Standing to pedal

I've been working out on the trainer and recently got into Spinervals. I love 'em.
But I'm been having trouble standing to pedal. When I was riding outside I figured it was something I could work on on the trainer, but no such luck. I read some past threads about standing but they were more focused on the outdoors and now I'm having trouble on the trainer.

When I'm doing Spinervals and Troy says to stand and pedal I have a lot of trouble even when I'm in the gear he suggests. I guess I feel like I'm mashing and the pedals that is coming back up is coming up too quickly. Does that make sense? I'm not smoothly turning over the pedals.

I keep trying to focus on circles but that's just not working. Am I putting too much weight on my legs? Should I try transferring some weight to my handle bars?

Any tips?

Thanks! Sometimes I feel so silly starting out on the bike. So much to learn.

I have no problem standing outside. But, I also noticed that Coach Troy often has you standing up in a very light gear. This REALLY hurts my knees, and isn't a situation that translates outdoors. I always use a harder gear with a lot of resistance when I'm standing up outdoors -- if I can spin an easier gear, I'll stay seated.

When Coach Troy instructs me to stand and the gear is so easy, I either shift up to a higher/harder gear and stand, or use that time to do a high-cadence interval.

Same here.

I learned that after using my mtb this winter I can stand and pedal much more efficiently (and with more control) on my road bike.

You will build up the strength. Have faith. Just keep at it.

You can increase the gear, as Pedal suggests.

I think of it as dancing on the pedals. Makes it seem a little easier..

Funny you should mention this!

Yesterday I purchased Spinervals Aero Base Builder V (the compliation DVD) and I did my very first Spinervals workout ever this morning. Gah, I've gone over to the Dark Side.

After setting up the DVD on our old TV set, I only had enough time to get 40 minutes in this morning, but it's a start. So far so good.

But when ECT told me to stand in the suggested gear, I nearly tipped the bike over. :eek: I didn't even attempt standing for the remainder of the session. I guess I need to de-klutz a bit more. :o

Yep...bigger gears, lower cadence first. And, make sure there is enough tension on the tire so that it doesn't slip.

The first year on the trainer, I could handle about 15 seconds at a very low cadence. I'm not coordinated. Now I can actually do the 3 minute standing interval in the Recovery DVD if I pace myself.

That said, I refuse to stand if the cadence is over 90--my knees just down't like it. As Pedal said, sometimes I just gear up to stand; sometimes I just leave the gear and kick up the cadence 10-15RPM.

Before I hurt my knee in September, I would stand in whatever gear ECT (Evil Coach Troy) said. If it was a really easy gear, it would be tough, but I think it really helped me get more strength in my legs. I do think it's something you need to be really careful with though and pay attention to how it feels. There's good hurt and there's bad hurt. :D

After I hurt my knee, I couldn't stand and pedal at all at first, not even outside. Now, as long as I'm in the big ring when he says to stand, I do. If I'm in the middle ring, I ignore him.

V.

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Originally Posted by firenze11

I've been working out on the trainer and recently got into Spinervals. I love 'em.
But I'm been having trouble standing to pedal. When I was riding outside I figured it was something I could work on on the trainer, but no such luck. I read some past threads about standing but they were more focused on the outdoors and now I'm having trouble on the trainer.

When I'm doing Spinervals and Troy says to stand and pedal I have a lot of trouble even when I'm in the gear he suggests. I guess I feel like I'm mashing and the pedals that is coming back up is coming up too quickly. Does that make sense? I'm not smoothly turning over the pedals.

I keep trying to focus on circles but that's just not working. Am I putting too much weight on my legs? Should I try transferring some weight to my handle bars?

Any tips?

Thanks! Sometimes I feel so silly starting out on the bike. So much to learn.

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You're asking about techniques for spinning out of the saddle at a lower resistance and higher cadence?

Try focusing on the upstroke more than the gravitational pull of your downstroke. I like to visualize myself running upstairs at a 60-70 degree angle forward (i.e. 90 degrees being straight up and 0 degrees being parallel to the handlebars). I think about running upstairs because it makes you focus on using both legs - one to pull, one to push - instead of just pushing down.

For lower cadence stuff out of the saddle, I tend to have my center of gravity (or balance) over the bottom bracket. You know you've found the sweet spot when your leg is at the bottom of the pedal stroke - keep your butt and hip rotation such that your quad is not contracted or squeezing. It will significantly increase the amount of time you can stay standing. It also takes time to find. Play with how vertical or bent over you are, play with the height of your butt, play with the rotation of your hips (i.e. sticking your butt out or not), and play with how forward or back you're positioned.

Higher cadence stuff out of the saddle for me is most comfortable positioned farely far forward (towards the bars) and somewhat bent over (the 60-70 degrees). I do the majority of my pulling in the pedal stroke from 7-2 o'clock and the majority of my pushing from 2-7 o'clock.

Hope this helps. :)

bottom line, it's YOUR workout. Change the gears before you stand up if you want to; or just don't stand up!

good luck

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Originally Posted by Veronica

If I'm in the middle ring, I ignore him.

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You mean, he won't jump out of the TV and start yelling at me ?!?

Whew, that's good to know. :D

I told you, I'm new to all this.

He doesn't even notice when I fast forward through the lunge sets either. :p

V.

Also, are you riding clipped in? Particularly on the trainer, I find it easier to stand.

Hey, that was helpful advice, those who provided. I was wondering the same thing as the OP, so glad to see this.

Well, lookey here, beginning Spinerval users. When he says "small ring", he only means that if you have a double. If you have a triple, when he says "small ring", he wants you to use the middle ring, and says you will never use the small.

http://www.spinervals.com/index.php?...7aa66ec4778e43

If he says "jump" do you say how high on the way up?

Just wondering...:D

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Originally Posted by salsabike

Well, lookey here, beginning Spinerval users. When he says "small ring", he only means that if you have a double. If you have a triple, when he says "small ring", he wants you to use the middle ring, and says you will never use the small.

http://www.spinervals.com/index.php?...7aa66ec4778e43

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And my response when he explains that on one of the DVD's..."in your dreams LCD boy...." :D

Seriously, some of us...well, at least me...just aren't built to handle it. I have a chart in front of my bike that translates "guru gears" to "my gears". I respect my knees and accept my limitations. And, you know, ECT shouts at me just as much when my gears are lower and my heart rate soars just as high as it should, so, "take that, ECT, yes, I did shift down...pphhpttt"! :p

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

If he says "jump" do you say how high on the way up?

Just wondering...:D

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:o Perhaps. But I also give him the finger. You can guess which one. ;)

Actually I really like when coaches yell (out of encouragement, of course). When I did a rowing camp at the Naval Academy all the girls did a challenge on the ergs to see who could go the farthest in a certain amount of time. It came down to me an another girl and the two coaches split up between us. The frenzied yelling at the end was the best. (and the fact I won :D).

That being said I have yet to do anything more than an 8.7 aerobic Spinervals. I'm both curious about and terrified of a 9.9 Sprinting one that came with one of the Aero Base Builders.

Thank you so much for all these suggestions. I'm going to try a harder gear next time. I think that's a major part of the problem. And focus on trying to find the right balance and pulling up on the upstroke. Reading your responses made it make more sense to me.

I'll try it all out tonight.

The thing I love about Spinervals is that I can make it my own workout and tailor it to my needs. I really hope I see a difference on the road in spring.

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Originally Posted by Veronica

He doesn't even notice when I fast forward through the lunge sets either. :p

V.

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Ahem, you should be in BCR 12 and standing if you don't want to do those lunges, girl.:p

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

I think of it as dancing on the pedals. Makes it seem a little easier..

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hahaha great Phil Liggett-ism!

For me, standing took practice, practice, practice. I grew up on cruisers and flat roads with never enough resistance (or need) to stand up. I was really embarrassed to discover that standing up on my road bike was nothing like standing on a spin bike.

Anyway...It helps to start out in a heavy gear on the trainer to get the hang of it. However, too big of a gear will cause you to have noticeable gaps in the pedal stroke once you start to get tired. It requires a lot of quadriceps control. Then, try short standing bursts outside, again in a pretty big gear--shift up 2 to 3 gears from what feels comfortable sitting and spinning a fairly high cadence. Then get back to the trainer and try lighter gears, faster legs. You may only be able to do it a few seconds at a time. Work on getting longer intervals on the trainer, then return outside. It may help outdoors to practice more on gradual hills in heavy gears (smaller hills just in case you feel like you're getting into trouble, then you can sit and shift down). Then try to stand on the flats, with hands in the drops. Try this in sprint intervals. Spin up fast while shifting into harder gears, then click up one or 2 more, stand, sit, shift down, slow down, repeat.

You may well need to put more weight on the bars. The only thing you need to be mindful of is that TOO much weight on a hill or during a sprint on the front wheel can cause your rear wheel to skip.

Once you get the basic mechanics down of how to stand in a hard enough gear so that the bike doesn't wobble all over the place, then you can start to do more "dancing," smoothly.

I believe the dancing-on-the-pedals bit comes from the French expression: "monter en danseuse," i.e. "climb as a dancer." "Pédaler en danseuse" also can be used. I think the dancing motion has to do with the "dance" you have to do with the bike, sort of pushing it to one side while you're standing on the other feet (of course that's not possible on the trainer). But the image may still help.

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Originally Posted by Grog

I think the dancing motion has to do with the "dance" you have to do with the bike, sort of pushing it to one side while you're standing on the other feet (of course that's not possible on the trainer). But the image may still help.

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Actually I think that image will help me a lot. I'll keep it in my mind and try it when I can get outside again. The last time I tried to stand and pedal outside was pretty awful. I looked goofy to myself on the bike, I can't imagine how I looked to any bystanders. But practice will make perfect! I'm just itching to get on the bike outside. It'll probably be about another month here w/ the funky snow.

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Originally Posted by firenze11

Actually I think that image will help me a lot. I'll keep it in my mind and try it when I can get outside again. The last time I tried to stand and pedal outside was pretty awful. I looked goofy to myself on the bike, I can't imagine how I looked to any bystanders. But practice will make perfect! I'm just itching to get on the bike outside. It'll probably be about another month here w/ the funky snow.

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Once you start riding outside, choose a steep-enough hill, get into a bigger gear and try it. I think it will become natural quickly. It's a bit strange to explain but you're really "throwing" your bike from one hand to the other, shifting your weight from side to side. Now that I'm thinking about it I'm not sure which hand gets the bike while, say, your right foot is down. But it's really obvious when you do it. Just don't over do it: it can be a waste of energy...

Enjoy! It's really satisfying to power up a hill, standing in the pedals. :)

When I first started learning to stand and pedal, I thought of when I was a kid and my dad bought me a pair of rubber boots that were too big for me. I went out & tromped around in the mud, and to keep from walking out of my boots, I had to pull my foot up with my toes pulled up rather than pointed. I get the same feeling when I stand on my pedals!