I don't stand, either, for the same reasons. It slows mw down and it hurts. It took me years to be able to even get up out of the saddle. I *do* stand to stretch on long rides and I will stand on little, little rises. But on the long, steep type of climbs I did this week on my tour, I couldn't stand if I had to. My strategy (as well as my DH, who can climb and stand like crazy) is to choose a slow speed, stick to it, and keep a perfectly even, continuous cadence. That strategy has got me up the most difficult climbs, up to 22%. Personally, I don't care how fast I go up hills; I want to go up, not walk, and this works. While I can climb faster than a lot of people I ride with, I have to pace myself on long climbs.