Dripping sweat stings your eyes and it feels like your femurs have turned to lead.

The next switchback in the trail taunts you from above, and you pray it’s the last one.

Your front tire wiggles and you try to keep it pointed straight up the trail so every precious ounce of energy propels your bike uphill.

Mountain biking can be grunt work, but it also has its rewards. When you reach the top, you can look down across the landscape and know you got up there on your own power.

And unlike a mountain climber, you don’t have to hike back down. It’s time to sit back and let gravity go to work.

If you want to test your climbing skills, these rides are a good way to do it.

HARD GUY TRAIL

This trail lives up to its name, and if your legs aren’t fried after this climb, you should probably be in France racing on a road bike instead of in the Foothills.

This 16-mile thigh burner starts at the trailhead about three miles up Bogus Basin Road. Take Corrals Trail (31 on the Ridge to Rivers map) to the Hard Guy (33) intersection on the left.

Now just sit back and enjoy a grueling 4.5-mile climb until you connect with 8th Street. Whew! You made it. But you’re still not done climbing. Turn right on 8th Steet and keep riding until you top out at nearly 6,100 feet at Eagleson Summit. You’ve just climbed about 2,300 vertical feet from the trailhead.

Head down 8th Street to the turn off for Scott’s Trail (32) which will take you back to Corrals and the trailhead.

You have the option of climbing Scott’s and 8th Street and coming down Hard Guy, but then you’re not really a hard guy. Just climb that sucker.

COBB TRAIL

This 10-mile loop is a grinder because the ride starts with about a 4-mile ascent on Homestead Trail (12).

To get to the trailhead, Take Warm Springs Avenue to Council Spring Road and go north until it dead-ends at the trailhead.

It’s a relentless climb on a dirt road that’s steep and full of switchbacks and never seem to end.

After climbing about 1,200 vertical feet, you will turn onto Cobb Trail (Trail 13) and descend back to Warm Springs Avenue.

Watch the first mile on Cobb Trail — it is rocky and technical. It smooths out after that, but there are still lots of water bars that will pitch you off the bike if you’re not careful.

There are a few short climbs on the way back down, but mostly it’s a gravity flow back to Warm Springs Ave.

Ride Warm Springs Avenue or the Greenbelt back to Council Springs Road.

CORRALS TO LOWER HULLS GULCH

This is practically a rite of passage for any local mountain biker. It’s often taken for granted because it’s so well used, but it’s a great ride that will give you a good workout and great views of the Treasure Valley. It’s fun to ride it in the evening and finish as the sun starts setting over the Valley. Just make sure you’re back before dark.

Feel free to alter your starting point, but here’s the gist: From Camel’s Back Park ride to Bogus Basin road and go up about 3 miles to the Corrals trailhead.

Ride Corrals to the 8th Street motorcycle parking lot and motorcycle trail (4) to Lower Hulls Gulch Trail (29) down to 8th Street and Camel’s Back Park. It’s about a 12-mile ride.

You can ride side trails off Lower Hulls Gulch if you want to add mileage.

FIVE-MILE GULCH TO THREE BEARS

This ride will give you a long, sustained climb and lots of downhill singletrack for about 13 total miles.

You can pick your own starting point since it’s a loop, but here’s one way to do it.

Ride up Rocky Canyon Road to the Fivemile Gulch trailhead (There’s parking there if you want to start there.) Take Fivemile Gulch Trail (2) to Watchman Trail (3), then Three Bears (26) to the cutoff on the left that takes you back to Rocky Canyon Road.

The climb will work your legs, but it’s more steady than steep except when you climb out of Fivemile Creek, where you will be tested on steep, loose terrain.

If you want to add mileage, start at Military Reserve and take Shane’s Trail to Rocky Canyon Road.

EAGLE BIKE PARK TO SEAMAN GULCH

This is a great training ride. Think of it as like interval training because the climbing is spread out, and you can vary the distances by riding different sections of trail.

You can start at either end of the ride, but here’s the gist of the ride.

Start at the Eagle Cycle Park and take any trail that’s going uphill and ride up to the ridgeline. You will find either Rabbit Run Trail (115) or REI Connection (116).

Ride down either one (Rabbit Trail is a fun descent), which puts you on the Big Springs trails. Ride up and over the ridge and descend on Veterans Trail (114) to Hill Road.

Take Hill Road east to Seaman Gulch Road. Cross the road and look for the trailhead into Seaman Gulch trails.

Start climbing and go right at each trail intersection, which will take you up on the ridge on Seaman Gulch Trail (110) and down Wild Phlox (112) to the parking lot and water tank and continue on the trail that parallels Seaman Gulch Road

For a bonus climb, go left at the water tower and back up the ridge then descend back to Seaman Gulch and reverse your course back to the Eagle Cycle Park. You can easily log 10 to 12 miles of riding with about six climbs and descents.

RIDING TIPS

Æ Start early. There’s not much shade on these trails, and the summer heat can be brutal, especially when you’re climbing.

Æ Bring lots of water and some food. You will obviously want to drink something, and you can also douse your head with water to cool off. An energy bar or similar high- calorie snack can help sustain your energy on a long climb.

Æ Take a rest. Stop, get off your bike, stretch your legs, give your behind a rest. It’s easier if you break up those long climbs.

Æ If you feel weak or nauseous, turn around. Rubbery legs not only affect your climbing, they affect your bike handling skills and can cause a crash on the way down. The trails will be there another day when when you feel better or are in better shape.

Æ Bring a map. You can find them online at ridgetorivers.cityofboise.org, or printed maps of the whole Foothills trail system are available at local bike shops and sporting goods stores.

Roger Phillips: 373-6615