'dancing' on the peddles

[Mugshot]

If the hill gets steep I just hit the granny gear and always staying seated.

But if you don't have a granny you may need to stand up, or get off and push.

 

[albion]

Or grunt your way to the top like I did when young.

I just wish I'd got a granny chainset and cogs years ago.
Cycling is far more a pleasure now.

 

[Hacienda71]

This may help. A relaxed upper body riding style does help. As the guy says find what suits you best though.

 

[2Loose]

Different muscles need training if you don't normally use them.
Standing up on the pedals hurts quite quickly if you are only used to sitting and climbing. Stick it in a higher gear, stand up and use your body weight - don't rush. Repeat over a few weeks...you'll get there!

 

[totallyfixed]

I probably should be in bed but.... climbing hills is something I enjoy on top of which I coach someone who races hill climbs. I wonder how many on here have actually raced a hill climb? Not trying to put anyone down but googling "hill climbs" does not make one an expert. It is all about the climb percentage, crank length makes a difference, bike handling ability, confidence, experience....it goes on. What is getting me riled are those who continue to believe it is not efficient to climb out of the saddle. If you think going up a 25% hill is easier in the saddle then this I would like to see.
I used to hear from many an old ctc rider that climbing out the saddle was unnecessary, never heard it from an ex racer. Above a certain percentage on a hill, [depending on the ability of the individual] more energy is used staying in the saddle - fact.

 

[jann71]

I probably should be in bed but.... climbing hills is something I enjoy on top of which I coach someone who races hill climbs. I wonder how many on here have actually raced a hill climb? Not trying to put anyone down but googling "hill climbs" does not make one an expert. It is all about the climb percentage, crank length makes a difference, bike handling ability, confidence, experience....it goes on. What is getting me riled are those who continue to believe it is not efficient to climb out of the saddle. If you think going up a 25% hill is easier in the saddle then this I would like to see.
I used to hear from many an old ctc rider that climbing out the saddle was unnecessary, never heard it from an ex racer. Above a certain percentage on a hill, [depending on the ability of the individual] more energy is used staying in the saddle - fact.

Can you coach me? I'll take all the help I can get, especially with steeper climbs.

 

[BlackPanther]

It's very rare that I stand on the pedals. It's not good for the chain (or pedals/bottom bracket for that matter), it can throw you off balance a fair bit, and in my experience it doesn't make you go fast enough to justify the energy outlay. In fact I've stayed seated and sailed past quite a few riders who were standing up......although maybe that's just down to the fact that I'm a strong legged every day commuter. The only times I do stand is if I feel the need for an extra workout, when setting off from lights and holding primary due to parked cars ahead, or of course if I want to catch a fellow commuter. Then I sit down just before the overtake and sail past whilst seated. Evil me.

 

[Keith Oates]

The clip that Hacienda 71, has posted above seems to cover all the points needed to understand when and how to stand on the pedals. The only thing I would add is that to be able to stand and use the pedals is something you have to practice and use regularly before you can get full advantage of it when on rides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[albion]

It is far more likely that staying seated is more efficient.
Producing 300 watts+ is just going to be quite inefficient on the body not matter how fit you are.
Of course there will be skill in removing energy wastage by using your arms to support your body on the final bit of the down-stroke, but even so, the only benefit I can see is in giving some different muscles a turn.

It is certainly competition versus leisure, though even in the TDF standing up appears to be more a calculated move.

 

[Keith Oates]

If you look a the clip (U tube video) Hacienda 71 posted the pro doing the ride and giving the commentary says that very clearly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

My hill climbing is so abysmal that it stands as an example of what you shouldn't do. The biggest shouldn't do that I always seem to do is only getting out of the saddle as a last resort when I'm already spent and not upping the gearing enough (usually because I'm too knackered to have any presence of mind left). Result: I exhaust myself in just a few turns of the crank and then collapse defeated back onto the saddle and have to continue in agony at about 4 mph.

Another side effect of my bad climbing skills is that my navigational sense evaporates completely. After twice getting myself lost on a longish, hillyish ride a short while ago, I had a good long look at the map to see where I'd got it so wrong. On both occasions it was when I was on longish ascents and I'd slipped into that ''must get to the top of this hill'' tunnel vision frame of mind(lessness). Somehow it's possible to miss a turning when you're riding at around 4 mph!

I think that what's striking about the video Hacienda's posted up, is that the climber has a range of techniques and that it's important to use all the available tools in your tool kit. At the right time, of course. To continue the metaphor, I have a tendency to exhaust myself using one tool and then whip out the sledgehammer to crack my own nuts.

 

[lukesdad]

I probably should be in bed but.... climbing hills is something I enjoy on top of which I coach someone who races hill climbs. I wonder how many on here have actually raced a hill climb? Not trying to put anyone down but googling "hill climbs" does not make one an expert. It is all about the climb percentage, crank length makes a difference, bike handling ability, confidence, experience....it goes on. What is getting me riled are those who continue to believe it is not efficient to climb out of the saddle. If you think going up a 25% hill is easier in the saddle then this I would like to see.
I used to hear from many an old ctc rider that climbing out the saddle was unnecessary, never heard it from an ex racer. Above a certain percentage on a hill, [depending on the ability of the individual] more energy is used staying in the saddle - fact.

Lots of interesting points here Tf.

Hill climbs are a bit of a national winter sport down this way, but as they are a short concerted event im not sure how relevent they are in the context being discussed here. Agree with you on crank length by the way ( also important depending on your cadence whether climbing or not as well ) But before discussing crank or stem lengths or anything else for that matter, I ll pick up on another point you ve made " enjoying hills" for me this is the crux, mental attitude to climbing. You really need to master this, otherwise forget it. I cannot believe how hard people make it for themselves, getting out of the saddle whacking it up a gear when they re obviously nearly spent as a sort of last resort, no wonder they can t sustain the effort. Too many riders i see climbing are just to upright out of the saddle their body weight and gravity are working against them. Using your body weight to grind up a hill is all well and good but if you do, dont expect to be able to do it for very long.

 

[totallyfixed]

Lots of interesting points here Tf.

Hill climbs are a bit of a national winter sport down this way, but as they are a short concerted event im not sure how relevent they are in the context being discussed here. Agree with you on crank length by the way ( also important depending on your cadence whether climbing or not as well ) But before discussing crank or stem lengths or anything else for that matter, I ll pick up on another point you ve made " enjoying hills" for me this is the crux, mental attitude to climbing. You really need to master this, otherwise forget it. I cannot believe how hard people make it for themselves, getting out of the saddle whacking it up a gear when they re obviously nearly spent as a sort of last resort, no wonder they can t sustain the effort. Too many riders i see climbing are just to upright out of the saddle their body weight and gravity are working against them. Using your body weight to grind up a hill is all well and good but if you do, dont expect to be able to do it for very long.

Enjoying hills seems a bit of a strange thing to say but we [Mrs tf] really do, especially on fixed where the satisfaction is immense. The longest hill I have climbed without sitting down is five and a half miles, and to do this comfortably requires a certain amount of upper body strength, something which many club cyclists are actually lacking. Not many ladies climb out of the saddle partly because of this [watch Nicole Cook, Emma Pooley, Sharon Laws or the young Grace Garner to see how it should be done] one of the tricks to make it easier is to do lots of rowing, very useful on steep hills.

 

[Hacienda71]

I enjoy climbing hills, it is a challenge and is strangely satisfying. Living on the edge of the Pennines I have the flat Cheshire Plain or the Hills to choose and I would say that over 75% of my pleasure rides take me into the hills. It is an unconcious decision to go hilly but I seem to go that way more often than not.

 

[totallyfixed]

We are often in Holmes Chapel [outlaws] and ride into the peaks from there, perhaps we can do a ride together sometime next year.