying to get more deer in future videos ;)

[@garrettorpin6584]

👀 deer 🦌 @ 7:10

[@michaelglidewell1524]

saw that

[@tagzedawg]

I feel like these videos where you have a real student showing real progression are way more helpful than those where you just demo everything. Keep it up!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

I agree Tag and we're trying to stick with this format moving forward.

[@JeffLenoskyTrailBoss]

Keep at it kid,,, you've got some potential. Great vid!

[@ugagrad06]

Couldn't be more appreciative of your content or presentation style. I feel bad saying this - but I googled you to find out how old you are. Inspiration for me as a new rider approaching 40! "Well. Rich can do it! I just need to push harder / learn faster / keep trying..." Thank you!

[@pedallinwithparedes]

Literally the toughest switchback section. I've only managed to clean it all the way to the top of Schroen Train once, no dabs but that's when it had more dirt and less exposed roots and rocks. That next switch back after the tree is a BEAST to get over.

[@slademcinerney332]

Yeah this is gold! Your "How To" videos are next level. This is where you excel keep'em coming.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thank you Slade, I appreciate that. Working hard to put a program together that will have is churning these things out.

[@onlyonecannoli3952]

Jon Stewart, we miss you on The Daily Show, but glad to see that you are now entertaining us with mountain biking.

[@50mtb44]

Climbing becomes as much fun as descending ... once you challenge yourself like this. Strangest part is moving forward onto the nose of the seat. But it is necessary for traction. Good job.

[@MrPerezthomyenBici]

Good stuff man. I was cheering on the student !!!good work. Thanks for pointers

[@torgsgotboards]

This was great. I would also really like to see how to execute tight steep downhill switchbacks. Like the tight ones you find on high alpine trails. Those always trip me up

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hoping to make that video soon!

[@motomort]

@@richdrewtherideseries The steep downhill switchbacks are tricky! I look forward to see how you break down that.

[@vinnycorsino7014]

What an awesome lesson! Thank you

[@blueridgeflyguy9551]

Absolutely fabulous video

[@scgear3847]

Nice video, love seeing how you apply things like your lift technique to real life XC trails and uphill at that.More technical trail technique videos please !!!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks for the feedback SC Gear! More technical vids coming soon, stay tuned!

[@Falasi4]

Will have to check those out next time I'm down there!

[@GOTCHAPARK]

Very informative , Thanks for taking the time to make these videos !

[@richdrewtherideseries]

You are very welcome 👊🏼

[@stringalongamax]

I’ve always struggled with strep switchbacks. Brilliant video. Cant wait to hit the trails and test out these tips.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Tom!

[@dt81819]

Glad I found this video. Can’t wait to try these tips out!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Heck yeah! Let me know how it goes

[@carlfreund7825]

Always like it. Thx

[@TCK71]

Great video about a rarely taught area of mtb.

[@TGM_Offroad]

Perfect timing, I am going to a trail system with tricky switch backs tomorrow and I always struggle. Gonna put this to use

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Heck yeah, let me know how it goes.

[@TGM_Offroad]

@@richdrewtherideseries Tried to put the techniques together and it was a big improvement. Nailed a most of them, just need more practice on the steep techy exits. Thank you!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

@@TGM_Offroad Heck yeah, that's awesome!

[@animaysh]

Ah! Finally. This is the exact vid I was looking for. I was searching "climbing berms" and getting nothing. THANKS!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Glad I could help!

[@rogercollingwood8234]

Enjoyable and informative video. It raises in my mind the question of chainstay length. Short chainstays might make some riding easier easier but sure make steep climbs harder. This is especially true on eMTBs which have phenomenal climbing potential but this can be let down by unnecessarily short chainstays which make keeping the front wheel on the ground almost impossible on steep switchbacks. Pushing the saddle as far forward as possible on the seat post and sitting on the nose of the saddle is the only solution as RD says in the video.

[@teefish23]

Love the breakdown on the switchbacks....especially the last one......trying to break it down like that makes sense.......I have never taken the breakdown approach. More like for me personally of "How in the F do I get past this crap" (get stuck,dismount, walk bike past the obstacles) and chalk another W for the trail. Ha

[@neilcombs7970]

Nice, I would like to add something on the last switchback line y’all did. I tend to drop my dropper just a inch and yes sliding forward on the saddle for switchbacks like that. It works for me anyway.

[@willstewart8274]

Great vid! My Delano arrived at my doorstep today and I can't wait to get out and hit the switchbacks

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Heck yeah Will! How do you like it??

[@willstewart8274]

@@richdrewtherideseries Really enjoying it. Fun on the downs, fun on the flats, and fun going up. Really well-suited to my local trails

[@Cris-du4ws]

You taught us how to climb, now teach us how to go down switchbacks like a pro! 🤙

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Coming soon!

[@TylerDavis-gh1dy]

You should really check out Ponca downhill in Arkansas. over 1000 feet of elevation, and an uplift. heard its super rad!

[@coeurdelion6582]

awesome Video!!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@coeurdelion6582]

@@richdrewtherideseries yes, it really helped me take the guess work out of switch backs.

[@jeffjacksonmtb8236]

Delano 👀🔥

[@TheStache_MTB]

Schroens is definitely a rough spot. I have cleaned it once with out dabbing and that was in perfect conditions

[@richdrewtherideseries]

It really is! A clean run up that is legit!

[@BigWaveDaveO]

Just wanted to say, moving up on the seat so your sit bones are at the nose of the seat made a world of difference in climbing with my short chainstay Chameleon. ++++++1 Makes me want to come out to a class too learn more. ******* Suggested Topic***** How do you ride turtle turns? A turtle turns are those sharp down then up turns where if you do it wrong you fall over backwards and end up on your back like a turtle that is flipped over. Usually these turns are hairpins in the trial crossing a gully in the trail. In the more tech trails, they are cut into benches with a steep drop offs at the apex of the turn. The walls on the outside preventing a wide setup to the turn along with the high risk of going close to the apex of the turn and the need to go as straight as possible to ride the down and up make these turn very challenging. So how do you ride them both mentally and physically to make them easier? Best I can come up with are some of the turns on Tunnel Vision or in the Back 40, but being in Indiana a lot of our trails have these turtle turns.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hey Olson! I agree, game changer! I’d love to see you at a TRS event! Where are you at?

[@eddelgado2171]

@richdrew Rich, how about these turns if one likes to clip-in? Same idea? don't clip? any pointers? thanks.

[@phoenixeasyrider6026]

When is the best time of year (climate wise) to visit Bentonville?

[@timothygauthier7589]

You need some sort of visual aid when teaching line choice. Waving your hand doesn’t add much either. Could be as simple as a whiteboard or even a drawing in the dirt. Absolutely essential to help visualize line selection.

[@aaronw4072]

Dang he didn't clean that corner! We've all been in that situation though, more times than I can count personally...

[@jasonlewis6914]

I find climbing almost anything is better on a good well built hardtail.

[@VroyFrmDaOrb]

Hi

[@michaelmann3636]

Clip in or not, flats with clips or not❓

[@richdrewtherideseries]

I'm almost ALWAYS clipped in.

[@michaelmann3636]

Rich Drew it’s that “almost always“that’s the question 🤷🏼‍♂️ either you are or you aren’t, where is the in between ? Please explain, or maybe on of your videos does❓

[@richdrewtherideseries]

@@michaelmann3636 My preference is to be clipped in. I borrowed a bike the other day for the next video that you'll see and I kept the flat pedals that were on it. I decided it was a great opportunity to show me riding in flats. It wasn't fun.

[@luukarends6946]

are there any that put the dropper down for the last switchback they do? On a hardtail it kinda seems necessary for yo balls

[@Trialbike]

Toó much speak.

[@OKFrax-ys2op]

Sinolointentoreviento Theory before practice makes you an expert

[@nicktapias3425]

You lost at “Bentonville, AR the MTB Capitol of the world”.. as though Whistler, Moab, Rockville, Santa Cruz don’t exist

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hey Nick! Those places do exist and they're rad. However, it would be pretty difficult for me to head out on a 5 mile ride on the same trails with my four year old son and wife. At the end of the day it's all marketing. This place is legit and I'm going to keep adding that phrase to my videos because it incites emotion!

[@nicktapias3425]

Rich Drew I agree, local riding in Boise is similar, I wish we had more rad trails like Bentonville, but calling it the capitol seems overstated. Our local trail management group Ridge to Rivers pulls all rocks and features, removes anything resembling a jump, and is intent on making bland dirt highways. I wish I had what Bentonville has.

[@robrider838]

@@richdrewtherideseries Yep the MTB capital of the world is where you ride the most. I just happen to live near Whistler.

[@dylanclark5416]

@@nicktapias3425 So sad! The ethos here in Toronto is to keep the trails challenging: leave the rocks and roots, add rock gardens and jumps. We also have some easy trails for those who want them, but it's crucial to keep--and even accentuate--the technical parts of riding.