Standing up

rob0070

Looking for advice on standing up while climbing. I am resonably fit and commute 13 miles to work every day but still find it absolutely exhausting to stand up for any length of time. Is there a real technique or do I just need to get fitter ?

leyburnrunner

sitting up hills is far more economical than standing up which is used sparingly( ie to get up a particularly steep part of a hill ).

richard205

incorporate standing up for an entire hill....then increase the number of times you do it.

As leyburnrunner has already put sitting whilst climbing is the preferred method, but knowing you have the ability to stand up and push up the hill without blowing is good mentally, Especially if you go round a corner and it kicks up a bit more!

Your exercising a different muscle group when on the pedals and also if you're doing a very long ride its good to take the pressure of the butt cheeks for a few mins!

Bobbinogs

Yepp, as leyburnrunner says, try to think of standing as a turbo boost button. Gets you up to speed where needed or an extra bit of power when hitting an steep bit on a hill. Standing uses your fast twitch muscles which are built for speed/power not endurance.

pottssteve

I've found it easier since I've lost a bit of weight. As has been said, it gives you an extra boost (which can be useful if you then need to change down a cog!). Do little distances, and do a bit more each time you go out. Enjoy the burn!

Steve

datpat64

All previous posts very correct and I'd practice out of saddle sprints on the flat as well at intervals. This will help out of saddle tecnique on climbs and will also build stamina and power.

Most of all it just gets rid of the pain you get in your arse when your seated for mile after mile.

On long climbs you can actually stretch one leg at a time while out of saddle just to get blood running a little bit more. You lose a bit of momentum, but release some of the pain......

redvee

Select a higher gear and pedal a higher cadence when sitting for hills. I've done this and found hills easier not that I make a point of riding up hills.

thegreatdivide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6QvK1NXINY

P_Tucker

Christ there's a lot of bolleaux on here.

mikebikemike

good link tgd

cyco2

When you change from one form of aerobic exercise to another you'll find it needs time to get fit for it. Like, if you started running you would feel unfit until your body had adjusted. So, if you want out of the saddle fitness you have to work at it. It is a very good cardiovascular work out and takes time to adjust. Many years ago when I was starting cycling somebody said to me you don't want to climb standing up because you use more oxygen. To right you do, and so I always endeavoured to stand up on a climb because in time I found I was fitter which meant I was going to be faster climbing. You'll get master it in time and really enjoy it.

bobtbuilder

redvee wrote:

Select a higher gear and pedal a higher cadence when sitting for hills. I've done this and found hills easier not that I make a point of riding up hills.

WHS ^^^

Higher gear, fairly low cadence & practice.

amaferanga

I don't agree that honking up hills should be a last resort at all. Staying seated probably is marginally more efficient for less steep hills, but as they get steeper and as your cadence drops there's little if anything in it. I suspect that those that think that honking is less efficient never do it and therefore they find it exhausting. If you climb out of the saddle regularly then in efficiency terms there'll be little to choose between the two techniques.

P_Tucker

amaferanga wrote:

I don't agree that honking up hills should be a last resort at all. Staying seated probably is marginally more efficient for less steep hills, but as they get steeper and as your cadence drops there's little if anything in it. I suspect that those that think that honking is less efficient never do it and therefore they find it exhausting. If you climb out of the saddle regularly then in efficiency terms there'll be little to choose between the two techniques.

Indeed. The record for climbing Alpe d'Huez was accomplished standing up.

Slack

It is worth noting that when standing, you're transferring your whole body weight onto the legs, you're making the legs work harder. This results in an elevated heart rate and therefore uses up more energy.

Amaferanga says there is a marginal difference in efficiency between standing and seated climbing - fair enough for you maybe, but it is clearly not the case for the OP, where there certainly appears to be difference.

For ultimate efficiency you need to consider your power to weight ratio. Shed some body weight and get down the gym.

P_Tucker

Slack wrote:

It is worth noting that when standing, you're transferring your whole body weight onto the legs, you're making the legs work harder. This results in an elevated heart rate and therefore uses up more energy.

Amaferanga says there is a marginal difference in efficiency between standing and seated climbing - fair enough for you maybe, but it is clearly not the case for the OP, where there certainly appears to be difference.

For ultimate efficiency you need to consider your power to weight ratio. Shed some body weight and get down the gym.

I couldn't make that up if I tried. Bravo.

thegreatdivide

P_Tucker wrote:

Indeed. The record for climbing Alpe d'Huez was accomplished standing up.

And on EPO

andrewjoseph

For most people, even the pro's, heart rate climbs a few beats as soon as you stand up and pedal. It has been proved that staying seated uses less energy, standing up produces more power.

However, in a race, speed is sometimes more important than efficiency, which is why you see some riders standing on the pedals to climb. Either to gain distance on rivals or keep in contention with them.

If standing was more efficient, you'd never see a rider sitting on the saddle.

For ordinary riders like myself, staying seated for most climbs and for most of a climb, is the sensible option. I stand to give myself a break from sitting, to use different muscles for a while, or to push myself harder for a short time.

Depending on the ride, short, long, easy, hard, I will stand and 'sprint' up some hills (or parts of hills), or will stay in the saddle for most of the time, especially on long rides with lots of hills.

Physiology plays a part, some people can climb for longer standing, training plays a bigger part, you can condition yourself to climb standing for longer.

But sitting always uses less energy than standing.

amaferanga

andrewjoseph wrote:

For most people, even the pro's, heart rate climbs a few beats as soon as you stand up and pedal. It has been proved that staying seated uses less energy, standing up produces more power.

However, in a race, speed is sometimes more important than efficiency, which is why you see some riders standing on the pedals to climb. Either to gain distance on rivals or keep in contention with them.

If standing was more efficient, you'd never see a rider sitting on the saddle.

For ordinary riders like myself, staying seated for most climbs and for most of a climb, is the sensible option. I stand to give myself a break from sitting, to use different muscles for a while, or to push myself harder for a short time.

Depending on the ride, short, long, easy, hard, I will stand and 'sprint' up some hills (or parts of hills), or will stay in the saddle for most of the time, especially on long rides with lots of hills.

Physiology plays a part, some people can climb for longer standing, training plays a bigger part, you can condition yourself to climb standing for longer.

But sitting always uses less energy than standing.

Nobody said it was more efficient, just that it wasn't significantly less efficient.

Can you point me to this proof that staying seated is significantly more efficient and uses significantly less energy?

andrewjoseph

amaferanga wrote:

...

Nobody said it was more efficient, just that it wasn't significantly less efficient.

Can you point me to this proof that staying seated is significantly more efficient and uses significantly less energy?

Can you define significant?

Even a 1% difference is important to a professional over a 4-6 hour ride. Try googling for cycling research. I'll see what I can find without typing in pages from my coaching magazines.

solosuperia

Got to have my tuppence worth here, I believe it depends on your body type ecto, endo etc.
If you are a heavier rider then I guess standing is not an easy option.
As a lighter rider my technique for the more testing climbs was dance for a few hundred yards, sit down for a few hundred. Depending on the nature of the climb a sort of rhythm imposed itself!
Look to some of the well known climbers Bahamontes, Charly Gaul, Pantani, Robert Millar to name just a few................
They all were seen to do a bit of dancing, I'm not sure of this but lurking somewhere in my skull is the thought that standing up is like selecting a slightly lower gear!
Cheers

sheffsimon

Does anybody really think about these things when training/racing? Overthinking it IMHO if you do.

I find that if I want to power up a short hill, or maintain my speed when a hill kicks a bit, I stand up. If its a long climb I stay sat down. But I dont think about deciding to sit down or stand up, its just something I do.

andrewjoseph

i'm not saying these support or disprove my contention, but this is what a short search found:


http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0045.htm

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=4512

http://velonews.competitor.com/2002/04/coaches-panel/training-bible-studies-with-joe-friel-7_2006

http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Should_You_Sit_or_Stand_When_Riding_Uphill_.htm

Note that some of these studies were short term, i.e. less than ten minutes.

I admit that some of this reading is not what I have expected, but none is that recent either.

More research is called for.

amaferanga

andrewjoseph wrote:

amaferanga wrote:

...

Nobody said it was more efficient, just that it wasn't significantly less efficient.

Can you point me to this proof that staying seated is significantly more efficient and uses significantly less energy?

Can you define significant?

Even a 1% difference is important to a professional over a 4-6 hour ride. Try googling for cycling research. I'll see what I can find without typing in pages from my coaching magazines.

I guess by significant I mean a difference that you would notice somehow (though quite how you'd notice I'm not sure). But even if staying seated is more efficient during a given part of a ride, the fact that different muscle groups are being used could actually help over the course of the ride. Using a few extra kJ won't make a jot of difference in the real world.

rick_chasey

The more you do it, the better you'll be at it, so practice.

It's nice to be able to switch between the two, especially going uphill - it just gives some of your muscles a little recovery.

For what it's worth, I find it feels much more natural when you're on an incline.

Bar Shaker

I train for standing in the spin studio at the gym. I have got up to doing an hour out of the saddle at the gym, in the past, which translates to being able to tackle any hill I have ever come across.

I must get back to that level of fitness.

JST

mmm, think I might practice climbing out of the saddle more then. Currently I only stand if the hill gets too steep for my lowest gear ratio/fitnes or it is a very short hill and I want to maintain a fast speed after a downhill or fast flat. Think it would be good to be able to vary my position more on long climbs...

Hinzy9

Not an expert. All I know is that I would never make it up some hills like winnats pass without spending at least 25% of the climb out the saddle.

Standing up gives the 'normal' muscle groups an essential rest....

Slack

P_Tucker wrote:

Slack wrote:

It is worth noting that when standing, you're transferring your whole body weight onto the legs, you're making the legs work harder. This results in an elevated heart rate and therefore uses up more energy.

Amaferanga says there is a marginal difference in efficiency between standing and seated climbing - fair enough for you maybe, but it is clearly not the case for the OP, where there certainly appears to be difference.

For ultimate efficiency you need to consider your power to weight ratio. Shed some body weight and get down the gym.

I couldn't make that up if I tried. Bravo.

Said the Bikeradar forum troll.

When you start real cycling with the grown ups, I suggest you try climbing hills out of the saddle, and see what difference it makes to your heart rate, compared with going up the hill seated.

I'm finding you a particularly unpleasant individual. I could be wrong of course, and it may be you're just a bad communicator. All the same I do not ever recall seeing a genuinely helpful or useful post from yourself.

Suggest you cut out the one line snide remarks.

Thebigbee

I never stand up.

It is better fitness to stay planted.

rockster100

I'm doing Alp d'Huez a week on Tuesday....! I'll try both standing and sitting. When I'm released from hospital, I'll post on here which was the most beneficial.....!!!!!