Do you sit or stand going up hills?

[Lucky, Fabulous]

I have heard it both ways - "stand and climb" or sit, downshift, and try to maintain the same cadence. Can you go between the two? I am tackling some big hills today, and could use some advice. Thanks!

[F8th637]

I have found that everyone has their own philosophy. Some people think that standing wastes energy. If I do stand on a hill it's briefly as my legs can't take the burn for too long. I also have bad knees so I try to take full advantage of those granny gears especially for long climbs. I definitely think you can go both ways on a climb. It's all a matter of personal preference.

[GLC1968]

If it's a short climb and I think I can get up it without losing speed if I stand, then I do. If it's a long climb - I sit and spin to the best of my ability. Sometimes, I mix it up - spin where I can, stand if it gets too steep, go back to spinning, etc.

Basically, the first year I started riding, I stood all the time. Then I found that my muscles got used to it and I couldn't effectively spin. My second year riding, I tried to stay seated more and just spun. Then I found that by the end of the season, standing would wear me out because my muscles had gotten used to spinning. Now I try to mix it up - partly to keep my body capable of doing both with some efficiency, and partly because I've gained a bunch of weight and I need all the tricks of the trade to get up hills! :p

[wackyjacky1]

For me it depends on how long the climb is. I prefer to sit, scooching back on the saddle to get those big ol' butt muscles more involved, but during a long climb I may stand on the pedals and do a few yards that way, just to change things up a bit.

[Geonz]

I'm a total sitter. I'll stand a few times a year, on a very steep long hill when I just feel like I need to change something or fall off the bike.

It depends on the bike, too, though. I think if I had a different bike I *might* be more inclined to stand.

However, my weight distribution is such taht the one time I went skiing, if I fell down I could not get up. My backside has little pockets of extremely dense tissue in it or something :)

Any slight differences in efficiency really aren't that important to me and would be counteracted by the necessary change in focus... and besides, I live in the flatlands so I only do hills on special occasions.

[mimitabby]

It really depends on where you are at that moment. Sometimes I just don't want to slow down that much so i stand and go up the hill. Other times, I just don't feel like working that hard!

[indysteel]

I have heard it both ways - "stand and climb" or sit, downshift, and try to maintain the same cadence. Can you go between the two? I am tackling some big hills today, and could use some advice. Thanks!

I mostly sit, unless I feel like standing. How's that for a rule of thumb? I usually won't stand unless it's a pretty short hill or a short steep section of a longer hill. It wears me out.

I wouldn't say that I maintain the same cadence even when I remain seated though. That would likely send my heartrate sky high. I've seen a rule of thumb that suggests spinning at about 75% your normal cadence (on flats), but even that doesn't necessarily work for me on all climbs. I found myself spinning at a slower cadence in a bigger gear this weekend. On long climbs, I'm more apt to spin at a faster cadence in a smaller gear. We don't many of those in Indiana though.

[sundial]

If it's a short climb and I think I can get up it without losing speed if I stand, then I do. If it's a long climb - I sit and spin to the best of my ability. Sometimes, I mix it up - spin where I can, stand if it gets too steep, go back to spinning, etc.

Yep, me too!

[F8th637]

LOL So the long and short of it answer is: "Whatever gets you up that hill!"

[indysteel]

LOL So the long and short of it answer is: "Whatever gets you up that hill!"

Amen. I will (proudly) say that after a couple of years of riding, hills are getting easier. When I first started, I had a huge phobia about them. Now I feel a lot calmer and that certainly helps with breathing, form and technique. I'm determined to make one with my inner goat this year. It's a good thing, since I'm doing a weeklong tour in northeastern Tennessee in September!

I do think it pays to play around with various climbing techniques and to recognize, too, that as you get stronger and fitter, your preferred way of tackling a given hill may change a bit. I went on a hilly ride this weekend with a number of strong climbers and it was interesting to see that we each attacked the hills a little differently. Some spun, some mashed, some stood, some stayed seated. We all seemed more or less in our comfort zone so there's no one way to get to the top.

[GLC1968]

Oh, and on the note of getting up hills - one thing a very experienced hill climber told me once... He said to smile when climbing. Smiling relaxes the muscles in your face and if your face isn't tense, your upper body will follow suit. This makes climbing (particularly the multi-mile climbs) a lot more bearable. I swear it helps!

(Plus, people see you and think you are nuts - and that's always good for an internal giggle or two ;))

[KSH]

I have heard it both ways - "stand and climb" or sit, downshift, and try to maintain the same cadence. Can you go between the two? I am tackling some big hills today, and could use some advice. Thanks!

My goal on hills is to always keep as high of a cadence as I can... well, between 90-100 that is.

If I have hit my lowest gear... and I can't keep cadence above 90, then so be it.

Generally I won't stand up until my cadence hits below 60. My friend who is a really strong rider and triathlete told me that until you get to 60 and below, you are better off sititng down and pedaling as it's more efficient.

[salsabike]

http://sheldonbrown.com/standing.html

[applegum]

We have some really great short, steep hills on one road here and on short rides I'll stand the whole time because I like doing that better, but long hills are definitely spin-all-the-way. Sometimes to finish it off standing is nice, but usually I'm just too tired. Climbing is definitely one of those "do what feels best" things. I think I just like passing my friends on hills when I stand :p.

Word of advice though- even though it uses up a little more oxygen- if your lungs are in good enough shape singing always gets me up hills faster. Helps if you're in the country and no one is around so you can't be self-conscious, but find a couple songs you know all the way through and see if you can sing them on the hills. It's a great feeling when you get to the top of a really huge climb and get to belt it out on the descent (please tell me I'm not alone on this).

[shootingstar]

I rarely stand and spin on my bike. And if only for a second or so, for relief or whatever.

Sitting and spinning away. Part of it is due to the type of bike but also I'm not that powerful, so sitting and slogging away in the saddle is best up the hills.

[OakLeaf]

smile when climbing....(Plus, people see you and think you are nuts - and that's always good for an internal giggle or two ;))

Speaking of people thinking you're nuts. I was watching the pros stick out their tongues in the TdF during hard climbs and sprints, and decided to try it, and it really helps open the airway! You have to stick it out hard enough to feel the pull at the back of your throat, try to touch your chin with your tongue.

[cyclinnewbie]

I sit until my thighs/butt burns so bad I can't stand it, then I stand until my legs burn so bad I can't stand it, then I sit, then I stand (we have some big hills here). I'm not dedicated to either, just whatever will get me up the darned hill without dying.

[CarbonCandy]

Im deff a sitter! Most of the time I don't find the need to climb/stand. Plus, the feeling of the lactic acid build up is unpleasant LOL

[jesvetmed]

Word of advice though- even though it uses up a little more oxygen- if your lungs are in good enough shape singing always gets me up hills faster.
Ha! I sing to myself on hills (or running)-- usually "99 bottles of beer" for cadence. Sometimes outloud if I'm feeling the need.

As for sit vs. stand, I do both -- I guess kind of a cadence, how hard is it getting? sort of thing. If I'm slowing significantly and need the boost, I will stand. I'll often stand at the steeper areas, then sit to spin the rest .

[HoosierGiant]

Ha! I sing to myself on hills (or running)-- usually "99 bottles of beer" for cadence. Sometimes outloud if I'm feeling the need.

OMG! That's the same song I use!! In my case though, I'm generally chanting it when facing a stiff headwind. Force myself to not look ahead to the next crossroad until I've gotten through the song.

As for hills, I prefer to sit and spin a high cadence, although I do stand occasionally just to reassure myself that I haven't forgotten how.

[CarbonCandy]

Ha! I sing to myself on hills (or running)-- usually "99 bottles of beer" for cadence. Sometimes outloud if I'm feeling the need.
.

I amm soooo going to try this on my next ride!

[ima_bleeder]

I find standing to be much less efficient for me. It makes my legs burn and my HR spike. So if it's a very long climb it's a bad strategy for me.

But, if it's a pretty short duration, standing can give your butt and your back a break on a long ride.

Mixing it up is good.

[xeney]

For me it depends on the bike. I am more likely to stand on my mountain bike and on either of my mixtes (they are single speeds so I don't really have any other option). On my road bike I gear down and spin, partly because I read that Sheldon Brown article and I am very impressionable, and partly because I feel really unstable standing on my road bike. Which is one of the things I don't like about it -- I think it is the short stem that makes standing feel sort of terrifying.

[2Gowans]

It never occurred to me to sit going uphill. Mind you, the most gears I've had is 5 and a lot of the hills have been short & steep.

[kelownagirl]

I almost always sit unless they are VERY short and I'm not too tired.

[Dogmama]

If you stand, be sure that you still have one more gear "in the hole." If you need to sit again, you'll probably want an easier gear.

Here is something that really helps me: I don't "fight the hill." I mentally "work with the hill". So, I hit the hills as fast as I can so I have some momentum. I'll sit until my cadence slows to ~60, depending on how my legs feel that day. Usually that gets me over the hill - or close to it.

[cyclinnewbie]

We have so many hills here in my area I usually have trouble getting the right gears from hill to hill (easy enough to get me up one side, but hard enough to get some speed at the bottom in preparation for the next hill .....no rolling hills around here. They're steep and one right after another). But then again, I'm quite the hill-slug....

[violette]

LOL So the long and short of it answer is: "Whatever gets you up that hill!"

Ha! Ha! Never thought about it that way, but I second that...

[Dogmama]

Part of this depends on the predominant muscle fiber makeup in your glutes/thighs. If you're more slow twitch, you'll find that higher cadences are easier. Fast twitch needs lower cadences.

The best way to tell is trial and error. On a flat road, if you can maintain a high cadence for many miles, you're probably slow twitch. If you're more comfortable at a lower cadence (70-80 mph) on the flats, you probably have more fast twitch.

The point of this is that what works for one TE'er may not work for her sister!

[Trigress]

I sit as much as possible, this seems to exhaust my legs less, and being the worst hill slug ever seen, I go for the easiest version...

[crazycanuck]

Before i hurt myself i sat & stood to go uphill.

At the moment my right leg isn't 500% strong enough so i sit in the saddle. I've made myself a goal that i want my right hamstring, glute & quad 500% by Aug, sept at the latest..

I wanna be able to do logovers :)