Last night's training sesh

shinsplint
shinsplint Posts: 565
edited September 2011 in Training, fitness and health
On group training rides i've recently noticed that, more often than not, I tend to stay seated up minor climbs, unlike most of the other riders. The rest of the group seem to get out of the saddle more, even for minor climbs. So i've asked myself why this is. Am I missing out on something? Should I be getting out the saddle more, and using more muscle areas?

I just find it more comfortable to sit and push that bit harder, or drop a gear or two and spin it. Don't get me wrong, if I come to a hard climb I have no problems getting up and pushing hard, but for the minor climbs it just feels a waste of energy standing up and pushing. But maybe thats because its a weak area of mine.

So as an experiment on my 2 hour ride yesterday I decided to do most of the climbs out the saddle, not necessarily smashing it, just using different muscle areas etc.

As a result, I found that the 2nd hour of my workout was damned hard work. I was tired, and needing energy, with weak feeling legs :oops: Come night time my quads were suffering big style. Just not used to it I guess.

So where do I go from here? Working on my weakness seems a good idea. Or should I just ride however I feel is more efficient ?

Interested in your thoughts :)

Comments

  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Seated is biomechanically more efficient, however standing up will produce more absolute power.

    Do what you prefer.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • Cleat Eastwood
    Cleat Eastwood Posts: 7,508
    this from a local bike clubs advice, which i'm guessing was nicked form the power of the internets

    Stay seated as much as possible
    Although you develop more power while standing (you are taking advantage of all your upper body weight pushing down on the pedals), you also use 10 to 12 per cent more energy as your pelvis isn’t in contact with the saddle, which means more work for your core and back muscles as you pull up on the unweighted pedal. The net effect is more energy used (less efficient) to climb standing versus to climb seated.
    On short climbs, the length of a football field or less, it makes little difference. But on longer climbs, stay in the saddle and spin at 80-85 RPM. This is particularly so if you are heavier as standing puts just that much more weight on your leg muscles, while sitting uses the seat to help take the extra upper body weight off your legs.
    That having been said, on long, fairly steep climbs, it may provide a break to alternate sitting and standing to employ different muscle groups. Just before you stand, shift to the next smaller cog, then shift back when you sit. These gear changes will help you maintain a steady pace during cadence changes.
    And if you are going to stand, let the bike rock side to side under you – an arc of maybe six inches side-to-side. And don’t lean too far forward. Stay back so that your weight is directly over the crank.
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • shinsplint
    shinsplint Posts: 565
    Cheers lads.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Different people have different styles.

    I'm always in and out of the saddle. I find it rests different muscles in the legs.

    Don't be too concerned with the efficiency of standing or not.

    Even guys like me who are in and out of the saddle all the time, if you were to measure, still spend the vast majority of time in the saddle.

    Do what feels natural.

    Check it out

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7RgC9h8ess

    Ullrich versus Virenque and Pantani.
    _

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