Standing to pedal up hills

[PamNY]

Is this a good idea? A bad idea? Something you do if you aren't strong? Doesn't matter either way?

I did it for the first time today and felt real pleased, since I'm just now getting the leg strength and balance skills to do it.

My gleeful little uphill trip was shortened by potholes and snow patches, but it was fun.

Pam

[Zen]

from http://www.cobr.co.uk/e-cobr_information/t_and_r_section/sections/terminilogy_technique/hill_climbing.shtml

"Standing and sitting

The second variable to climbing involves the decision to climb out of the saddle or in it and the positioning of your body for both of these techniques.

A simple rule to start with is that if the hill is long, climb in the saddle. If the hill is short, stand up. Often it becomes a matter of preference as well as what you as an individual feel more efficient at. I once saw Veronque climb a mountain in the Tour de France standing up all the way.

A specific note here is that even if the hill is a long one, standing occasionally is recommended as this stretches your back, increases your momentum and shifts the strain from certain muscle groups allowing them to rest for a short while before continuing the climb in the saddle." ...

[lunacycles]

If you watch vids of Lance Armstrong or true mountain climbers doin their climbin thing, they are almost always in the saddle, pedaling at an impressively high cadence, usually their hands on the tops of the bars, sometimes on the hoods, very rarely in the drops.

While you do get some stretch and power (for the short term) by getting out of the saddle, it is much more physically taxing. Learning to spin (ride at a relatively high cadence) in whatever gear you can manage going uphill will improve your climbing ability the most imo. I love getting out of the saddle, but if the hill is long, I stay seated as much as possible.

[Pedal Wench]

I tend to stand on switchbacks. They're typically a bit steeper than the rest of the road, and by standing, I don't have to shift or mash to get around it. One thing a coach taught me was not to increase my pace when I stand. I used to stand and kinda hammer, but if I just stand and keep my heart rate the same, when I sit back down, I don't have to slow down to recover. Use the stand to stretch, air out the bottom, and get over a slightly steeper section.

[RoadRaven]

Yes. Great idea.

But... it took me about 2 years before I could climb any distance without feeling wasted.

But now I have mastered it, I find I can get into a good tempo and pace up a hill well.

Also, because you should change up a gear or even two when standing, I get up climbs much quicker. So, as Zen's post suggests, short climbs are when I stand. If its longer, I stay in the saddle

If you are new to standing when climbing though, be prepared to feel very puffed as soon as you sit down and for your quads to feel tired - that's because when you stand you are asking your body to do something different and it takes a few attempts (that is several rides) for your heart and legs to know how to respond to your request.

However, as luna points out, climbing seated is a more efficient use of your power and you will last much longer if you can get into a steady rythym and not let those climbing with you phase you if they are quicker.

[ClockworkOrange]

Not that I do much hill riding like most of you guys but I find having a back problem, it always seems to pull, so I prefer not to risk it.

I get up the top eventually.

Clock

[fatbottomedgurl]

Can you guys define a long climb? I'm new do this roadie thing. The longest hills in my immediate area are about 2 miles. The tougher one is 2.3 miles and 465 feet of elevation gain. I did have to drop into my triple for a little bit on that one. The others I can stay in the middle ring.

I know some climbs go on and on and on.

[Zen]

Can you guys define a long climb?

To me, a short hill would be maybe 500 feet :o What's short to one might be long to another.

[malkin]

It's way past Thanksgiving, but I for one am thankful that:

1. No one videotapes me riding up hill (or anywhere else for that matter)
2. Phil and Paul and Bob Whatsisname have no opportunity for commentary on my riding.

[msincredible]

I usually stay seated on my climbs.

[jobob]

It's way past Thanksgiving, but I for one am thankful that:

1. No one videotapes me riding up hill


I cannot say the same ... :rolleyes: :D

http://callmepokey.blogspot.com/2008/12/caught-on-youtube.html

[maillotpois]

That video is the BEST!!

(Jo - I had this crazy dream that we couldn't do Hamilton and Sierra on our training ride next year for TNT - so very strange. I was quite disappointed because I have the most fun ride planned for the team. I tend to get fairly invested in my dreams and often wake up tired.)

A long climb is anything that takes 45 minutes or more, so about 4 miles plus. And I generally climb seated for long climbs (as opposed to short power climbs), but I will take frequent breaks where I stand for a while just to work different muscles and give others a break.

I stay on the top of the bars or the hoods, generally, but there are plenty of racers who climb in the drops, by the way. Pantani is the first to come to mind. Standing in the drops. :rolleyes:

[Pedal Wench]

I noticed yesterday the other time I'll stand is if I'm starting up a hill, hit a slightly steeper section, but don't want to shift under pressure -- I'll stand through that section rather than trying to jam the shift.

[lunacycles]

A long climb is anything that takes 45 minutes or more, so about 4 miles plus.

45 minutes?? Man, I must be getting old or out of shape..or both!

I consider a "long climb" to be more than a mile or so, or about 10 minutes. Also, long or short, I generally stay seated, and only get out of the saddle to stretch, or, as someone mentioned, to power through those gnarly steep switchbacks. I find I simply exert too much energy when I am riding out of the saddle for longer than a minute or two.

When I get out of the saddle, I also tend to immediately shift up a gear (bigger gear) so as not to lose speed--as your cadence instantly goes down when you get out of the saddle. The invention of brifters has made this effortless (I am again revealing my age!).

I think to define "long climb" is very dependent on your fitness level. If you are wondering "whether to," just do it and notice how you feel, how it feels. If it is a new skill, it is well worth practicing. You will learn over time what works best for your bod and your terrain.

[maillotpois]

I think to define "long climb" is very dependent on your fitness level.

I think it's also very dependent on your terrain.

We don't have many "long" climbs here in No CA under my definition (really just the big 3, Tam, Diablo and Hamilton and a handful of others), but we routinely ride other places where you can climb 8 - 10 miles without much of a break. So that's "long". I don't really consider a mile or so climb (think Marshall wall) as "long" - but when you get to about 3 - 4 miles (Stinson to Pantoll, Ink Grade) you're getting longer. The Geysers, Pine Flat, Tam, Sierra, are LONG.

It is COMPLETELY subjective. ;) I really just base it on time. How long does it take? Can I compose an entire closing argument in my head before I get to the top? Ok, it's long. :)

[DebTX]

A long climb is anything that takes 45 minutes or more...

I too took a deep breath when i saw 45 minutes :eek:

I can't imagine ever having that kind of stamina - then again, maybe for 2009 I need to vow to get rid of the negative thinking that probably isn't helping my riding.

For 2009, my mantra needs to be "If I think I can, I can" :D

[OakLeaf]

I think it's also very dependent on your terrain.

+1

I thought the same thing when I saw lunacycles's post. If you're climbing at 6 mph on a road bike, that's pretty steep, probably over 10% grade. A mile at 10% is a very different animal from, say, four miles at 5%. I'm not going to say one's harder than the other, they're just very different in terms of body mechanics and strength demands.

In Ohio, a mile and a half is about as long as they get, but there are plenty of hills that are just so steep you'd have to have both super strength AND teeny gears to get over them without standing up. I'm told "the Wall" in Pittsburgh is 32%. :eek: Don't know if that's true or not, but you get the idea.

Edit: Pittsburgh's Canton Street (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05030/448976.stm) is a verified 37%, according to the local paper. And cobblestone. I don't know how the bricks even stay in.

[maillotpois]

For 2009, my mantra needs to be "If I think I can, I can" :D

You may have no idea how true this is. :)

[Jiffer]

I think you have to figure out what works best for you. Standing can be a great way to relieve pressure on the "hoo ha" ;), give muscles used while sitting a break and make use of some other ones. Yet, those "other ones" need to get into shape for this, plus it takes more cardiovascular strength to stand.

My husband is an avid climber. He loves it. WhatEVER!!! :confused: Anyways, he's all for standing, but doesn't do it the entire way up a long climb. If it's a short climb, he'll usually stand all or most of the way. If it's a long climb, he'll do a little of both for the above reasons. He trains his legs to do both and gets the most out of them this way.

I love standing on a climb, but my lungs can only take it for so long. I have to be very careful how long I let myself stand. Otherwise, I get so out of breath that I can hardly finish the climb even if I sit back down. I find, for myself, sitting and taking it somewhat easy is the best way to get up a long climb for me. I usually only stand if it's relatively short. I love coming down a hill and going back up another one standing to keep my momentum going.

Hope these tips help!

[smilingcat]

Do whatever it takes to get you to the top of the hill.

Now, standing up really does take more energy out of you. If you can sit in the saddle it is much much better. On a long climb, I'll get off the seat for about 15 seconds to let my muscles take a short break. then I'm sitting down again.

Right before I get off the seat, I'll ease up on the pedalling and shift up a gear or two. then apply the pressure to regain speed. My hands are usually on the hood. then when I sit back down, I'll pedal easy and shift back down. My hands are never in the drops during the climb. I want to get as much air into my lung as possible and hands in the drops constrict that.

Another thing. keep your shoulder relaxed and your face relaxed!! Don't grimace!! And when you breath out, dooonnn't spend time breathing out. Rush it out/belt it out like you were punched in the stomach. Also try to breath in through your nose as much as possible. Breath out of the mouth to expell as quickly as possible. Air flow through your nose is less turbulant and allow for better O2/CO2 exchange in your lung. (at least this is what was taught to me). And lastly use all of your lung. not just the upper part.

Hill climb is never easy. More than half of the climb is pure mental. less than half is physical. Every good climber I knew were tough as nail mentally and could tolerate extreme pain for prolonged period of time.

--------------
If you like hill cimbs these rides in So. Cal are for you: Ride around the bear, Breathless in Agony, Redland Classic (one of the stages goes up into the "hills" :D ) then in central california, you can do the Climb the Kaiser just a 150 miler with one section at 15% grade for about a mile. Fun ride. Big no no to 11-21 corn cob cluster in the rear. or Sierra Classic or tour of the eastern Sierra 100/200 mile option and yes the Diablo climb in No. Calif. Most have over 10,000 feet of climb. Then you can always try the death ride.

In all honesty though, Climb the Kaiser was just as bad as the death ride. Kaiser ride starts in town of Clovis. First 30 mile is a high speed dash to get to the foothills of the Sierra. 24MPH pace put me way in the back of the pack. You have to do this to get out of the valley floor before it got too hot to ride. Then next 4-8 hours, you climb... At big creek??, rest stop elev. 5280 feet. you rest for a while then the fun climb starts. Next stop is only 5 maybe 6 miles away. Next stop also happens to be at over 8,000 feet. Its where you have the avg 15% grade for about a mile. Many of the riders for the Kaiser were cat 2 men. sheesh. I was totally out of the league.

A good training ground for me was: emmigration canyon to east lake?? out of Salt Lake City Utah; Onyx summit out of redland Ca.; another is Mt. Baldy ride in so. cal; Palomar mtn climb in San Diego (you can always send a post card from the post office up there at Palomar Observatory); and then if you are up to it, rent a motel room in Lee Vining for about a week and do the ride up to Tioga pass (9,000+ ft elev.) from Lee Vining. My favorite was renting a cabin in Mamoth mtn. ride down to hwy 395 then over dead man's pass then up Conway pass. Traffic on 395 wasn't too bad except near Lee Vining. sweet memories from 20+ years ago... I was bright eyed, bushy tail and all back then...

smilingcat

[RoadRaven]

Whats a long climb and whats a short climb?

I rate a short climb as 500 metres max, although I do not stand usually for 500 metres unless the gradient is relstively easy.

When it is steep (over about 12%) then I can only stand for about 100-150 metres.

A long climb? Well, the longest climb I have had to contend with is about 3.5km, and I did the whole thing seated.

When I have 1km climbs, if I stand at all, it will only be for the final 20-30 metres to help me crest the hill.