is it core i need ?

[jim55]

my climbing is rubbish and whenever im out the saddle the bike feels as if its all over the place ,iv watched a few riders climbing and when they are out of the saddle the bike hardly moves from sise to side whereas im all over the shop ,i mentioned this to a good rider and all he said was its a diff set of muscles used in that pos ,what do i need to practice cos i feel as if iv very little control of it ,i go to the gym a bit and am prob quite strong but in other areas i guess
other than riding hills anything i can work on off the bike ?

 

[cyberknight]

I would say core and upper body, what do you mean by throwing the bike about? as long as you are overcoming the q factor(distance between pedals) anything extra side to side is a waste.

 

[lulubel]

You might be in too high a gear when you get out of the saddle. I find this causes me to throw my weight from side to side, and consequently the bike's all over the place. Technique might play a part in it too. I found I got much better at keeping the bike straight as I practiced more.

 

[derrick]

Just practise, it will come.

 

[jim55]

just practice ,i thought as much ,it was really obvious yest cos the guy in front of me was dead smooth climbing ,his bike was barely moving side to side ,it cant b gearing as he was on a fixed (48*14!!!),my cadence was higher than his but technique wise i was like a drunk man lol

 

[HLaB]

just practice ,i thought as much ,it was really obvious yest cos the guy in front of me was dead smooth climbing ,his bike was barely moving side to side ,it cant b gearing as he was on a fixed (48*14!!!),my cadence was higher than his but technique wise i was like a drunk man lol

Practice is indeed the right answer but I bet your fixie mate didn't start on a relatively high gear when he was a beginner. IIRC you are running a 39-20; do the little things you can to get going (lowering gears, lightening) to get going and practice a bit after that.

 

[qwiksilver]

i found when climbing hills the diff techniques suit diff body shapes ppl with shorter arms in relation to the length of thier body tend to move side to side more whereas ppl with longer arms seem very straight and the only thing i get from this is how far forward they lean when riding out the saddle, so i guess its like the further forward you lean the more wieght you place on your bars and this transfers into sideways movement(as your wieght shifts opposite to your pedal strokes), i have shorter arms and longer legs in relation to my body length and found when out of the saddle if i try not to lean forward as much i dont apply as much wieght to my handlebars and my bike stays more upright different ppl will find thier own way but thats what i have found from my experience with climbing.

 

[Tomba]

Jim, best tip I've read for climbing is to relax your upper body. When your tensing the arms, shoulder and chest you could be too rigid and the bike gets thrown side to side which is exerting too much energy. Also the tense upper body allegedly restricts breathing.

 

[fossyant]

Now't wrong with honking it ! If you can't climb out of the saddle comfortably for a 'while' then some core strength is needed - Certainly more 'hill work'. I still need work on my core, but am always comfortable out of the saddle. Just don't throw your weight around !

One thing I notice is:-

5 days a week I'm riding my fixed with 42cm bars, 3-4 cm less reach (deliberate), and with laden panniers. Means the bike is quite neutral in handling and out of the saddle is easy due to weight at the back stopping the bike moving much. Jump on my road bikes, 38cm bars (old school 40) and 3-4cm longer reach, then I find the bikes can't half lurch about when out of the saddle - all that unladen weight. This settles down once I'm into the ride and have got 'used to them' again.

In my case, it's riding the road bikes more which helps.

 

[montage]

Just ride more hills and you and your body will figure it out. Make sure you maintain good form and the core will get a good workout

 

[MattHB]

I've only just started to enjoy hills. Since starting riding properly in October last year I've only just stopped avoiding hills on my routes.. I'm now seeking them out! It all turned when I went on a route I planned without checking the gradient.. It was one after the other.. I got round the 30 miles totally exhausted but holy crap I got a buzz after it was finished. Every hill since then has been seen with a different attitude and I've found my technique improving massively.. I'm no longer all over the place and I really enjoy the challenge.

Get out there and do as much hill work as you can, pick relentless routes once within your milleage abilities and in no time you'll be the guy in front.

 

[bicyclos]

I think there is a technique in dancing on the peddles when climbing hills, mixture of building strength, cadence and style which you develop as an individual. Some waddle like a duck and have a face like Jan Ulrich when climbing hills and others have....well got it and seem to ride like the road is flat.