Downhill bikes are much heavier as compared to uphill bikes and need a lot of force for pedaling when climbing mountains and uphill trails. you just need to do a better setup and make a better relationship between your body and your downhill bike, then you can easily survive on the same bike through uphill trails. first of all, you have to increase both front and rear tire pressure in your downhill bike only for uphill terrains, you can pump the tires from 38 to 40 psi, it is the highest pressure for mountain bikes, this pressure is not recommended for the other downhill trails, it is only recommended when you are using your downhill bike for uphill trails.
Higher pressure will give you some kind of relief and does not tire you in the earlier stages of pedaling, because the bike is heavier and is almost not recommended for uphill terrains, without this point there’s also another point, it is hard to use normal shoes and pedals for uphill or climbing purpose on your downhill bike. because your shoes would continuously slip from the pedals and even your feet do not be able to pedal hard on the mountains and uphill trails with a DH bike, so there are two types of pedals for mountain biking.
- Clipped pedals
- Cliplessless pedals
clipless pedals are used for downhill trails because these pedals do not contain small strips and clips on the surface of the pedals but clipped pedals are used for uphill trails, these clipped pedals are not necessary for uphill trails if you have an uphill bike but if you have DH bike and you are riding on uphill trails then it is must and necessary to use clipped pedals instead for normal or clipless pedals.
The main noticeable thing is the traction, control handling, and gripping with your DH bike on uphill trails, you have to take care of many things which include your body weight, the height of the saddle, and the handlebar stem of your DH bike, and the sitting position on the saddle. if you are a heavy rider then it would be hard for you to bring your DH bike on uphill terrains because the weight of the rider also plays an important role on different types of terrains. the angle of the saddle should be higher than your handlebar because it will also give you enough support and relief in climbing uphill trails.do not make the saddle and handlebar bar parallel with each other on uphill trails it will spend a lot of your power and energy never sit on the backside of the saddle and lower your backbone and body position.
Speed Of DH Bike On Uphills:
As DH bike is not for uphills so it can affect your speed when climbing on the terrains, if you are riding in a group or with friends surely your bike speed would remain slow as compared to uphill bikes, but if the trail is not too steep then speed is same but if the climbing is steeper then you will face a little bit of difficulty in hard pedaling and maintaining your body on the bike.
Is DH Bike The Only Bike For Riding Purpose?
It means is it possible to use your DH bike for all kinds of trails like cross country, enduro, and uphills, no DH bike is not the only bike which you can use for all kinds of terrains, because it is too hard to pedal, it has a heavier weight and also front and rear suspension would not maintain the rider on different trails, so you have to look for another bike if you want to ride on all the rough and aggressive trails, DH bike is limited for DH trails, flat trails, parks, and pavements.
When you start climbing with a DH bike the front tie would start wheelie and lift up from the ground, it is due to the heavier weight of the downhill bike. you will miss uphill and cross country trails if you do not buy the right bike for yourself, you have to look for your budget if you can afford the right DH bike that should be used for all kinds of terrains then appreciate it because expensive bikes are used for both uphill and downhill terrains.
Chainring And Cassette:
Both of these parts of DH bikes are different from uphill bikes, these two parts of DH bikes would cause resistance and friction on the chain rolling track, but uphill bikes have smooth chain rings and smooth cassettes and have a quick and easy response when you pedal on the terrains, DH bikes mostly use dual chainrings, it helps a lot for climbing uphills.
DH Bike Is Safer For Uphill Trails:
Due to their heavier weight these DH bikes do not run out of control when you are riding with these bikes on different trails but uphill and cross country bikes have much more speed than DH bikes, many crashes and hits take place on uphill, enduro, and cross country bikes but crash on DH bike are rare.
Suspensions:
Suspensions absorb bumps and jumps of the hard and aggressive terrains on downhill terrains but if you are climbing with the same DH suspension bike on uphill trails these suspensions would cause friction and creates a higher resistance in pushing the DH bike on uphills, it means these suspensions would work totally different and opposite for uphills and climbing mountains.
Gravity:
Downhill bikes are attracted by the trails and ground surfaces because their geometry design is made in such a way these bikes are lower in height as compared to other MTB bikes, so these bikes are attracted by gravity which lowers the speed and causes resistance force in pushing and pulling of bike uphills.
Bottom Bracket:
DH bikes have lower BB as compared to other uphill, cross country, and enduro bikes, so it also disgusts the rider and feels like you are touching the trail ground when you pedal for climbing on uphills. but if you want to upgrade your DH bike bottom bracket then it would be a good step for you if you have 70% downhill terrains.
Wheel Difference:
DH bikes have different wheelsets from uphill and other enduro bikes, the diameter and thickness of the hub and the centerline of the rim are also different from the other mountain bikes, so DH bikes are manufactured differently depending on the downhill trails.
Pedal Striking:
Pedal strikes are harder and much more difficult on DH bikes for climbing uphills than the other uphill and enduro bikes. you will consume more time in a single torque rotation of the crankset on uphill trails with a DH bike as compared to other uphill and enduro bikes. You would not be able to pedal on steep climbs with the same DH bike. you have to pedal on a DH bike in the standing position which almost tires and dehydrates you with a heavier DH bike on uphill trails.
Fork Difference:
Forks of DH bikes are different from uphills bikes because these DH forks are made in such a way that they are firm and hard and do not take turns or rotate easily to prevent hits and crashes on the DH trails, so you will face difficulty in handling and rotating of the fork on climbing uphills. but if you have an old used uphill bike fork then you can upgrade your DH fork with the uphill bike fork for gripping smoothly.
Which Is Better Enduro Or DH Bike For Climbing And Uphill Trails?
Enduro bikes are far better than DH bikes for climbing uphills because enduro bikes are not the same in their geometry, weight bottom bracket, and pedal striking as DH bikes, so enduro bikes are recommended for uphills and climbings.