STANDING UP...Whats the secret??

[imdeanna]

Is the secret in hip placement? foot movement?

I just can not pedal standing up! I dont' know if I am not correctly pivoting my hips....or if they should be still and just the legs move...or what, but I feel so 'liquid' standing up!

When I see others doing it...it looks very natural (and easy) but it feels very awkward...and less productive when I try it

Anyone have any hints?

[mimitabby]

you know, there's muscles involved, but it also has to do with the bike. I have had bikes that felt very WRONG to stand up on. My last two suddenly i could stand and pedal.

Also, i did some spin classes and we stood a lot in there this winter. That was helpful.

[bounceswoosh]

Is the secret in hip placement? foot movement?

I just can not pedal standing up! I dont' know if I am not correctly pivoting my hips....or if they should be still and just the legs move...or what, but I feel so 'liquid' standing up!

When I see others doing it...it looks very natural (and easy) but it feels very ackward...and less productive when I try it

Anyone have any hints?

Are you shifting up when you stand up? I typically go up one ring from wherever I am -- so if I'm in the middle ring sitting, I would shift to the big ring to stand up. If you're pedaling too small a gear, it definitely feels loosey-goosey.

[rij73]

I had that problem too until I realized that I was trying to stand in too low a gear. The gear needs to be really tough for you to feel stable when you are not used to standing on the bike. It's easiest to learn how to do it on the trainer first to learn a smooth standing pedal stroke. Then take it outside.

[LBTC]

Yes, bike geometry and gearing both make a difference. I'm definitely not a pro at it, but I can stand on my road bike from time to time and find it easiest when climbing a hill. I think shifting weight forward more onto my hands is part of the secret....

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[VeloVT]

I agree with what everyone is saying about gearing. One other thing... if you have come from a background of lots of spin classes... I have only taken a few spin classes, so I don't know if this is universal, but the way the instructor suggested we should stand and pedal was completely unlike how you ACTUALLY stand and pedal on a real bike -- she instructed everyone to stand over the saddle, keeping their butts as far back over the saddle as possible. This seemed really strange to me, because it's completely different than what you do on a bike... and if you tried this on a bike I think the balance would feel pretty strange. When you stand to pedal on a real bike, you do want to shift your weight forward -- which means shifting your pelvis up over the bottom bracket -- not "hovering" your hips over your saddle. I'm sure this spinning technique is helpful for building quad strength/endurance, it burns, but it doesn't really approximate how it feels to stand and pedal on a real bike. (If you "hover" on a real bike, you might as well just sit, because you're not really getting the extra leverage that you are looking for from standing in the first place, but it's more fatiguing than just sitting...).

Hope this helps.

Good luck!!!

[Andrea]

Also, don't be afraid to move the bike around under your body. If you feel like you want to rock the bike back and fourth with your hands as you pedal, then go with it.
I know when I first got started, I somehow figured that it would be better for the bike to stay perfectly vertical when I was standing. I feel much more comfortable now that I'm used to "working" my bike.

[alpinerabbit]

Shifting the front ring is a bit much. 1-2 gears in the back will suffice.

There's a bunch of other hill climbing threads hereabouts that will help you.

[imdeanna]

Thanks everyone!

The (obvious) point of shifting does make a lot of sense! Not sure why that thought didn't come to mind so clearly at the time! because now that I think about it...the awkwardness WAS the feeling of being in a way too low gear! (when you can't get a nice full 'circle' spin going)

I will have to get on the trainer tonight and give it a shot!

I'm going to be doing quite a hilly ride this Saturday....and need all the help I can get!! :)

[indigoiis]

Practice first while coasting on a low downhill or a flat. Stand with feet at nine and three o'clock.

[Eden]

There's lots of very good advice above and I'll chime in and say if your bike is too long for you - you are reaching too far, you will find it nearly impossible to stand and pedal without at very least feeling like you are falling forward.

[Scarlet]

you know, there's muscles involved, but it also has to do with the bike. I have had bikes that felt very WRONG to stand up on. My last two suddenly i could stand and pedal.

Also, i did some spin classes and we stood a lot in there this winter. That was helpful.

Hey this is really quite correct
some bikes are really ok for cycling seated but not real good for standing
when you need to do both........
try em out b4 you buy
eg. (for me)

trek hybrid....good to sit and stand and anything else you care to throw at it!!! hills, road, canal bank, mountains

Dolce ("specialized" D4W) Road bike... only for really smooth roads **** to stand was a bit tricky

again a "specialized" bike (boys or mens!!) ab fab for standing and sitting road

you do need to try bikes before you buy
hope this is helpful

Scarlet x

[OakLeaf]

:D see that's the thing about fit.

The seat on my Trek hybrid always grabs my butt when I stand up. When I demo'ed a Specialized Ruby I had no trouble standing to climb.

I think deanna's just asking about getting used to it. And I think that's a matter of just doing it. Yes, you will find that some bikes will grab your butt. Crankarm length, seat height, seat position, seat tube angle and the saddle itself all go into that. But other than that...

It's really just like getting up out of a chair with something in your hands. Think about it that way. You're moving your hips forward while keeping hold of the handlebars. If the trouble you're having is not getting up, but pedaling while standing, then yeah, try a bigger gear for sure. It's hard for most people to maintain a cadence over about 70 while standing, at least until they get used to it.

[BeeLady]

On my Volpe, I have had trouble standing. Part of this is plastic tabs from my frame pump scratching me (need to trim them or take the holder off altogether) and part of it has been being scared to push too hard a gear while standing.

Now with my Big Dummy I love to stand! I was in the biggest gear, with about 40lbs of load and I just cruised up a hill like I was jogging up stairs! So nice. Part of it is the configuration of this bike --- upright handle bars like on my first 26" Schwinn when I was 8 years old. Maybe some old muscle memory kicking in? ;)

Will be riding my Volpe this weekend on some hills and I am going to get out of my saddle for sure. I believe practice will help. And all the tips given on this thread ring true to me.

[mountainchick]

To look at it from another POV: You could use this opportunity (the awkwardness of standing) to improve your seated climbing since it's usually more efficient anyway. Just a thought! Hope you figure it out :)

[Tokie]

Do you have good core strength? I had a tube coming out of my kidney:eek: for 3 months (long story) exiting my right flank, so I couldn't twist or do any core strength activities. Due to internal injuries healing, I wasn't allowed to pedal -AT ALL, on anything. At the end of 3 months I got on the bike - everything was ok, just poky, except standing to climb. My torso was like a wet noodle. There was absolutely no benefit from standing, in fact it was worse - quite bizarre! It took a long time to recover this strength, and to this day if I slack off, my right low back will get "tired", which was never a problem before! So much strength in cycling comes from core strength - I've seen it (not) in action! Tokie

[RoadRaven]

Hiya Deanna

What the others are saying about changing up one or two cogs at the back is right. Because you have more force when you stand, you need more resistance when you stand or the pedals can feel like they are scooting away from you.

The other thing that helped me feel in control when I was learning to stand, was being told to "hold" the nose of the saddle between my thighs. You don't actually apply pressure with your thighs, but you keep your legs positioned so that you know where the saddle is, and by default, the rest of the bike.

Good luck on your trainer, thats a good place to practice.

[Tuckervill]

I'll second the core strength, and one-up on the upper body.

Last season I never stood to climb. It felt goofy and I always felt like I would pitch over the bars. I didn't do it. I was literally afraid.

This year, after spending 9 months in boot camp, and gaining some hard muscles, I stood right up on my bike without even THINKING about it. I got to the top of the hill and was so surprised and proud of myself! I mean, wow.

So gear down, do some biceps curles and get after it!

Karen

[roadie gal]

Another thing is don't lock your knees. Keep at least a small bend in the kneed that you've got your weight on. As you get used to it, and get a little stronger, you'll be able to push down and spin without bobbing your body up and down so much. That will help a lot with the balance and feeling of stability.

[sundial]

I struggled with standing on the pedals on my road bike until I got the mountain bike. I quickly honed this skill on the trail. Then when I got back on the road bike it was so much easier.

My hubby said it also helped him considerably.

Maybe it's time to shop for a mountain bike. ;)

[RoadRaven]

I have been thinking about this thread over the past day or so, and just want to reassure those of you who are trying to master standing that it does come together...

When I first started cycling, I couldn't stand, and when I started it felt scarey and insecure and uncontrollable.

Now (2 years later) I stand with ease to go up slight inclines... and what initially might have been only 1-2 metres of standing is now 30-40 metres.

I can stand at the top of a steep inclines just to keep my speed up for the last 10 metres or so to get over the top.

And when I start in a time trial, I stand immmediatley and the bike gets "thrown" from side to side as I power up to a good speed.

It has become part of what I do, and I know I am going to get better.

Take heart and trust yourself and allow time... it'll happen.

[lph]

I'd like to add - pull. Use a gear big enough that you have to pull with your arms to help, that will give you tension in your whole body. Lean your butt back a bit and yank on the bars to move forward and push down, lean your bike from side to side if it helps. Don't put too much weight straight down on your hands though, it will feel wobbly. hth.

[BeeLady]

Standing on my loaded Big Dummy was/is soooo easy. Then today I'm back on my Volpe for the first time in a week and almost lost it twice. The rear wheel felt like it was so wobbly. I kept practicing and finally got more comfortable standing on the last hill on the way home but will really need to work on it.

I re-read some of the posts on this thread and will keep practicing on the Volpe. I know once when I stood I was going way too fast (just off a descent and an immediate uphill).

Will work on keeping more weight back rather than over the handlebars. That seemed to be the main issue.

[bounceswoosh]

I'd like to add - pull. Use a gear big enough that you have to pull with your arms to help, that will give you tension in your whole body. Lean your butt back a bit and yank on the bars to move forward and push down, lean your bike from side to side if it helps. Don't put too much weight straight down on your hands though, it will feel wobbly. hth.

As long as you're not on a mountain bike and pull so hard you unweight the front wheel -- that can be not so great =P

[lph]

like this, you mean? :D

(my dh showing off)
Yeah, I know, no helmets. Rental bikes, on a small island with sandy roads and no cars :o

[bounceswoosh]

Is he just pulling up the wheel or actually doing a wheelie?

[lph]

He's doing a wheelie, as we ooh and aah ;)