Energy conservation ... sitting vs standing on hill climbs.

[Andrew_Culture]

For the first 90% of a hill climb I'll shift back in my seat slightly, crouch forward a bit (with loose arms) and push like fark, then if it's a Strava segment I'll probably stand for the final 10% and make a face like a pigmy passing a pumpkin.

 

[lukesdad]

I stand on the flat.

 

[Saundie]

Some say that lukesdad has two pairs of kneecaps, and that his bicycle has no saddle.

 

[GrasB]

Having now been corrected..... a 5% incline is very much like Long Hill, Woodhead etc. It's a long drag, and you'll be far faster sitting down than standing and grinding. If you get a 'bump' on the climb, then it's sometimes advantageous to get out of the saddle and welly it over the bump, then settle back in. You will also be faster sat down on this type of gradient.

Depends on the ave power if you're going much above FTP then actually it'll be quicker to alternate between standing in a low position & sitting, even on going down hill

 

[400bhp]

More often than not people that claim that climbing out of the saddle is terribly inefficient and/or slow are those that never do it. They maybe try it from time to time and decide it puffs them out so it's no good. But like most things, it requires practice. Do it often and you might find you can climb hills equally quickly either way, which is a nice option to have. And when hills get really steep such that you cadence likely drops <60rpm I believe there's actually nothing in it in efficiency terms and personally I find climbing at low cadence works better for me if I'm out of the saddle.

Of course for a 1 in 20 you should have plenty low enough gears to spin away happily...

+1

And see Fossy's reply - rider dependant.

Contador for example.

Me, another example [don't include me anywhere near the same sentence as Bertie though]

 

[fossyant]

For the first 90% of a hill climb I'll shift back in my seat slightly, crouch forward a bit (with loose arms) and push like f***, then if it's a Strava segment I'll probably stand for the final 10% and make a face like a pigmy passing a pumpkin.

Wrong - you've probably lost some speed in that last 10% on the strava segment. It's something I do, and having analysed one of my KOM's I can say, as soon as I jump out of the saddle, I drop speed compared to the other 5 below me - best sit down and just die over the top.

 

[fossyant]

Depends on the ave power if you're going much above FTP then actually it'll be quicker to alternate between standing in a low position & sitting, even on going down hill

Aye, I'm an in/out of the saddle person.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Wrong - you've probably lost some speed in that last 10% on the strava segment. It's something I do, and having analysed one of my KOM's I can say, as soon as I jump out of the saddle, I drop speed compared to the other 5 below me - best sit down and just die over the top.

Ooh, I need that 'duly noted' button again I'm going to give it a go though!

 

[black'n'yellow]

drop it down two gears before getting out of the saddle - that should give you the approx same speed for a marginally lower cadence......

 

[fossyant]

Ooh, I need that 'duly noted' button again I'm going to give it a go though!

Have a look at one of the strava comparison sites - can't remember which one, very enlightening some of the data. One KOM I have is about 1 mile long, all slightly down hill, a bump in the middle then a short sharp climb at the end. Through all the segment I'm pulling away from everyone, but on that last climb, where I jumped out the saddle and hammered it, sees me lose a couple of seconds.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm going on a test ride tomorrow on a bicycle that actually has some gears, so I'll try keeping my bum in the seat. On my single speed when the backs of my thighs catch fire it's incredibly tempting to stand and use the fronts instead!

 

[GrasB]

It's something I do, and having analysed one of my KOM's I can say, as soon as I jump out of the saddle, I drop speed compared to the other 5 below me - best sit down and just die over the top.

Then you're doing it wrong! When I look at my performance when transitioning in & out of the saddle all I see is a cadence change, the power & speed say the same.

 

[fossyant]

Then you're doing it wrong! When I look at my performance when transitioning in & out of the saddle all I see is a cadence change, the power & speed say the same.

It's most likely as I was totally spent

 

[400bhp]

Most folks aren't doing it "wrong". You have to find your own way when climbing on a bike.

 

[Berties]

Most folks aren't doing it "wrong". You have to find your own way when climbing on a bike.

Many a true word said,and depends on your bike,my flat bar I spend more time out of the saddle on hills where as my carbon road bike stay in the saddle