I am on Narrowneck peninsula on a crisp autumn day, spinning away on the treadlie at an altitude of just over 1200 metres above sea level (around 3600 pre metric feet). As I burn up my body’s fuel and air supply, that age old question comes flying back into my head – how come some days you can ride hills, while some days you just can’t?!

Matt is in front of me, not even looking like he needs a rest – the whippet! Keith follows him eagerly to the top of the next rise as I curse the dickheads who arrange the placement of waterbars right at the summit – you know, just where the track starts to level out. It’s all too much on this particular ascent and I give up in frustration with the pointy end of the seat jabbing me in the arse and too much suspension bob from the steep, loose surface – they can have the heart attack, not me; I’m walking this one!

So while I take the duallie for “walkie’s” and curse those who actually seem to *enjoy* riding *up* hills, I conjure up some of the maybe-not-so-profound reasons for my seemingly lacklustre performance. Getting older might be a factor but it isn’t necessarily at the top of the list. How many younger dudes do you remember whipping past that really made you think should be doing a hell of a lot better than you?

Last time I checked, my biorhythm chart looked fine. No energy cycles flowing low and out the window here. Hmm, maybe it’s all the stress from the day job just dragging me down – naaah, that’s one thing I *know* for sure that melts away when I am out on the bike in the bush!

Crap diets and poor hydration might be one of the gremlins that lurk at the start of any climb, jumping onto your daypack like a leach that sucks out energy instead of blood. A week of skipped lunches, missed dinner on a couple of nights, followed up by beer and pizza the night before riding just might not help cut it here. Whatever happened to the carbohydrate loading, the bananas, the power bars (mmmm, used to like those Clif Bars), gels and sports drinks?? Most sane riders know that their treadlies just won’t run without the right octane intake to fire those nerve impulses controlling leg muscles. And a litre of water an hour – pffft, I’d be lucky to have consumed a cup!

And what about fitness, I ask myself as I amble up over the next water bar. Fitness seems to have a direct relationship to ride expectations. Pick a ride that’s too long, too hard (or in summer – too hot) and if your fitness doesn’t cross match, then you’ve got troubles. After allowing life to denude us of riding at times, it’s easy for riders to forget that you can’t always pick up where you left off. Regular riding and training are the obvious answers here, but sometimes life has other plans. A growing number of dirt riders are turning to road schmoad hacks to increase endurance and strength training, but be buggered if that particular sacrifice is something that suits every mtb’er!

As the afternoon sun bounces back off the top tube paintwork, I spare a thought for the condition of the bike and how it contributes to the flow of the ride. Chains refusing to jump off the middle ring to granny, or rear clusters spitting the chain up and down like an automatic 1963 Valiant just wont lead to everlasting hill climbing bliss. My rig is reasonably well maintained and serviced, but every now and again the drive train nasties still come out to play. It pays dividends not to be a scrooge when it comes to replacing worn rings, cassettes, front and rear mech’s, chains, cables and shifters *before* they become a reason to pick the bike up and throw it off the track in disgust.

Like good bike service habits, good gear shifting takes a little time to master. Nodding off in la-la land just as you cruise into the start of a monster climb in 27th cog may not be the best place to then start thinking about crunching down through the straining gears. How sweet it is when the pre-emptive ability to read the right gear for the terrain ahead just seems to help lift you and the bike over a rise at a synergistic cadence! None of this is my particular problem now though, as my Shimano shoes get a little more of the metal worn away from the cleats as I step on crunchy sandstone and my Achilles tendon stretches more than it should.

At least my tyres seem to suit the track conditions today. The 2.6-inch Moto raptors with around 35 psi have adhered to the dirt as I get back on the saddle. One of my mates likes to run skinnier xc tyres with up to 65 psi and for the life of me I don’t know how he manages to stop the tyres ricocheting from corner to corner – or better still, keep traction when he slaps the bike upwards. It can be such a personal thing to choose the right rubber, but it can make such a difference to your chances of getting it up (…the bike, uphill, that is).

So as my heart rate starts to level out like the falling gauges at a hydro-electricity plant after the floodgates are closed, my musings about the art of hill climbing become startlingly clear. Of course! This *has* to be it!! First, God made cross-country riders, then he made down hillers. But then, saving the best for last, he made another category of riders just for people like me – “phree” riding, for totally phat Extreme Free Riding Dudes who don’t really have a clue what this uphill caper is all about!!! It makes you laugh your head off really, as all I want to do is ride and yet sometimes, we can over analyse and categorise things to bits.

Another long hill looms in the near distance. I shrug my shoulders and know its gonna hurt. But then, a really sweet smile of satisfaction comes to my face as I knuckle down, spin like mad, slide forward on the seat, start attacking the hill and do it all over again.

Do your thing!
Hodgie

The Anderson’s and Oaks fire trails are both classic Blue Mountains rides, and the Oaks is a particularly popular ride for beginners and experienced riders alike. Both rides involve catching a train up into the mountains and then taking advantage of the 400m difference in altitude between the start and finish of each ride. Anderson’s runs from Wentworth Falls to Woodford, and the Oaks from Woodford to Glenbrook. For this reason, the two rides are sometimes strung together to form a reasonably long day ride of about 61km, Anderson’s being 33km and the Oaks 28km. Anderson’s includes a very steep descent to Bedford Creek of around 200m, and an equally steep climb up the other side.

It was on a ride when we rode from Glenbrook to Woodford up the Oaks and then back down again that the idea of going all the way to Wentworth Falls and back was first jokingly suggested. At the time it seemed like a crazy idea, but after a bit of reflection I decided that I was up to the challenge. I advertised the ride in the MTB-OZ emailing list, and a group of five fit, well prepared, experienced riders was formed. I also received a few emails saying that we were lunatics.

The Ride

The day started early. I dragged myself out of bed at 5am after about 4 hours of sleep, got ready and left at 5:40 to pick up Dave, then we headed off into the mountains. At 7 we arrived at Glenbrook station car park, where Kevin was waiting. The weather was perfect. Cool and overcast, though it looked like it wouldn’t actually rain.

A large group was getting ready to catch the train up to Wentworth Falls, and when Kevin said that we were riding up there they suggested the other direction was better. I’m not sure they believed him when he said that we would come back down the same way when we got there.

After waiting a while for the other two riders, Kevin, Dave and I left at about 7:30. We kept up a cruisy pace along the Oaks, deciding to skip the singletrack which runs alongside the firetrail for about 7km. We passed an incredible number of people riding the other way. I lost count, but Dave assures me that there were 54 of them in all. Despite riding well within our limits, we made good progress and arrived at Woodford after about 2.25 hours.

We stopped here to refill our water at the station. We were all surprised at how little water we had drunk, and so I resolved to make sure I stayed hydrated. We headed off again at about 10am. When we reached the gate at the turn off to Bedford Creek we saw the large group which had been at Glenbrook. The downhill to the creek was fun, but this was offset somewhat by the knowledge that we would have to climb up it later in the day.

At the creek Kevin rode through both crossings, while Dave and I picked our way across, deciding that doing a further 80km with wet feet wouldn’t be much fun. Kevin regretted riding through as he got water in his rim, and this was making a constant sloshing noise. The steep climb out of the creek was a bastard, and the knowledge that at the top we were still lower than Woodford didn’t help. The firetrail undulated for a while, before becoming a constant uphill.

By the time we reached the locked gate at the turn off to Kings Tableland Road it had started raining lightly. This made the long slog even more unpleasant. It was along this stretch that the constant sloshing from Kevin’s rims was starting to affect him. He suggested that it would be a good idea to make tyres which could be filled with water rather than air.

We eventually reached the sealed road, marking 6km to Wentworth Falls. Although the tar was easier to ride on, it was still uphill. After what seemed like an eternity, we arrived at the town at 1:00. It felt a lot longer than 3 hours since we had left Woodford. We had lunch here, and while we were eating the weather deteriorated, and the rain started to fall quite hard.

The train was looking inviting, but we resisted the urge, donned jackets and headed off into the rain at 1:45. Funnily enough, the riding was much easier in this direction. The rain eased off, and by the turn off it had stopped. When we reached the undulating section Dave surged ahead, causing Kevin and I to wonder just what he had been taking. It wasn’t too long before we reached the big downhill.

The combination of the recently graded track and our opportunity to study all of the corners at low speed on the way up made for a fast trip down. At one waterbar Kevin was ahead. He took air off it, then slowed down and looked back towards me. I also took some air and then realised why Kevin was looking back as I watched my rear wheel land about six inches from a red-bellied black snake. Dave, who was up ahead, hadn’t seen it.

Once again we crossed the creek. I managed to keep my feet more or less dry, while Kevin rode through both crossings, and Dave rode through the second. The climb up was hell, but we all rode it, taking a couple of stops to catch our breath. The rest of the hills back to Woodford were nasty, but doable. We got there at about 4:10.

Determined not to allow ourselves to give in, we stayed here long enough to check our water, before heading off at 4:15. The first 12km of undulating fire trail to the helipad is usually fairly easy, but this time around it felt like it was the longest 12km of my life. Once again Dave surged ahead, while Kevin and I took our time.

While stopped at the helipad, which marks the beginning of the 15km downhill to the weir at Glenbrook, we were passed by a group of three riders. Forgetting that we had by this stage done more than 100km of riding and 2400m of climbing, Dave and I gave them a bit of a head start, then decided to chase after them. I caught up to them on the first steeper section before deciding to cruise down for the straighter, more level bit. Dave caught up and passed them.

At the picnic ground halfway along the downhill we pointed out the singletrack to them and went down the road. One of them was absolutely flying, and we could see him darting through the trees. I decided that I would keep my pedalling to the minimum as my legs were bitterly complaining, and so I made relatively slow progress down the road. At the weir I just couldn’t be bothered keeping my feet dry any longer, and rode straight through.

We all managed to ride up the steep hill from the weir, grinding away in granny gear. Having come all this way, I was determined not to give in. At 6pm we rolled into the car park, absolutely exhausted but at the same time elated. We’ve proved that it was possible, but I’m not sure if I’d do it again.

Statistics:
Riders: 3
No-shows: 2
Distance: 121km
Climbing: 2500m
Time: 10.5 hours total, 8 hours riding
No. of mechanicals: 0
No. of flats: 0

Why did I do it?

The way I set my bikes up is quite dynamic. Nothing stays too much the same for any length of time, I’m just one of those tinkerers. I did this as an experiment, as all I needed was a 29-tooth chainring it wasn’t going to be costly.

Also, I found that I’m a bit of a wuss on hills, I’d change to the granny ring all the time whether I really needed to or not. I knew I should be using my gears more wisely, and I figured that this might help.

You lose the full range of gears of course, but it allows to better use the spread of gears you have. Confused? Good

What do you do to go 2×9?

Well, you lose the middle and granny chainrings, to replace them with a chainring that is smaller than the middle, normally a 29 tooth.

Assuming you already have a 9-speed drivetrain, you don’t need much at all. In fact, all you need is a smaller middle ring. I use a 29 tooth 5 bolt Ritchey chainring. I don’t know what is available in 4 bolt in that size. Maybe you’ll need to chase up a 5 bolt crankset as well? I have some old STX-RC cranks where the granny ring bolts to the middle ring, they’re prefect for the task.

In terms of your cassette, get something with RANGE! My preference is for a 11-34. A 29-34 is basically the same gear as a 22-25, so you�re really only losing the lowest 5 or so gears.

Do you need to run 9 speed? No you don’t, but bear in mind you are losing your lowest gears so you want to have as big a sprocket on the back as possible, and as such the 9 speed gives you that range. I wouldn’t run 2×8 because I’m not a hill freak, and I do ride in the hills. I know someone who does though, (Hi Justin) he is younger and fitter than me. Many people are though.

You may need to go to a bottom bracket with a narrower axle, more about that later.

How do I set it up?

Bolt up the new chainring where the middle ring once sat, and if necessary, put on your shiny, new 11-34 cassette.

The front derailleur is the next adjustment. You want to lock out the granny ring position, so put chain onto the small chainring and onto the largest rear sprocket. Find the low adjustment screw on your front derailleur and adjust it so that it the inner plate of the cage sits a couple of mm in from the chain. You’re making ineffective the low gear position of the shifter, it will still click to that position but you’re preventing the derailleur cage from moving when you do so.

I had some problems with the chain falling off the small chainring in the lowest gear position. This is because the chainring that’s now in the middle position is substantially smaller than the largest rear sprocket. Normally not a problem with a normal 22-tooth chainring in the granny ring position because of a straighter chain line. In order to improve the chain line I had to install a bottom bracket with a narrower axle. Warning, if you need to go to a narrower bottom bracket axle, be careful it doesn’t result in the big chainring hitting the chainstay!

What are the advantages of a 2×9?

The weight saving. Bwahahaha, yeah right. Maybe if you’re an anal-retentive gram counting weight weenie. You’re saving the weight of the middle ring basically, so hardly worth the bother in the scheme of things. But this isn’t about weight saving. The real advantage is the gearing. Okay, you lose some low ratios, but all up you get smarter use of your gears. In a 27-speed set up, if you were to measure the distance the bike travels for one crank revolution in each gear, you would find a lot of duplication. A 2×9 just makes for less farting about with shifting.

The main advantage is you tend to tackle hills with more determination. You find yourself pushing through a slightly bigger gear than you normally would. Besides, if the terrain wins you have an excuse. I use 2×9 on my hardtail, which is a bolt or two over 11kg and very stiff and responsive. So I can get away with that gearing on such a nimble bike despite being ummm, pretty bloody average.

Disadvantages?

The set up can be a little finicky. And you lose your lowest gears. Finding the right inner chainring may be hard. Oh, and answering questions as to why you’ve bothered.

Do I like it ?

Yes. A lot. I’ve cracked my first 100km day on dirt with that set up, and I use it in the 12hr and 24hr races. I find the gearing to be quite user-friendly and the chainrings are easier to keep clean. It’s well worth mucking about with.

Hope this helps, enjoy!
Glennnnnnnnnn

Dr’s note: I have run a 2×9 on and off for a while, except before Glennnn’s wonderful explanation, I ran it with a 34/36 x 9. Hard work. That said with a 29 instead of a 34, it should be a breeze. The 2×9 setup is clean and simple and if you ride a lot, you most probably do not use the granny much in anyway. With a 29 you’ll be set. I fully recommend it….

Equipment needed:
Cable cutters.
New cables + end caps
File
Soldering iron/solder or superglue.
Dremel (every job needs a Dremel!)
A small spike (needle, tack, etc.)

First up, use cable cutters. It’s technically possible to use side cutters or a dremel, but it’s very hard to get a nice clean cut. That nice clean cut affects how easy it is to get the cable through the outer, and the various devices to which you attach the cable. A slight fray at the start can catch and result in having to replace the cable again.

These instuctions deal with conventional cables – Gore “Ride-On” cables are similar, but any instructions here dealing with lubrication should be disregarded in favour of the manufacturer’s advice.

Replacing outer cables

Generally you’ll only need to replace the inners, but occasionally the outers will be sufficiently rusty/dirty to require replacing as well. The easiest way to test this is to try pushing a bit of clean inner through – if it feels “grabby” or “gritty” you should replace the outer as well. The tight arse option is to try flushing the outer with WD-40 or an aerosol silicon lubricant. This can extend the life of an outer, but not indefinitely.

Choose the right kind of outer cable. This is very important! Under the plastic coating, the internals of brake and gear outer cables differ considerably. A brake outer has a helical (like a corkscrew) wrap of relatively thick metal that is reasonably incompressible, with very strong sidewalls. Gear cable outer has a series of thin wires running the full length of the wall. This is extremely incompressible, but the sidewall can split if excessive force is applied. Since gears need precision changes with not much force this cable is suitable, while brakes need much higher amounts of cable tension. Using brake cable outer in place of gear cable lead to sloppy shifts (if you can make it shift). Using gear cable outer in place of brake cable outer could be lethal. Be aware that very old gear, cable had a similar construction to brake cable – this may still be available in some areas, but should be thinner than brake cable.

Cut the cable to length. Any bends should be as wide as possible without the cable needing to curve back (imagine a question mark). Too tight a curve and there’ll be extra friction. Too long a curve and the cable will bend back, as well as having extra friction due to being longer. Also remember that you’ll need to allow for the handlebars to turn freely. As a guide cut the outers to the same length as your previous outers, but be aware that these may well be slightly too long or too short.

If you don’t have proper cable cutters, cutting outers is reasonably easy with a Dremel, or similar tool. If you use anything else, like side cutters, you’ll definitely need to file the ends flat. This isn’t a bad idea to do anyway, since it’s a really easy way to clean up the end of a brake cable, where the end of the helical wrap tends to form a small hook when it’s cut. After cutting, and optionally filing, use a small spike to open out the inner plastic sleeve. A small strand of old cable can be useful for this.

Put an end cap anywhere it’s required (note that some bikes have “special” end caps for various locations, or are designed to simply have the cable put in without a cap), thread the cable in through the cable stops, and you’re ready to run the inners. It’s possible to get end caps with a small o-ring that helps to keep the inners gunk free. A small amount of grease in the end cap can also help the cables move freely, though it can also hold dust in place.

Running a full length outer.

One way to help prolong the life of a cable is to wrap the entire length in an outer. Some people find this makes for increased cable compression, or that gunk tends to kill an entire outer rather than a small length, but it’s certainly an option to consider. It’s also trickier to push an inner cable back through since there are no exposed lengths to grab mid way, but this is generally not a major problem. Running a full length outer generally involves drilling out the cable stops to turn them into cable guides. Since this is an irreversible change and potentially a warranty voiding exercise, try zip tying the outer in place until you’re sure you
want to proceed.

The first stage is to drill out the cable stops. This is easiest with a small grinding attachment on a Dremel – the flexible neck helps to get parallel with the tube. It’s also possible with a conventional drill, or even a rat tail file. Be really careful not to take too much material, and not to drill into the tube/stay. Once the stop is opened out, ensure the inner surface is free of any burrs or ridges that could catch the outer – if these are the wrong shape they can act as a ratchet, and pull the outer through as it vibrates. Eventually you end up with a tiny loop at one of the cable and a huge on at the other, and woeful shifting.

If you are running a full length outer, it’s worth using o-ring end caps, and/or putting a small amount of grease in the end cap to stop water getting in to the main length of cable.

Replacing Inner cables

Inner cables are sufficiently cheap some people treat them as a throw away item. Whether you try to clean your inners or simply replace them, they’re worth maintaining regularly. A quick wipe with a lubricant soaked rag, or a touch of a “dry” lubricant often helps. Wet lubricants and grease are commonly used, but can attract dust. Some cables are teflon coated so as
not to require lubrication.

Brake cables and gear cables differ in their thickness and the swaged on ends. Brake cables tend to have a large low cylinder with the cable coming out of the side. Gear cables tend to have a small high cylinder with the cable coming out one end. Road brake cables tend to look like a larger gear cable with an extra, larger cylinder on the end. The easiest way to get it right is to look at your existing cables, or ask your local bike shop for the right type.

Most brake levers have a slot through which you can remove the cable – unhook the brakes and pull the cable out. Now unbolt the cable from the clamp. Gears require the cable be detached first, then pushed through. This normally requires the shifter to be at one extreme, and generally the removal of some kind of cover. If you can’t determine the access method by inspection check with the manufacturer or your bike shop. Once the cable is removed, check it for any major rust patches or kinks – these could be signs the outer needs replacing as well.

Once the old cable is out, thread the new cable through. Pull out any slack, then loosely clamp the cable. Ensure that the outer is correctly routed and through all stops, and that the inner is correctly threaded. Now adjust the gears/brakes until they’re working correctly and clamp the cable properly. Two good resource for adjusting gears and brakes are sheldonbrown.com and
Parktool.com. Cut the cable about 3-5cm from the clamp. Most cables are provided with crimp on end caps. These stop the end of the cable fraying. A more elegant solution is to solder or superglue the last 3mm or so of the cable. This stops the cable fraying while leaving the end thin enough to pull back through the outer for maintenance. Be careful not to glue the cable to your frame, or melt various components with a soldering iron – if you’re a bit fumble fingered end caps are probably safer.

Dave – who probably could have just pointed out the two URLs for everything, but snuh.

[1] Assuming your shifting [2] and/or braking system uses cables.
[2] Shimano Airlines, or this hack:
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/articles.asp?ID=28