Hills -- is it true?

[SouthernBelle]

Wavedancer, I wish I had read your suggestion before my ride this morning. I did a charity ride and I think it was all uphill. I think my quads screamed out loud a couple of times.

This ride was helpful to me for a couple of reasons. I had a mechanical problem so I ended up way at the back. But I caught back up thanks to a couple of early flats and ascents. But I just don't have the leg strength I did once. I lost a lot when I wrecked earlier this year and have never gotten it all back.

So for the winter I need to concentrate on strength and endurance for climbs.

[aicabsolut]

Forgive me for the newbie question, but I guess it fits in here:
Any tips for learning to stand and climb?

I grew up on beach cruisers on the flattest ground ever, so I never learned to stand up and mash on the pedals.

Now I've got new body position and all to worry about too. I can stand and coast, I can hover as I hop over a bridge edge or big tree root bump. I could stand and pedal a tiny bit before I went clipless when I'd start up on the bike in a big gear. But it's too easy to spin on a flat with clipless in a big gear that I haven't been practicing there--feel like I need more resistance from the gears. I figure it'd be easier to learn in a climb when I need to rev up my speed a little bit as my legs start to burn. (Now I live in a place with hills...not mountains but big enough for my newbie self and sprinter's build).

I see people do it all the time. And I get the concept of rocking the bike, but I'm worried about the sideways topple. Maybe I don't give myself enough credit. I mean, my 3 yr old nephew can stand and pedal...though ok, he has training wheels.

I tried practicing on my trainer to get an idea about what gears I'm comfortable with, but the rear tire slips too much. Tried cranking up the resistance knob but I still couldn't get smooth circles. (I can stand and be pretty still on a spin bike, with smooth circles if that helps).

Any tips are welcome

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Forgive me for the newbie question, but I guess it fits in here:
Any tips for learning to stand and climb?

Any tips are welcome

I gave a few tips earlier in this thread.

[Trek420]

aicabsolut "--feel like I need more resistance from the gears. I figure it'd be easier to learn in a climb when I need to rev up my speed a little bit as my legs start to burn."

there's a couple ways to get that higher gear.

One is what some call "the magic gear". On a climb where you "run out of gears", you're in the granniest of granny gears and wish there was a lower one pop it 1-2 gears higher (folks somewhere here we have a thread on shifting under load and sometimes .... you just can't do that! but if you can...) climb standing till you've got a little rest then voila!! shift down 1-2.

It's magic, lower gears!

Or...let the bike come to you. If you need some resistance to climb standing feather the pedals and let it slow down a little till ... voila! You can stand.

Don't know if this is right.

"I get the concept of rocking the bike, but I'm worried about the sideways topple."

The feeling I try for is not rocking the bike but relaxe the hands and you kinda toss it back and forth lightly like tossing a light bean bag from hand to hand. Don't know if that makes sense. It's hard to keep the upper body relaxed.

Hope this helps.