How do you stop the rear end of the bike from bouncing around when you are standing to climb a hill?
My legs are definitely getting stronger and now I can stand to climb the full length of a number of hills around my area that previously I could only spin on. But I noticed that when I am standing and maintaining a decent cadence and speed, the rear end seemed light and sometimes would feel as though it's bouncing around when the surface has some uneveness.
I am not sure if this is to be expected or if there's a problem with my technique? I am wondering if the upstroke pull on the crank, which I am doing more and more of, is affecting the weight distribution? Could it be a hardware issue eg. Tyre pressure (normally 110 psi)?
I get this as well. I think it is just technique. I find if I move back a little it stops (of course) or just put more into downstroke than upstroke. Uphill out of saddle you move forwards and pull up more.
But seriously, given the standing position, could the stem length be an issue also? Or even the hand grip position (over the brifters)? I guess a shorter stem would send more weight towards the rear. Then again, it would screw up the normal riding position. Alternatively, maybe one should lean back a bit, but then, that's not natural nor efficient for the climb.
You have got me thinking though. I'll try a few different ways especially your suggestion to put in more effort in the downward leg and see what happens.
I used to have this happen a lot. If I really cranked on the pedals I could bounce the rear wheel all over the place on the upstroke. That was before I noticed that when climbing out of the saddle my upper body was really tight because I was resting a lot of my weight on the handlebars and moving my hips pretty far in front of the seat, which moved a lot of my weight toward the front wheel. So loosen up, relax, and let the bike sway side to side as it wants, and position your hips back a bit farther. Any extraneous tension is just a waste of energy. Problem is, good efficient form often goes to sh$t when you're tired.
I am not sure how natural it is to stick one's bottom rearward.
I think position is more to blame than technique, and that you probably need to shift your body rearwards some. On MTBs the problem can become far more extreme, since climbs can be steeper, and surface looser than generally encountered by road riders. Might be a good training method for your troubles, can you ride a dirt trail climb w/o spinning out you shouldn't have any problems on road surfaces.
