Out of the saddle position

carl_p

The classic front cover magazine pose is out of the saddle hands on the drops. Is this the correct way for hill climbing or sprinting? Only I tried this at the weekend on a gradient and seemed to get in a right muddle, knees hitting forearms, couldn't see where I was going...

When should I be using this position and any tips for good technique?

nferrar

I rarely use it for climbing but most sprinting is done like that, climbing is generally better with your hand gripping the hoods.

teagar

Do whatever feels most comfortable when going uphill.

PostieJohn

but don't swing from side to side.
As much fun as it is, even though it reminds you of being 10 years old, it's a waste of energy.

duncanw

Don't think I've ever seen anyone out of the saddle, on the drops and climbing.

As has already been said the drops are used for sprinting but also for descending fast.

CyclingBantam

Pantani used to attack like that on the climbs I think.

Having said that so did (P)ricco, unsurprisingly.

graeme_s-2

duncanw wrote:

Don't think I've ever seen anyone out of the saddle, on the drops and climbing.

I'll sometimes do it if I'm riding into a head wind.

DomPro

I only ever use the drops for descending. It gives better access to the brakes and I can squeeze them harder that I can on the hoods. Plus a lower centre of gravity gives better and safer control on fast descents. Can't say I've ever used the drops for climbing. I actually tend to use the horizontal bit in the middle of the bars near the stem when churning away up a hill.

nasahapley

I quite often use the drops on long climbs - I think it may allow me to get my upper body involved a bit more, and to get my centre of gravity a bit further forward on really steep stuff (I prefer to stay seated if at all possible). Otherwise, like DomPro I'll be on the flat bit near the stem - I only really use the hoods on the flat. Don't think there's a right or wrong answer though - horses for courses really.

duncanw

BenBlyth wrote:

Pantani used to attack like that on the climbs I think.

Having said that so did (P)ricco, unsurprisingly.

Attacking is a bit different, it's more or less a sprint to get away.

CyclingBantam

Exactly. That was what the original question was about!? :?

Monty Dog

Unless you're Marco Pantani or Damiano Cunego, I'd leave climbing on the drops to the race-heads - it requires a lot of core body strength in comparison to keeping your hands on the hoods. Pantani's bike had a longer headtube to make it easier for him too. For general riding, get out of the saddle to use your body weight to give you more leverage on the pedals and open-out your chest and lungs - at slow climbing speeds, being in a low crouch is more of an impediment.

ride_whenever

As has said, hoods.

Set your bike into something like 42/46-16 then try a 7% hill, that should quite quickly teach you proper standing up hill climbing.

teulk

Doesnt "swinging from side to side" let you put more pressure so to speak on the pedals ? Hard to explain what i mean..........

GeorgeShaw

There's a difference between swinging the bike around like a kid and using your arm and upper body muscles to lever on the bars, which is what I think you mean.

thiscocks

I always stay on the tops. Depends whats comfortable. If your comfortable climbing on the drops, then do it. If not, dont!

Bhima

Carl_P wrote:

seemed to get in a right muddle, knees hitting forearms, couldn't see where I was going...

You're probably leaning too far forward, which is only natural when getting used to this new position. Try and keep your weight centred over the pedals for more efficient power transfer. If you lean too far forward, you lose power and put loads of tension on your wrists. Either that, or your bike/saddle height is too small, causing your knees to hit your arms.

I climb out of the saddle on the drops only when there's a headwind on the hill i'm climbing, although I tend to stay seated and use the position for the final stretch of the climb as I approach the top.

schlepcycling

Doesn't it depend on what you're climbing?, I've 'climbed' on the drops on a short sharp power over the top kind of climb but for 'proper' climbing usually seated with hands on the tops or for a change of pace or when hit with a change of gradient or a corner/hairpin I may get out of the saddle and grip the hoods. But as others have said if it works for you then go with it.

carl_p

I currently have my hands on the hoods when climbing and that seems quite comfortable and does the job in that I never fallen off. I'll try it again with my backside centred more over the seat on a level surface and see how it goes.

The mixed response suggests it is not a huge issue and the guys in the magazines are just trying to look good for the photos

dennisn

For me "out of the saddle" anything(climbing, sprinting) is not something that is done for any real length of time or distance. Oh sure, you see plenty of "action" shots and video
clips of guys "out of the saddle" sprinting for the finish line or trying to pull away on a climb but it usually only lasts a moment or two. No one(that I know of) does really long climbs or even long rides standing. It's mostly sitting. Now I have heard of one person who rode a bike from San Francisco to LA without a seat or seat post. Obviously a
lunatic of some sort. Anyway in the grand scheme of things "out of the saddle" is NOT where you will spend most of your time.

Dennis Noward

johnbirkby46213

If I stand up on hills, my chest feels as if its about to explode and I think I can feel my blood pressure going sky high (that would be my non-medical explanation of the feeling!) Sometimes I do stand for a very short while and almost always regret it afterwards as I seem to take ages to recover from it.
Mind you, as a mid 50's, non-racing cyclist maybe that's only to be expected?

STEFANOS4784

I'll put me tuppeny worth in but probably worth less:

Standing, climbing i go hoods and lean over the bars trying to keep back as strait as i can(really trying(I can almost do one of my target hills fully standing but long way to go still)), then when my legs feel like acid balls I sit down and go to the flats but cadence drops significantly. D
Drops i use for flat sprinting and curling up in a ball on descents

FCE2007

I stand for little bumps (motorway/railway bridges etc) to keep the momentum but most definitely sit and spin on the longer climbs.
I might share the same barber as Il Pirata (RIP) but that's where the similarity ends

roger_merriman

i'm more used to MTB's so i'm quite happy standing or sitting, to be honest. i normally sit as on the whole it a better way of climbing. though i'll stand on steep hills, to keep spinning.

pottssteve

"I actually tend to use the horizontal bit in the middle of the bars near the stem when churning away up a hill"

You're not telling me there's a bit on a bike that doesn't have a proper name?.

Steve_F

It's good training for the legs to have a standing up blast on the hills. I never did this on the old bike and when I tried on the new one I found that the muscles needed for that were no where to be found!

andy_wrx

I would climb out of the saddle but in the drops when it's a short charge up a rise - but that could be considered a sprint, just up/over a rise, rather than 'climbing'.

Personally I tend to climb seated with my hands either on the hoods or the tops, depending on steepness and whether I want my weight forward or back for traction.

I only tend to climb out of the saddle either when it's so steep I can't get up it seated or it's easier to do a short burst out of the saddle than to grind up seated for longer
- it uses far more energy than seated climbing.

But on long climbs - and I mean long climbs that go on for literally miles, like in the Alps rather than the usual shorter stuff we have in the UK - then doing a bit out of the saddle every now and again gives your legs a bit of a rest/recharge from seated climbing.

DomPro

pottssteve wrote:

"I actually tend to use the horizontal bit in the middle of the bars near the stem when churning away up a hill"

You're not telling me there's a bit on a bike that doesn't have a proper name?.

haha, you got me there. I still don't know the techy term for it. Probably the 'tops' maybe.

de_sisti

Carl_P wrote:

The classic front cover magazine pose is out of the saddle hands on the drops.

Why does the front cover of C+ always have a rider in such a pose?

andy_wrx

...usually tilted at 45-degrees ?

carl_p

Here ya go

http://www.bikeradar.com/bike-magazine-subscriptions

Everytime the front cover is like this and got me wondering if I was doing something wrong.

The pictue is tilted to give the impression he's going up hill when in reality it's just flat.