hillcrawler

I had the idea that when you are pooping your ass off while climbing the steepest hills it's a good idea to stand up and give yourself a boost. I tried that today and failed. My tighs hurt and sat back. Is it only useful when you're attacking to someone for a short period? On continous long hills should you stick to your saddle?

Jed19

The most efficient and effective way to climb is by being in the saddle with the most efficient gear combo.

hillcrawler

That's what i did. So it's good for only attacking if you have any energy for that though. Btw at some point the most efficient gear combo was two feet for me. I know i'm a disgrace to the bike world but it was my only second long tour.

Beaker

Often it's good to mix up standing and sitting, but on long climbs, you'll probably sit more of the time. My guess is that you need to get used to using the different muscle groups you recruit when standing on a climb, and also don't wait until you're completely gassed to stand. Keep at it and it'll feel more natural.

Edit:no, it's not just for attacking. It can be really helpful to overcome a steeper portion of a hill, or just to change your muscle groups.

chasm54

While it is true that remaining seated is generally more efficient, climbing out of the saddle (OTS) can be useful and is a necessary skill. Some hills are just too steep to climb in the saddle, and on long climbs it can be very helpful to go OTS for a while to give yourself a break, recruit a different set of muscles to the task and so on.

The most common mistake among beginners is to stand and try to maintain as fast a cadence as they maintain seated. Do that for long and you will soon blow up. When staying in the saddle is getting old, change up into a higher gear and stand up. Stand up as straight as you can, don't put all your weight over the bars. Let the bike rock naturally beneath you. Settle into a steady rhythm, as if you were walking up stairs or using a stepping machine at the gym. Dont hurry. Then when you want to sit again, change back down and increase your cadence.

With practice you will find that you can actually ride OTS for a rest, by moderating your pace and using your bodyweight.

I'm talking here about steady climbing, of course. There are other occasions, such as powering over small hills without losing momentum, when you might want to get OTS while staying in the drops and maintaining cadence, but that's another subject.

Velo Vol 

I can't climb sitting, for very long.

surreycrv 

there is nothing wrong with standing. It does require a higher level of muscle output, and I suppose to all the super aerobically fit, lightweight riders, it seems impossible to accomplish. (they haven't developed adequate strength). use whatever technique you can to get to the top, including the biped motion.

Vlaam4ever

climbing out of saddle uses a different set of muscles. The cadence is very different and I often jump out of the saddle when it gets steep quickly and i want to hold my momentum over short hill.

I rarely do real climbs but often need to switch it up when climbing for over of a mile.

fairymuff

I can't stand riding.

LesterOfPuppets

Oh my, this thread might belong in the Triathlon sub-forum.

wanton007

I just can't climb!

chasm54

Pretty much wrong on all counts. It doesn't "require a higher level of muscle output" it merely recruits different muscles, making more use of glutes and hamstrings and upper body. That requires more oxygen, hence unless one slows the cadence one will go anaerobic more quickly. It has nothing to do with "adequate strength" and the super aerobically fit will find it easier than the rest of us.

Clipped_in

Welllll, standing does required that your legs support the weight of your body as well as turn over the pedals. Of course you can use your body weight to push the pedals down, but to state as an absolute that, "It doesn't "require a higher level of muscle output"", is a bit misleading.

Good technique is a big part of standing. Maintaining good balance without putting your weight too far forward is very important. The two biggest mistakes I see are being in the wrong gear (too low or too high) and having their weight too far forward grinding the front wheel into the pavement. Go on youtube and see how Lance Armstrong does it. Dance on the pedals the way he does, but don't expect to keep the high cadence he runs. Most likely you'll be down around 80rpm.

chasm54

I agree with the last bit - see my first post in the thread. And as I said, climbing OTS recruits more of the bigger muscle groups. But the implication of the post I was contesting was that "a higher level of muscle output" meant that only the muscular, rather than the fit, could climb out of the saddle. This is nonsense. Look at all the great climbers. Most of them are built like waifs.

LesterOfPuppets

Standing climbs is one thing that riding single speeds and fixed gears really helped me with. I was often doing it with my weight too far forward and I was stomping too much. When you have to stand for most of a 1-mile climb just to stay on top of your 43x17 you eventually learn to get really smooth.

spock

If you are jumping with your bike or getting over some hump, standing is not optional. It must be done.

freedomrider1

Then you got the standing and zig zag part of a steep climb,just before i fall over.

ericm979

So wrong. I'm a skinny freak with no upper body strength and I can stand on a climb for an hour if I want. The lighter you are the easier it is to stand. But I know big guys who stand a lot.

OP, just keep trying. Shifting to a higher gear can make it easier- most people pedal slower when standing. 80 rpm is higher than most people use while standing unless they are attacking. You'll find it easier at a lower rpm, like 70 or so.

HokuLoa

Not quite. Depends on the technique of course but... If you are pedaling consistently and with good technique your legs are not supporting your weight on the pedals really all that much. You are pulling up on the opposing leg/pedal (as you would be sitting) but instead of simultaneously pressing down through the other pedal (as if seated) you are actually letting gravity and your body weight turn the pedal. In my mind that recruits LESS muscle and lets gravity and aerobic capacity push the climb.

Again, depends on technique...

pallen

Try some hill climbing or sprinting intervals out of the saddle. Keep doing it and you will find you can go longer and harder.

androidtt

My opinions~

Practice on flat ground. I do stand up drills for a mile at a time sometimes during my rides. On flat ground, keep shifting up until you get to a comfortable cadence (usually 70-75 for me) and if you need visualization, think about walking up steps. Keep a straight line. You'll be surprised how fast you can go using different groups of muscles. You'll also start fatiguing and getting a lactic acid burn. Just ride through it for the duration and you'll be better off when that sort of stuff pops up on your rides/races.

For sprints, same thing but at a higher cadence with continual upshifts. Let your body move too. Your line should still stay in a "zone" of 2ish feet in my experience. Don't want to lose too much power to crazy side to side motions or crash into the folks around you.

surreycrv 

so good to see 2 idiots refute an opinion with an absolute "wrong". I suppose if you are so insecure in your own opinions, and of course on the internet, you can make such piss poor reasonings.

Beaker

...but they aren't the ones looking insecure - super aerobically fit and lightweight would be good descriptors to apply to the best climbers in the world. I've ridden with ericm and can attest to his climbing ability and that he is not carrying an abundance of body fat. From my own experience, as you lose weight, climbing out of the saddle does seem to get easier.

ultraman6970

Andy Schleck, is that you?

dwellman

I can't do standing either. Never really got the point.