Climbing - Standing

[exbfb]

I could never master standing on a bike until recently.
I never learnt it as a kid, now I've learnt how, were good.

Now that I've learnt how, I can't believe how good it is to use it as an alternative to sitting and spinning high cadence.
Don't get me wrong, I see a use for both approaches, but I'm just shocked at how effective it is to mix in with the high cadence seated position.

I'm 6'2" and 13.5 Stone. That'll be 1.88 metres and 85.73 kg in new money, so I guess I'm a relative heavyweight. Boy does that weight have its uses when standing on those pedals though.
First few times, I tried going up a gear, not enough. Tried two gears, still not enough, now it seems that three gears taller - sometimes four give me the perfect cadence compared to what I could spin seated.
The bike just seems to leap up the road.
When the inevitable happens and I need to sit down, I'm already going much faster, I only need to drop a gear or maybe two for a bit of seated climbing.

I'm still a novice, but boy does this rock mightily.

P.S. Regarding the knees, they used to carry 19 1/2 stone of me around with no complaint and I've always been active, so they're pretty strong now.

 

[Rebel Ian]

Lots of people will say that's it's not a very effective way of climbing and that's probably true. I find however it use different muscles than sitting so alternate between the two when climbing.

 

[exbfb]

Yep, I take that point fully. As I say, novice here, so will always listen to good advice.
I'm with you on mxing it up.
On my mostly uphill commute home, it was just so much quicker and easier to stand for the hills and then sit back down for the flat bits. The mix of muscle usage seemed to allow everything to recover between uses.

I specifically didn't bother using sports tracker today as I know my time taken to get home.
After that though, I feel I must time it as it just felt so much quicker and more effective - for that ride.

 

[oldroadman]

Being out of the saddle can work for short climbs, but on the longer ones, sit it out with an odd few metres "en dansant" to stretch the legs. If you really want to improve climbing power, just stay seated but go one gear higher than comfortable and keep in rolling for as long as you can. It's like a bike mounted weight training session, painful, but effective. This will help with both styles of climbing, increasing power and speed/cadence, plus pushing the VO2 a little bit. Keep 'em turning!

 

[chillyuk]

It really hurts if your chain snaps.

 

[exbfb]

It really hurts if your chain snaps.

I have a most vivid imagination.
This point is therefore noted most carefully.

Thanks for keeping me in check.

 

[cloggsy]

I'm 6'2" and 13.5 Stone. That'll be 1.88 metres and 85.73 kg in new money, so I guess I'm a relative heavyweight.

If you're a Heavyweight, WTF does that make me?

I think your power to weight ration must be just about spot on...

 

[exbfb]

I say this as one who is, if I'm honest, hyper sensitive to weight.

As I said, I used to be nineteen and a half stone. That's heavy.

I know BMI is very very misleading because it take no account of fat vs. lean tissue.
However, using that simple yardstick, I'm at the upper end of a normal BMI being 24.3

I used to be 12 1/2 stone, but had less muscle and more fat than now, so it's not that simple I would say.

Thanks for the positive comment though, that's very much appreciated.

 

[Rebel Ian]

If you're a Heavyweight, WTF does that make me?

I think your power to weight ration must be just about spot on...

If 13.5 stone at 6'2" counts as heavyweight then I'm not overweight, I'm just undertall!!!

 

[ian turner]

This is not the forum to compare weight loss and definitions of overweight.

To quote the forums celebrity weight watcher's (his story was in cycling active a few months ago) sig

December 2007 - 39 Stone 11 Lbs<br sab="471">May 2011 - 14 Stone 7 Lbs - Cycled 15358 Miles

13.5 stones is well within the healthy BMI for 6' 2"
Personally I'll stick to sitting down especially as I suspect my slipped disk damaging the sense nerves in my right leg causes an imbalance.

 

[exbfb]

Ian

None of the above was meant to lead to a discussion on weight, I just mentioned it to give a little context to my findings, that's all.

I'll be sure to apply these new found skills carefully.
I'm ever mindfull that there are plenty of you who are far more expereinced than I am at all this.

 

[zacklaws]

If your standing and your "Bobbing", your in too low a gear, if your "Waggling", your in too high a gear.

There, that's some advice

 

[exbfb]

Strange as it may seem, I think I get what you mean.
The right gear does neither.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'm a clydesdale according to the yanks; 100kg or thereabout and the same height as the OP. Climbing styles vary and racing snakes rarely climb in the same gear or using the same style/method as us cart horses.

ccording to various tables I'm overweight, and not far off obese. Funny thing is I'm fitter now than I was when I was a stone, or more, lighter. Most keen cyclists/runners look to me to be in need of a few good square meals and a couple of pints, I worry about 'em. ;-)

Fatfit is, clearly, the new black.

 

[Jonathing]

I tend to think that when "waggling"(is that the correct term?)

Honking