merlinextraligh

You don't have to be able to take a drink while riding;

You don't have to be able to eat while riding;

You don't have to be able to take off or put on clothing while riding;

You don't have to be able to ride one handed, or no handed;

You don't have to be able to stand while riding.

But the ability to do all these things will make you a better rider, help you ride longer, make your cycling faster, and more enjoyable.

and in the standing case help avoid erectile dysfunction.

Farmer Dave

More like a WAAAAAMBULANCE!!!

ColinL

as others have noted, hills take a lot more power than flat ground, especially if you are heavy.

the mistake most people make is going too fast. then they implode and suffer up the hill at a snail's pace, or stop and go back a different way. most people have problems with perceived exertion and also lack power meters, so they don't know that they are going way too hard until it's too late, and they pop.

it depends on what kind of hill we're talking about, mainly how steep and how long you will be climbing it. for a short hill that you spend less than 2 minutes climbing obviously you can dump a whole bunch more power into it than you can afford to do if you're climbing for 30 minutes.

if you don't have a power meter, you might get some use out of riding with a buddy who does have one. the power number itself won't help you, but you can watch them hold 150, 250, or whatever number of watts when transitioning from flat to climbing and watch the speed plummet.

OldsCOOL

sqroot3

as brian pointed out, standing seems to be overall less efficient (and certainly uses different muscle groups) compared to sitting, but instantaneous power seems much higher than sitting...but again, ultimately depends on technique.

ericm979

Not for me. I have about the same comfortable cadence range as when I'm seated, only shifted down 10 rpm or so. I'm not special. Well ok, I am, but not in that aspect. I think that anyone can learn to pedal at a relatively wide range of cadences while standing if they work on it. It took me a while.
Then there's BMX racers, who spin their cranks at over 170 rpms while standing. I can't do that no matter what my body position is, but it shows that standing should not be an impediment to pedalling speed.

Also, modern shifters work while you're standing. So you shouldn't be "screwed" if you're standing and at the wrong cadence- just shift. It takes practice too.

StephenH

Generally, on "the steepest hills", I'm in my lowest gear and seated.

On a lot of moderate hills, I'll stand. That works a lot better now. When I started, I was fatter and my legs weren't built up as well, and I couldn't stand and pedal for more than just a few seconds. But now I can do it for a while.

It also makes a big difference how tired you already are. If I've been climbing all day, I can stand and suddenly don't have the energy to make anything happen and have to sit back down. When I'm fresh, things work a lot better.

WC89

All of that!

hillcrawler

I'm not sure if i should tell it or not after all the discussion but i'm not using clipless pedals. My bike has flat pedals and i ride it with running shoes. What about that? I think it changes a lot.

There are also some other things that i can't to while riding which i didn't mention yet. I can't look back, i can't reach to my water bottle, even if i can do that i can't put it back to its place, i can't point a danger to the group of people behind me (if there is any). But these are the things i can't do when i'm riding down the hill with a lot of speed (like 40 km/h which you can also do if you train hard). And you can ignore this paragraph, i know it'll get better by experience.

spock

I had no clips at all when I started out and I don't remember not being able to stand up. Not an excuse. Practice and learn.

hillcrawler

Maybe it's not an excuse but clips would help a lot when you get your ass of the saddle cos you'll have more power to pull.

spock

They do help a lot to keep your feet in place and for pulling up, however, it's not a requirement when it comes to pedaling on your feet. One should have enough balance in the pedal stroke to pull it off without any toe clips or clip-less clips .

merlinextraligh

So,

1) Stay with it, and accumulate more miles;

2) Get clipless pedals, and cycling shoes; ( a decent setup is not terribly expensive)

3) Practice the various skills you struggle with, standing, drinking, looking back, etc.

dwellman

I guess there aren't any long climbs around here. Steep, but not necessarily long, or what's long isn't so steep. Or maybe I've found I'm significant;y more efficient in the saddle than out. Don't know.

One of these day's I'll make it to Black Mountain Rd and try that.

cafzali

As another poster said, the fact that standing uses a different muscle group means that, for those who can do it, standing a bit on a long climb gives the primary muscles used in seated climbs a bit of a break. Anyone who's ever taken a spinning class or used their bike on a trainer and included routines where they do sit/stand intervals or long periods of seated and standing climbs can identify with this situation. There are times when you actually feel better standing. One key trick is to shift into a slightly higher gear before standing so you'll generate the maximum power.

mpath

Interesting that you didn't mention, "You don't have to be able to pee while riding." Ergo, you should be able to pee while riding.

ursle

As there seem to be two types of body types, "sprinters and climbers" one should identify one's body type before administering opinions.
I like to be out of the saddle more then in it, flats are boring unless there's a stiff headwind, and hills are wonderful, the longer the better, I avoid humid days

First things first, without clips (pedals) you lose half the stroke, no up, really.
So after you get some, with nice orthotics underfoot, standing is more balanced, you're always connected, feeding yourself is safer, drinking is something you really need, try a camelback till you're comfortable with a bottle, but, let me point out, people that suffer Parkinson's are not bicycle riders, it's a balance thing,just sayin'

Brian Ratliff

For most people, this isn't a problem. The trick is being sanitary about it.

caloso

Take it to the Tri forum for this topic.

mpath

Oh come on now, roadies do it too. Bob Roll is just too classy to ever mention it during the Giro d'Italia.

Eich

True! Real hard men die clipped in and they are buried with their bicycles still attached.

big john

Just keep riding and practicing and a lot of things will get easier. It might help if you can ride with some experienced riders who can see what you are doing first hand.
As for the standing thing, most of us do it at some point but it comes easier for some.
I've seen a friend climb for miles while standing the whole way. I rode 10 miles with a guy who stood the whole time, chatting. He even stood while looking back to check traffic.

pallen

Yes you will and probably sooner than you might think. None of these skills are super difficult, they're just awkward for a beginner.

merlinextraligh

See. e.g., Tom Simpson.

thump55

There is never a proper end to this statement.

And we wouldn't want it any other way.