Do you sit or stand going up hills?

[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.

[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.