Hills: sitting or standing?
- Thread starter dbaldwin
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I sit and I stand. All hills are different. Typically on long climbs you'll have to sit. It's a tough thing to ride out of the saddle for any length of time.
There are different muscle groups used for both types of riding/climbing.
Sometimes it's a bit of a break to bust out of the sallde and stand for a while while climbing, giving those sit down muscles a bit of a rest. The one thing to keep in mind is that gear selection is most critical when out of the saddle. If the gear is to low or big, depending how you view it, your spin could be to fast. A spin to fast will cause you to hang over the bars using your uppper body to hold you up. A slow spin and ya just don't have the horses to hawl you over the hill.
All hills are differnt. You have to evaluate each hill as you approach them.
I ride hilly routes exclusively.
Take a look at the pros. They ride both in and out of the saddle. Mix it up. You'll see after time that some hills are best attacked out of the saddle some in the saddle and still some a combination of both.
You'll also notice that if you change from sitting to standing in mid hill, a gear change will most likely also be necessary.
One more thing...."ATTACK" hills. You'll be a better cyclist.
Have fun.
There are different muscle groups used for both types of riding/climbing.
Sometimes it's a bit of a break to bust out of the sallde and stand for a while while climbing, giving those sit down muscles a bit of a rest. The one thing to keep in mind is that gear selection is most critical when out of the saddle. If the gear is to low or big, depending how you view it, your spin could be to fast. A spin to fast will cause you to hang over the bars using your uppper body to hold you up. A slow spin and ya just don't have the horses to hawl you over the hill.
All hills are differnt. You have to evaluate each hill as you approach them.
I ride hilly routes exclusively.
Take a look at the pros. They ride both in and out of the saddle. Mix it up. You'll see after time that some hills are best attacked out of the saddle some in the saddle and still some a combination of both.
You'll also notice that if you change from sitting to standing in mid hill, a gear change will most likely also be necessary.
One more thing...."ATTACK" hills. You'll be a better cyclist.
Have fun.
As Bikey Guy said. it's tough climbing out of the saddle - all the more reason for doing it. I tried staying out of the seat for prolonged periods on hills to push the intensity higher. Sitting down was the easier way out.
One thing about hills is they're tough on the knees. If you're riding fast on the flat there is absolutely minimal knee strain. However, during climbs, the knees do feel the strain a lot more but standing takes some of it off.
One thing about hills is they're tough on the knees. If you're riding fast on the flat there is absolutely minimal knee strain. However, during climbs, the knees do feel the strain a lot more but standing takes some of it off.
dbaldwin said:
dbaldwin said:
You can produce more torque standing but it takes more energy and you wear down faster.
Sitting generally takes less energy. You can alternate by standing for 30 seconds or so to increase your cadence and then sit down while maintaining a high cadence and then there is the factor of higher cadence at a lower gear or slower cadence at a higher gear ratio. The terrain can dictate the technique
Figure out which works best for you."great taste or less filling" The debate goes on.
I have good choices here hills or really big hills or mountains.
dbaldwin said:
I'd say in general, sit whenever you can comfortably. When you can no longer develop enough torque to keep climbing at the speed you want, then it's time to stand.
Riding rolling hills with a pack, or coming out of corners, I'll often stay in the big gear and stand up to get over as long as I can make it over in 30 seconds or so. When everyone else is getting out of the saddle to hammer up, that's my cue to do the same to prevent being dropped.
On long hills, I try to stay seated as long as possible to keep the HR down to 90% of max. When a long grade hits 15% or more, sitting is no longer possible for me; standing is the only option.
its good advice.dhk said:
I try and stand to stretch the muscles allow them to tense and contract in a different range of motion and change the blood flow to help remove the lactate when i can no longer stay seated. I've got no scientific evidence to back me up but its what I've been doing for years and i used to ride with some pretty switched on guys who said its the best way as dhk also says.
My two cents worth
It is the speed that you go at that really matters. Everyone has a limited power output capacity that they can sustain for 20 or 30 minutes climbing a long hill (hence a limited speed they can climb at). Generally you will be more efficient seated and use less energy for a given speed, however, when the hill gets too steep you have to slow down and your legs get very fatigued pedalling at very slow cadences on steep hills. I'm forced to stand on hills steeper than about 10% but I can keep going so long as I don't try and go too fast. A slow smooth pedalling motion whilst standing can be sustained for a long time.
The worst thing is trying to go too fast. If you get into serious oxygen defecit early in a long hill climb you are stuffed. Better to keep something in reserve and attack the last part of the climb when you have a downhill or flat to recover on.
Of course if I could loose 10% weight then I could go up about 10% faster.
Pat
It is the speed that you go at that really matters. Everyone has a limited power output capacity that they can sustain for 20 or 30 minutes climbing a long hill (hence a limited speed they can climb at). Generally you will be more efficient seated and use less energy for a given speed, however, when the hill gets too steep you have to slow down and your legs get very fatigued pedalling at very slow cadences on steep hills. I'm forced to stand on hills steeper than about 10% but I can keep going so long as I don't try and go too fast. A slow smooth pedalling motion whilst standing can be sustained for a long time.
The worst thing is trying to go too fast. If you get into serious oxygen defecit early in a long hill climb you are stuffed. Better to keep something in reserve and attack the last part of the climb when you have a downhill or flat to recover on.
Of course if I could loose 10% weight then I could go up about 10% faster.
Pat
The effecient way of climbing is via seated method - sustains heart rate and keeps cadence going as long as you are amply fueled and have no problem maintaining tempo.
I normally get off the saddle to keep the pace up whenever I felt that the pace is slacking or simply to get over a small road 'bump'. As mentioned before, it produces more torque and power but it takes you out faster...
Pat
Last Hill ride: Fraser Hill, Malaysia
Gear used: 39 x 21/23 (seated) 53 x 23/21 (Stomp-Ouch!)
Climb distance: 20km
I normally get off the saddle to keep the pace up whenever I felt that the pace is slacking or simply to get over a small road 'bump'. As mentioned before, it produces more torque and power but it takes you out faster...
Pat
Last Hill ride: Fraser Hill, Malaysia
Gear used: 39 x 21/23 (seated) 53 x 23/21 (Stomp-Ouch!)
Climb distance: 20km
I'm also in the stay seated most of the time group. The exceptions, as already mentioned would be to stretch or when the grade is extremely steep.
I also sometimes stand on short hills (<100 yards) when riding at a fast pace. Instead of gearing down for the slope, I'll either stomp up it trying to maintain my "flat road" speed, or on occasion if it's steep enough, stand to maintain that speed.
It's one of those things you just have to develop a feel for. Like everyone else, if I stand too long I wear out, so I try to use the ability to get extra pedal force when I can make it pay off without paying the price too much... ie at the top of a slope or short steep hills.
John
I also sometimes stand on short hills (<100 yards) when riding at a fast pace. Instead of gearing down for the slope, I'll either stomp up it trying to maintain my "flat road" speed, or on occasion if it's steep enough, stand to maintain that speed.
It's one of those things you just have to develop a feel for. Like everyone else, if I stand too long I wear out, so I try to use the ability to get extra pedal force when I can make it pay off without paying the price too much... ie at the top of a slope or short steep hills.
John
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