Wileyrat

Thanks a lot

I was hoping to hear hiking out of the saddle was like fine wine, it just gets better with age, not your legs turn to vinegar.

icyclist 

Teebox, for your height, yes, your stocky. Keep at it - you'll improve. And yes, if you can - I know it's difficult for most people - lose some weight. (I hope you aren't eating desserts and drinking beer, now that you've rediscovered the joys of cycling and want to stand on your pedals.)

I'm 69 and I have no problem standing on hills. Then again, I've been at it for decades.

Dave Cutter

New or returning to cycling.... generally it's all the same problems. There are "skills" that need to be learned. Some are simple little one liner lessons like... "don't ride in the gutters" (because the debris will cause flat tires). But taking your place in the traffic... isn't always easy for new cyclists.

Standing when cycling... is a basic. Not just for climbing hills or for a quick burst of speed. But standing up and pedaling pumps the blood from your large muscles in your rear-end (AKA butt). And it's the pooled blood in your rear that makes it hurt after riding for awhile.

If a cyclist has balance, core strength, or just normal confidence concerns.... they might want to start with just leaning forward a bit and lifting their tush off the saddle briefly. Just taking their weight off their rear-end. Then work up to standing. Then pedaling while slightly lifted.... and finally standing and pedaling.

But take your time. Don't rush to accomplish goals. Don't push too hard to build strength or confidence. Take your time (be careful) and enjoy your ride. The skills will all come in time.

TimothyH

This whole thread makes me want to ride my fixed gear bike.

Carbonfiberboy 

Hovering just above the saddle is an absolute killer workout, at least it is for me.

1989Pre 

I don't dare stand up! My Frog Ti's have a max weight of 175, and though I am 160, that plus the downward force equals how much? My C&V has Lyotard 460D's which have a reputation of the axles breaking! I think I'll sit down, now.

Dave Cutter

It's an absolutely needed skill.... for taking bumps. Lean slightly forward bending at the elbows, placing most of your weight on your feet, stabilizing the bike with your hands. The bike can bump, rattle, bounce, and shake beneath you... sparing your own butt and limiting any damage to the bike as well.

In an overly steep descent... taking the same position... and slipping your butt slightly behind the saddle can allow for safer braking.

Nobody needs to practice these basic behaviors. Anyone can plop their butt on the bikes seat... and just pedal, steer, and brake. And I'd guess they'll still have tons of fun and get some good healthy exercise.

But I prefer longer rides, and maybe faster speeds than some... more casual cyclists. So for comfort and safety sake basic skills are a good thing... IMHO.

gregf83 

Just because they have a weight limit doesn't mean you can't exert greater force on the pedals. They assume people are going to sprint.

Rick@OCRR

I'm 67 and stand on climbs all the time; not a big deal at all. Last Saturday I rode the Knoxville Double Century and stood up several times on the Knoxville Grade, with 14% fairly common.

And I had a 34t in the front and 32t in the back! Yes, standing is good, esp. on the really steep climbs, or just to use slightly different muscles for awhile on longer but not so steep climbs.

Rick / OCRR

FBinNY 

Unless you do something beside standing the maximum downward force is equal to your weight.

There are three basic ways to exceed that.

1- pull up on the bars (while standing), that adds the upward force you exert on the bars, (in accordance witb Newton's 2nd Law)>
2- pull up on the back side pedal, like pulling the bars, adds your pull up force.
3- use your bodies inertial mass, by pressing down hard and fast enough to lift your body. The force used to launch yourself upright is added to your weight, but obviously this is only a momentary thing. To get a sense of how much this might be, stand on a scale, flex your knees and straighten quickly as you try to read the peak "weight" achieved.

All three techniques can give you added climbing speed if used properly, but most people familiar with them reserve them for situational use, ie. cresting a steep hill, or breaking away on a climb.

When I ride fixed gear in an area of steep hills I'll use any or all three, because that's the only way I'll get up, but it takes a toll.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, very true. I meant hovering while pedaling hard for long periods is difficult for me. I quit when the pain gets to be too much.

gregf83 

Yes, that's why I mentioned sprinting. Regardless of how much you weigh, sprinting at 90RPM with 1000W will require a peak force of around 270lbs on a pedal. My point was the pedals would have to be designed to handle sprinting which has much higher forces than just standing on the pedals so you don't need to be worried about snapping off the pedals when standing on them.

1989Pre 

That's good to hear. I have, indeed, stood up on the Speedplays. Standing is not part of my scheme, as-such, but I do remember once, in my first century, that I had to stand and grind out a hill. The Lyotards I am less-confident-of, but, I'll probably get around to finding myself in situations when standing is necessary.

carl7

Too much Body weight and poor leg tone/strength. How much do you weigh compared to when you were younger? also, core fitness plays a role.

dmanders

What an interesting thread. I have ridden seriously since I was 14 and am now 62. Never thought of standing as an issue. I love to do it for that extra burst or to stretch out the back side occasionally. Now another thing to worry about as I age...

ZIPP2001

I work in The Burg so hitting the thigh burner with require some standing, besides I enjoy getting out of the saddle. I'm 205 lbs. and that just adds to the fun.

jskash

I can get myself up on the pedals and stand, but it hurts my knees almost every time I try it. I would rather ride pain free than ride faster and harder up a hill.

FBinNY 

OTOH we had a recent post by someone who had serious knee pain when climbing steep grades seated. He only got relief by standing.

So, the takeaway here is that "whatever works best for you" is the right option.

ctpres

Not sure age is an issue if reasonably healthy. At 78 I frequently stand to climb and on flats. When climbing and standing I can move at lower lower speeds which means steeper grades are doable. I look at standing as a micro rest. How long I can do it is a matter of my current physical condition. I can't seem to stand and ride at a steady pace on flat land so I slow down - go to biggest gears - stand and steadily increase speed till I just can't go more or I max out on cadence. I can't see riding any distance without some standing to mix things up. New to mountain biking and hands numb after an hour of just sitting. Standing made big difference in delaying numb hands.

teebox

All, update on the standing to pedal... can do it a little more than I could a month ago, except, I have to use this sparingly as I have no cartilage in my left knee (baseball catcher for 14 years) and the pressure on the knee creates, well, a helluva lot of pain.... had to come to a complete stop, dismount and "walk off" the pain on one attempt. So, I will continue to ease into it and in the meantime I will just grind hard uphill in the saddle.

3949dxer

I'm 64. For some reason it took me a few years to get comfortable standing but now I do it more and more, and enjoy the feeling of powering up the hills. On my old bike (stolen a few months ago, now I have a better one) the front wheel would sort of lurch upward when I stood, which made me nervous, and somehow I didn't quite get the technique down. I'm a little stronger now...something clicked and now it just feels right.

eja_ bottecchia

I am older than you are and I can stand up on the pedals and hammer under all kinds of conditions: going uphill, sprinting (OK what passes for sprinting at my age), to relieve pressure on my lower back, to show off, etc.

What you are describing is not an age-related issue, but rather a fitness issue.

Go out and ride more and you will be fine.

Be safe and have fun,

noglider 

I stand a lot. I get better at it with practice. I try to prolong the periods I stand. It works well. If it's hard for you, shifting UP a gear might help.

drlogik 

I ride a fixed gear bike for 9 out of 10 rides and I have to stand on the pedals to get up virtually every hill. I like the fixed gear as it makes me work harder. I'm 59 and yes, I notice I tire more quickly than 30+ years ago but I won't let it stop me from pushing myself. I found the harder I work at it the better I feel knocking on 60's door.

brudford

I'am 55 years old and after having a Total Knee replacement six months ago I would love to be able to stand again on the pedals . I think your weight has alot to do with the ease of standing ? I think standing is an important part of cycling and although not totally needed for my type of exercise riding, I still want that ability/skill to return .