Out-the-saddle climbing techniques

Cubic

Hi, I just have a few questions about the best technique for climbing out of the saddle:

1. If you're spinning away while seated and then jump out of the saddle, do you stay in the same gear or change to a harder one?

2. Following on from Q1, do you want your cadence when out of the saddle to remain the same as when seated?

3. Do you to keep a circular pedalling motion when out of the saddle or do you stamp the pedals down?

4. Should the bike be swinging left and right as you pedal?

I think that's everything! Thanks in advance for your help.

bompington

After a long ride I don't have the strength to climb out of the saddle, I just kind of fall off it

ride_whenever

You don't want to slam the bike around, very inefficient.

I find i can't maintain the same cadance standing up, but i'm probably a muppet!

Hence i tend to gear down, or wait for my cadence to drop before standing up.

Still pedal circles.



As for the best technique, I've found climbing is a bit like flying in the hitchikers guide, if you don't think about it then it is much easier. If i can get my brain to wander then i can climb hills without noticing out of the saddle in a lazy really smooth manner.

GeorgeShaw

Isn't the ideal style what the French call "souplesse"?

So (in the true euro-style where everything should appear effortless ...), you don't jump out of the saddle (which can be dangerous anyway as you will throw the bike backwards) but gradually and smoothly move from in to out-of-saddle. As cadence is generally faster when seated, then changing up (to a smaller sprocket on the cassette) when out of the saddle is normal. Pedalling circles is more efficient, and throwing your bike from left to right is wasting your energy, although using your arms to aid leverage is good.

Not that any of this is easy, but practising will make you a better rider.

ride_whenever

Core strength is also important to stabilise the bike laterally when pulling against the bars.

Stellite

One of the old pros said that the grip on the bars when seated and climbing was as gentle as a concert pianists touch on the keys!

Good core strength is a must when climbing.

I suppose you find your own comfortable style, out the saddle to get the momentum up then back down onto the saddle again.

Like the other guys have said, wobbling the bike around is very energy inefficient.

softlad

1. I will normally drop it one or two gears before getting out of the saddle

2. same ideally, but slightly lower is ok

3. not possible to keep a circular motion, for obviousl reasons...

4. I try to keep the bike as level as possible, transfer your bodyweight to each leg as you push down....

GeorgeShaw

softlad wrote:

3. not possible to keep a circular motion, for obviousl reasons...

Not if you watch the pros.

Sitting or standing, not pedalling circles must be less efficient, as you would be continually accelerating and decelerating the wheel rotation. That's why getting the right gear is more important standing, to get the optimum resistance, otherwise you'll either be grinding or falling over the gear.

Think of how you might accelerate out of the saddle on the flat from, say, 50% to 75% effort. You should be spinning the crank, not jumping on it.

Like I said, not necessarily easy, but better.

softlad

GeorgeShaw wrote:

Think of how you might accelerate out of the saddle on the flat from, say, 50% to 75% effort. You should be spinning the crank, not jumping on it.

that works for you, does it..? I find it very hard to maintain a circular pedalling motion if my ar5e is not in the saddle.....

El Imbatido

When im seated and climbing i usually get out of the saddle if im starting to lose my rhythm or when im trying to put the hurt on others. The only time i climb the entire climb out of the saddle is short steep climbs that i try to power up otherwise its seated 90+ rpm all the way up.

Thats whats comfortable for me. Most important do whats comfortable for you

roger_merriman

I stand out of the saddle for various reasons, if it's a short snap of a climb which i can't be bothered to shift down a chain ring for, i stand up and boot it to sprint/power up it.

for a longer climb steeper climb and or i'm tired i'll stand up, but i'll use lower gears and less power and smoother.

but normally i stand for extra oompth.

GeorgeShaw

softlad wrote:

GeorgeShaw wrote:

Think of how you might accelerate out of the saddle on the flat from, say, 50% to 75% effort. You should be spinning the crank, not jumping on it.

that works for you, does it..? I find it very hard to maintain a circular pedalling motion if my ar5e is not in the saddle.....

Only on the first serious hill, I'm normally too knackered after that

Like I said, look at the pros for the ideal, then try to get fit and good enough to copy them. I'm a long way from that yet.

holmeboy

Mark Cavendish looked really "ineffiecent" as he "wobbled" his way over the line on stage 2 of the tour! I tend to go faster uphill when I'm out of the saddle going uphill with the bike going side to side. Not that I'm that fast uphill.

Infamous

holmeboy wrote:

Mark Cavendish looked really "ineffiecent" as he "wobbled" his way over the line on stage 2 of the tour! I tend to go faster uphill when I'm out of the saddle going uphill with the bike going side to side. Not that I'm that fast uphill.

let's hope he was pedalling circles

softlad

GeorgeShaw wrote:

Like I said, look at the pros for the ideal, then try to get fit and good enough to copy them.

thanks - I'll bear that in mind....

chrisw12

I'm lucky enough to now have a power meter and a long climb (approx. 18 mins Rhigos) and time to do a fair bit of training/testing and this is what I've found so far.

My best power up the Rhigos was set by doing the first 10 mins standing then I had to sit down to recover slightly then stood back up, then I yo-yoed up and down.

The next attempt I did seating and my power was significantly lower but the time wasn't that far different (slightly slower.)

So my interpretations for ME, standing will give me a significant power boost but this extra power will not significantly mean a better time. I also find that this power boost doesn't really cost me, up until a point. As I said with training I was able to stand pretty comfortably for about 10 mins.

So standing on climbs for me is a no win no loose situation and I will be carrying on standing on climbs if for no other reason that it gives the muscles a break.

iain_j

I usually click up a gear when going out of the saddle to keep my cadence the same, likewise click down when sitting down again. I used to try to keep the bike steady under me but I find it more comfortable to let it swing slightly left and right, but not thrashing it about - I felt I was keeping my arms and upper body too tense trying to keep the bike steady. Pedalling in circles? Depends on how steep the hill is. Steeper = more likely to heave the pedals up and down.

Airwave

Infamous wrote:

holmeboy wrote:

Mark Cavendish looked really "ineffiecent" as he "wobbled" his way over the line on stage 2 of the tour! I tend to go faster uphill when I'm out of the saddle going uphill with the bike going side to side. Not that I'm that fast uphill.

let's hope he was pedalling circles

I have a square BB axel so i tend pedal in a square motion,when i get a round BB axel i hope to be pedaling in circles.I also climb on to the top of the saddle when i climb hills,it's not so quick but i get a lovely view

holmeboy

Airwave wrote:

Infamous wrote:

holmeboy wrote:

Mark Cavendish looked really "ineffiecent" as he "wobbled" his way over the line on stage 2 of the tour! I tend to go faster uphill when I'm out of the saddle going uphill with the bike going side to side. Not that I'm that fast uphill.

let's hope he was pedalling circles

I have a square BB axel so i tend pedal in a square motion,when i get a round BB axel i hope to be pedaling in circles.I also climb on to the top of the saddle when i climb hills,it's not so quick but i get a lovely view

Ha Ha Ha V funny! I have a six inch front wheel so it always feels like I'm going down hill! 8) :shock:

keyser_soze

I heard something about this a while ago in a documentary about Lance's training. They showed that only when going up roughly 10% or higher and at 95% of your total output is it worth getting out of the saddle - anything less than that and you waste more energy than you save. However, if you feel more comfortable doing it, then go for it, but be prepared to potentially waste more energy than you should like that!

Soni

Funny, i posted a thread on climbing a little while ago.....

I find it really comfortable and really natural and enjoy climbing out of the saddle.

I normally change up two gears before standing up, and then with my hands on the hoods, grip firmly, and lean the bike slightly from side to side on each half revolution of the cranks. I am able to achieve a really smooth and regular cadence, it just feels so natural to me to be out of the saddle when climbing.

I am able to get up the hills a hell of a lot quicker this way.....i have 3 reall steep hills in the North Downs on my regular 16.5 mile circuit in the mornings, and seem to sprint up the hills using the above technique.