Do you stand up when climbing?

[Chris71]

I'd always assumed that standing on the pedals while climbing was a bit innefficient as a certain amount of effort is putting into moving your body weight around, but it does seem to work on some climbs.

Is this just because you're using slightly different muscle groups or is it genuinely better than spinning the gears from your seat for some situations?

[Rico]

Traction comes into it too. Standing up can move weight over front wheel more, or further back too.

Also depends on which bike. A hardtail up a hard packed surface can be pedalled quicker out of the saddle. Full susser in sandy conditions would be best in the saddle.

Experiment with what works for you. No hard and fast rules.

[atom111]

I tend to climb seated probably 99% of the time not sure if it's more or less efficent seated or standing, I'll watch the thread with interest.

[Marcellus]

doesn't it also depend on what sort of riding you're doing?

On a road bike then yes I find standing can help to give you a boost when flagging..different muscles change position etc etc really help on long climbs (most of the climbs in my route are at least 7.5miles of continuous drag)...that said when I'm losing the plot I'm also happy to sit at the back of my saddle and grind it out.

On a mountain bike (see my other topic to see whether this has any merit at all) but I think if you stand you run the risk of losing the weight and therefore traction of the rear wheel and end up on the floor (again)

[Moose.]

Always climb seated unless it's VERY steep (i.e. bearly able to walk up). If you get your saddle up nice and high, it's pretty easy to modulate your weight so you're not pulling the bars up or spinning up the rear wheel. Peddling standing up just feels like you're using too much engery in return for forward motion.

Edit to add: the above is for off road riding, although I would say I'd be the same on a road anyway

Edited by Moose. on Monday 2nd June 12:48

[Marcellus]

rico, moose and atom - are you all mountain bikers or roadies??

[prand]

Undoubtedly getting out of the saddle allows you to power up hills in a higher gear, so means you get to the top quicker but obviously uses more effort. On MTB tracks this is still an option but you have to be careful as you can put your bikes traction and stability all over the place - if it's steep I find the back wheel spins uselessly because there's not weight over it.

For a long incline on road or trail, I try and set a gear, sit tight and pedal away, only dropping gears if it steepens and I can't keep up the same (relatively high) cadence. I'll get out of the saddle on these climbs usually because my body feels like a change of position, and when I want to put a quick burst on - to get over a crest or the like.

This might just be me, but I don't often see XC riders in races out of the saddle, they just seem to grip grimly on to the handlebars and pump for dear life with weight over the rear. Whereas roadies seem to like going out of the saddle for a burst of speed (like in the sprints in the short stages) and to power away from the pack. I may be wrong but I'm sure I remember one Tour rider did the whole of Alpe D'Huez stage (40 mins?) standing up in the saddle and on the big cog, the crazy fit fecker!

For me it depends, and usually it depends on if I'm tired or not. For a short blast up a short but steep incline on my MTB, I find it best and quickest just to get out of the saddle & pump away.

On my single speed mtb Frankencommuter, I have to get out of the saddle on climbs as there are no lower gears - this can be a complete nightmare on long climbs, but I'm fitter for it!

Edited to make sense of my rambling

Edited by prand on Monday 2nd June 13:11

[WildCards]

I climb seated, unless on very hard surfaces and I can see the summit, in which case I might power to the top whilst standing using a higher gear than i'd normally be able to push. I'm an MTBer.

[Nick_F]

I never, ever got out of the saddle on the road with a triple, but with a 53/39 double I find I run out of gears occasionally and have to push harder - generally only up short, steep ramps. Standing up makes a nice change and feels less stressful on the knees once the cadence drops to below 75 or so.

Off-road I have no idea.

[The Count]

I agree with Marcellus, it does help when flagging. I also do a bit of meandering (side to side in a half metre area) which helps on hard hills.

[dhutch]

Im a mountain biker and tend to climb (and decend) standing.
- Infact, i tend not to sit on the saddle at all tbh anytime.

That side, if im knackered, and its a lond steady climb, and the route smooth, i will raise the saddle upto a suitable possition, notch down three cogs. And go up like that.
- There also one place i ride with is 2miles return along a disused railway, and i get the saddle up and sit down for that too.



Daniel

[Rico]

Marcellus said:

rico, moose and atom - are you all mountain bikers or roadies??

mountain biker at the moment, but having sampled a Cervelo R3 for a fortnight, I'm seriously tempted by one...

[Graeme_Gman]

I tend to stay seated too, unless it is really steep and need to get a bit more power down. Generally get too much wheel slip while standing though.

[threesixty]

yes because im pushing

[pawsmcgraw]

As a roadie and a mtber is tend to do both in equal measures over a climb.Find a rythem, loose it, stand up, find a rythem and loose it,sitdown, repeat.If i'm climbing into a major headwind i always stay seated though, or if i'm over 25kph on long not steep drags

[Chris71]

Just curious, not looking for a correct way of doing it.

I'm a mountainbiker and I try to stay in the saddle as much as possible going up hill (possibly spend more time out of it going back down) but I do stand occasionally - when I need maximum torque to clear something in a high gear or just 'when I feel like it'. I suspect the latter is technically when I want to take some pressure off the normal muscle groups. Possibly analysing this a bit too deep now, but I suppose it'll also change the balance between aerobic and anaerobic excercise for a bit - maybe you don't need to generate any extra oxygen for a quick sprint stood up...

[Marcellus]

chris - I don't think that there is a right way or wrong way.......

As I've never been overly keen on climbing I've been looking into it recently (having just moved to the alps) and I read that you should actually try and relax absolutely everything apart from your legs including arms

[prand]

After last night's experience - I realise that I also stand up when been I've in the saddle a couple of hours because I have sore arse!

[rhinochopig]

I will do both. There are some climbs on my route that have sections that are too steep to do seated so you have to hit them fast in a higher than normal gear and just blast up using momentum. If you don't maintain momentum though, you spin up the back wheel. Seated obviously gives more traction.

Horses for courses IMO

[hughjayteens]

Off road on my full susser, very rarely if ever stand as the granny ring is very low, and traction always goes before my legs when the going is tough.

On road (which I am new to) I currently sit too, but my colleague who is a very serious cyclist/triathlete (did the Fred Whitton recently and didn't stop once which I believe takes some doing!) advises me to stand much more so I use different muscles, and also get some real power in the climbs, where traction isn't an issue, and the gearing is much higher.

Quite an alien technique for me at present, but watch Le Tour and they all spend a LOT of time out of the saddle.