| Author |
Topic: Do you get out of the saddle on steep hills? |
juliemboyle
Cool Runner |
 posted Apr-30-2007 01:34 PM
  
Is there a general rule of thumb on this? Is it better to get out of the saddle, or stay seated?
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hobey
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 01:36 PM
Yep...only because I can't generate enough power to stay seated yet. More efficient to stay seated though.
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purple hayes
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 01:42 PM
I only get out of the saddle when my butt needs a rest.
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kristine25
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 01:43 PM
Julie;You read my mind. I was going to post this exact question today!! Thanks
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LeftRightRepeat
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 01:52 PM
[Hope this isn't a hijack...] quote:
Originally posted by hobey:
More efficient to stay seated though.
quote:
Originally posted by purple hayes:
I only get out of the saddle when my butt needs a rest.
So, you're thinkin' it's better to stay seated no matter what? Even when you're down the in your lowest granny gear? What about coming up from aero/drops? I mean... You go into the hill aero, you start down shifting, at some point you're going so slow aero doesn't help any more, can you get a little more power coming up onto the tops of the bars - even if you stay seated? When do you transition - based on speed? Gear?
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->>> John <<<-
Go write something in the Newbie Wiki!!
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imfl03
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 01:53 PM
It is more efficient to stay seated, but sometimes you have to pop up and pedal for a while to generate the extra power. Sometimes it's a good idsea to stand just to use different muscles.Stay seated and stand when you need to, or when you want to change muscle groups. Sheldon
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IMgomie
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 01:59 PM
Depends on the hill. If it's really short and steep I might stand up, but normally (99.9% of the time) I stay seated on all hills.I'm also never aero when going up hills. I like to be on my top bars and keep my chest open.
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mbannon
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 02:01 PM
I stand whenever I can't keep my cadence above 80 or so in my lowest gear. Sometimes I stand when I probably could stay seated, but I feel like I need to "stretch" for minute or two - good way to put a small hill to some use. I move my hands to the outer bars anytime my speed drops below 15 mph or so and I need some extra power. Another reason smalls hills are your friend. IMFL's bike course is my ultimate nightmare.
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Running To My Future
Me and My Log
The Newbie Wiki
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jroden
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 03:15 PM
Do a test with your speedometer and heart rate monitor on some different hills. I find generally staying in the saddle gets me over the top quicker, but still pop out sometimes to get my cadence back up or if I have to match an acceleration or netogiate a steep section like a switchback.Try some different positions on teh saddle and gearing to see what works best, somepeople spin, I'm more of a grinder. It's important to discipline yourself to sit in training if that's how you will race. Also, the tri geometry bike climb like crap out of the saddle, so you may as well sit.
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DawnT
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 03:20 PM
I stay seated through all climbs. I have 12-27 gearing in the back, though, so that gets me up just about everything. I'm also training for long course, so it's more about not blowing up than speeding through the course.Here's a great article from Rich Strauss on climbing: http://www.cruciblefitness.com/etips/Climbing.htm
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biketm
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 03:41 PM
I became a much stronger cyclist when I learned to stay seated going up hills. About the only time I stand is if I need a short rest or stretch. I also became stronger by pushing a harder gear most of the time, which makes hill climbing easier I think. Of course, where I life we don't have mountains, just some good size hills. Tim
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ussoccer
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 08:33 PM
Being able to stay seated while climbing is a sign of strength. The only reason you stand is because the gear you're trying to push while still seated is too tough. That's why you stand. The only other reason is if you're doing real roadie-type riding and looking to make a move past other riders on the hill.This is not to say that you should stay seated even if you really struggle to get up that hill. Rather, this is to say that if you have to stand when others are not, then you are probably weaker than they are on hills. And if you must stand on every hill, then you are weak on hills. Over time you will find that staying seated is not only more efficient, but it is also about the same speed as standing (if you're not standing and hammering). The hidden bonus and perhaps the most important aspect of staying seated is when you finally get to the top of the hill. You will find that you, having stayed in your seat, can begin spinning the hurt from your legs much quicker than those standing, and then push the pace very quickly afterwards while many of the standers are still recovering, because standing takes more out of you (also helps that standers tend to be in less hill shape, hence them standing), and this (over the top of the hill) is where you will gain immense time on your rivals.
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VictorN
Cool Runner |
posted Apr-30-2007 08:43 PM
I will pop out of the saddle on small hills if doing so allows me to keep my momentum. For example, if I'm cranking along in the big ring and getting out of the saddle for a few seconds allows me to pop over a hill without any loss of speed, then I will do so. In those situations, shifting down and staying in the saddle would cause me to slow down and re-accelerating would probably use more energy than maintaining my speed.I will also get out of the saddle for short stretches if I am climbing a long, steep hill, just to mix it up, stretch my legs, and use a different set of muscles for a little while. Victor ------------------
www.competitiverunner.com
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jkaiser20
Cool Runner |
posted May-01-2007 01:24 AM
During a normal ride I stay seated. I might stand for half a stroke as I move around in the seat quickly. I have tried in the past to mix it up more, but found it doesn't bring much. SO I sit. I also pull a bottle and drink during climbs without hesitation.I will sometimes do one rep during hill repeats standing. Talk about an absolute killer. Also down in the aerobars, also a killer. I also ride at 95-105 RPM on flat ground and usually above 80 RPM on hills, so grinding is not my style,sensitive knees. Thor's comments got me thinking. One spot I used to really lose time is in the transition from hill to flat/downhill. I used to tend to have a bit of a lull as my legs and mind were telling me 'I did it!', instead of 'shift and go, shift and go!' Now I try to think about that section as I get near it and make a little surge as I get over the top. My boss just told me story about a friend of his who was sitting at a point on a TdF mountain stage where the road transisitoned from very very steep to only very steep. He said it was amazing. The riders would be grinding up that montain after 100 miles of racing, hit that section where it was probably still over 6%, and all you could hear was clack, clack, clack, as they grabbed a few gears and took off. Jim
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juliemboyle
Cool Runner |
posted May-01-2007 07:12 AM
Thanks everyone! I never get out of my saddle as I feel wobbly and I prefer to sit, but I wasn't sure if you were better off standing up.......maybe that means my legs are pretty strong?  It's either that or the fear of wiping out that gets me over the hills!
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jroden
Cool Runner |
posted May-01-2007 07:20 AM
When you do get out of the saddle, it pays to use your arms and back to help you lever the bike up the hill--your rpm's will drop, so you may want to shift to one harder gear, heep your weight over the nose of the saddle and rock the bike from side to side a bit with your hands around the brake hoods--this is a good way to regain speed over the transition at the conclusion of a climb, put your bike in the big chainring and start running down the gears, popping out of the saddle to get the bigger gears going, sit down and spin them up the drop down another gear until you are really rolling.
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purple hayes
Cool Runner |
posted May-01-2007 07:41 AM
quote:
Originally posted by juliemboyle:
Thanks everyone! I never get out of my saddle as I feel wobbly and I prefer to sit, but I wasn't sure if you were better off standing up.......maybe that means my legs are pretty strong?
If you're uncomfortable out of the saddle, you may want to spend some time getting comfortable riding that way (standing). It definitely won't hurt your cycling.
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4boysmom
Cool Runner |
posted May-01-2007 09:52 AM
I used to stand going up just about every hill. Afterall, I started riding in Hancock County, OH which is flatter than a pancake. Overpasses are considered hills...A couple years ago I started riding with my youngest son on the tag-a-long. Standing throws the bike side to side. This would throw my son off the bike! Needless to say, I learned quickly to down shift and grind it up the hill! Even without him back there, I found myself staying seated more often. However, this year my oldest son and I found a great route that has a nice series of rollers. You can really get to hauling apples. Every once in a while I will stand to pop me over the crest. It's easier than shifting for a couple feet, only to need to shift again to hammer down the hill.
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