taz777

I have never been able to ride out of the saddle. I tried it several times yesterday over a longer ride but failed miserably! Is there a technique to do this or are some people, like me, simply not coordinated enough ride out of the saddle?

smashndash

How much do you weigh and how tall are you? As a rule of thumb, it's much easier for skinny people to climb out of the saddle than heavier people. Though unless you are seriously overweight, I wouldn't think this is the issue.

What part of the bars are you gripping? Traditionally people use the hoods (though I've taken a liking for the bends near the tops).

You should be in a harder gear than when spinning. This will ensure you can actually stand on a single pedal without "falling" too fast.

Make sure to rock the bike a little. If you're doing this right, there should be very little weight on your arms and you should be a bit far back, with your back as straight as possible (kind of like a lunge). Rocking the bike allows you to not pull up on the bars to provide counter-torque. Failing to rock your bike will cause lower back fatigue. Rocking your bike too much will feel inefficient.

And coordination is mainly just a matter of practice. You'll get it eventually. It'll just take time for it to become second nature.

Colnago Mixte

My sister told the same thing, that she couldn't ride out of the saddle. For me it's the most natural thing in the world.

The only explanation I can think of is that the straight bars of her MTB make it awkward, I will admit that can feel very awkward without bar end grips. My wrists need to be vertical in order the throw the bike from side to side correctly. But that's all there is to it, just stand up and pull on the bar as you pedal, that's it.

Machka 

Shift 2 gears harder ... maybe even 3.

And sometimes it helps to have a slight incline to work with.

02Giant 

Are you attempting to do this on a climb or on flatter/flat ground?

Depending on the grade, I may have to gear up 6-7 cogs. Without doing this, I would feel completely uncoordinated.

taz777

Just to answer some points and questions raised. I am quite heavy for my height as I do a fair amount of weight-training, so not a typical cyclist build.

I'm not shifting into harder gears and am trying this on fairly flat roads, so that is going to be an issue too!

I'll have another go this evening taking all the advice into account.

02Giant 

You need to gear up several cogs. Flat ground and a heavier rider will require it. You are exerting far more torque on the pedals, out of the saddle.

jpescatore

Advice above seems to nail it, but GCN video on riding out of the saddle if you need some visual augmentation.

Machka 

Well ... do shift into harder gears.

chelvel

Just practice. It takes some time for the body to learn new tricks. Talk back here after a week or two.

indyfabz

So stay in the saddle if you can't get the hang of it.

Ironfish653

Riding out of the saddle is a technique where you use your body weight, and your upper body (by pulling up on the bars) to increase the amount of force you can exert against the pedals. In the context of road bikes, as opposed to off-road where it's a handling thing, you usually do it while climbing, accelerating from a stop, or sprinting. In these situations you need more power than you can generate with just your legs alone.
On a flat road in a 'middle' gear, just by putting your full weight on the pedals will provide enough power to 'spin out' the gears within a couple of strokes. Put it in your top gear, where it's hard to pedal, and then stand and try to make the bike accelerate. Congratulations, now you're sprinting!

You can also find a big, steep hill to climb up. That also takes a lot more effort than just riding along.
Lots of those heroic, out-of-the saddle photos like Hinault and Co. above were taken during climbs (bike races usually go uphill) Given the limited gearing of racing bikes of the period, the only way to get up the hill faster than the other guys was to stand up and push harder.

Flip Flop Rider

support your weight with your arms

Colnago Mixte

Semi-serious reply. Drop your bike into the hardest gear, and try starting out in that gear from a dead stop. You will find yourself standing up on the pedals, in order to get moving, whether you want to or not.

subgrade

I think it's all a matter of habit. I, having ridden flat bars for most of my life, have no problem at all with my wrists not being "vertical", although it may indeed be more ergonomic for riding out of the saddle fro prolonged periods. I rather feel awkward riding out of the saddle with drop bars due to narrower grip - but I'm sure I would quickly get used to it, if I'd do it more often.

wphamilton

I suggest first standing on the pedals without pedaling and get the feel for the balance. Left foot forward, pedals at even heights. When the balance begins to feel natural, pedal once or twice.

It's not that crazy. Even now after many miles I have experienced it once or twice if I haven't done it in a long time. I'm going to charge up a hill, jump out of the saddle to crank it up and it feels like the bike is bucking me. Ease into it a couple of times and then it's fine.

TimothyH

+1

Coast first.


-Tim-

IvyGodivy

I did it all the time as a kid so for me it's like riding a bike; no punt intended.

rumrunn6

partially due to a previous broken leg & knee surgery I am hyper conscious of my leg, knee & foot alignment as I do it. if I'm on a drop bar bike I move my hands to face inward, so not in the drops & not on the hoods, but on the top outside of the bars (for best control). once I get up & have a few rotations I press harder on the pedals for more acceleration (on flats & slight inclines) or more torque on climbs. I usually feel a burn fairly quickly & so I don't stay up long. sometimes, just sometimes, all conditions are just right, health, incline, gears, weather, phase of the moon, etc. & I can stay up for as long as a mile. but for the most part, for me, it's just for short amounts of time. I do have to plan ahead with my gears. even after pre-shifting, I can sometimes shift again while out of the saddle but you might save that for when you are comfortable with "out of the saddle" in general, because you have to lighten up on the pedals while shifting

got out of the saddle for a significant road crossing climb on a dirt trail Monday. I saw it coming up, preshifted to my lowest gear, waited for the rise, then pedaled & confirmed resistance & good chain position, then got up & climbed the hill over the road. then upshifted to ride down the other side. the rear tire barely lost grip for a split second but I kept going cuz I knew it would catch even if it spun a smidge a cpl times

wanna have some real fun? get going fast downhill in your highest gear, then get out of the saddle & hammer like a maniac. love to watch that speedometer go up! hehe

clengman

What kind of bike are you riding? I'm a lot more comfortable riding out of the saddle on my road bike than I am on my backup bike, a city/hybrid-type bike.

The handlebar on the road bike is lower and the cockpit is longer. I have more room to extend and use my arms more efficiently.

My hybrid bike has a more upright position when I'm in the saddle with a shorter cockpit and riser handlebar. When I stand up, my hips are much closer to the handlebar and I can't extend my arms as much. It's just not a very comfortable position. If I want a burst of power to climb a short rise, I'll maybe upshift one click, keep my weight back over the saddle, and just lift my rear end up a couple inches over the seat so I can use my weight a little more in addition to muscle power. I continue to spin at a moderate to high cadence when doing this. It's only good for 30 seconds or so and doesn't involve my upper body as much, but it feels better than downshifting and losing all my momentum on little rollers.

fietsbob

Don't you get off the saddle to start from a stop sign/light ..

livedarklions

It's never occurred to me that someone could find that difficult, which is not a knock on you.

No matter what kind of bike I rode, I could never do a proper wheelie. When I was a kid, I could do things like stand on my seat, but no one could ever tell me how to get the front wheel in the air nor figure out why I couldn't.

I suspect a lot of this is genetically determined by our bodies' geometry, so it may just be that standing doesn't really work well for you.

5teve

Start small, don't so much stand but rather just click to a harder gear and let the increased pressure you have to exert sort of lift you off the saddle. Just an inch or three off the saddle to start. Keep your chest behind your handlebars-don't lunge forward. That's a mistake a lot of people make when they're starting out. Getting too far forward just unbalances you and actually decreases the pressure you are able to exert on the pedals.

taz777

Interesting comment. Yes, I slide off the saddle onto the top tube as I slow down and stop at traffic lights. I then slide back up onto the saddle when moving off again.

However, when I'm riding I seem almost stuck to the saddle!

fietsbob

Don't you stand on a pedal to get back up on the saddle, when you go from a full stop?