Riding Style Question

bilsea159

With the improving weather I have rolled out the summer bike and my first ride is on the same 35 mile route I have been doing a couple of times a week on my winter bike. Whem I hit the hills on the winter bike I work through the gears but sit down. On my summer bike I find myself climbing out of the saddle, with the bike being light I can aceive this easily. My question then, is this riding style accepatable or should I be consider changing gearing, although out of the saddle I am climbing some pretty tough hills.

McBain_v1

All depends on whether you think that getting out of the saddle and dragging a big gear around is doing your knees any harm. Mostly I try and sit down and spin up hills but every now and again I need to get out the saddle and make some real effort. However, I reckon that getting out of the saddle for any prolonged amount of time is an inefficient way to climb, save it for when you are in extremis says I.

oldwelshman

I practise all styles of climbing on all types of climb Sometimes spin on low gear, sometimes out of saddle crunching, sometimes out of saddle, more upright sort of in between spinnning and crunching
It is better to be able to do all as you will probably need to do all if you do sportive or race.