Confession to make

[Juliegoddess]

>>Standing up...I cannot stand up and pedal. I have tried it but it feels so unbalanced and scary...I have a total complex about it now. But I ride very hilly terrain and I can get up steep hills ok without standing. So if you don't feel comfortable trying it, use your granny gear and keep your butt on the seat like me!<<

Wow, I'm so glad to read this, and know that I'm not the only one! I also CANNOT stand up and pedal on my bike. Even up a hill. I'm just SO unstable that way. I keep my butt in that saddle no matter what!

[Catrin]

>>
Wow, I'm so glad to read this, and know that I'm not the only one! I also CANNOT stand up and pedal on my bike. Even up a hill. I'm just SO unstable that way. I keep my butt in that saddle no matter what!

This is good to hear - for this is what I intend to do for the time being. I am pretty sure that I would fall over at this stage if I were to even consider standing - it isn't like the spinning bike that won't fall over

[Catrin]

The Keens fit fine - thanks to Redrhodie!

[Catrin]

While my starting technique is still unique, probably, I found myself doing something different on my ride today. In the past I have only been able to start with my butt entirely on the saddle and my tippy-toes on the ground with my calf on the edge of cramping....but my seat post must come higher which means I can't start that way anymore.

So today I experimented with something else. A portion of my butt is still on the saddle - the bike is still leaning over pretty far and most of my foot is still on the ground - and I started just fine

The first time I did this it was very quick and easy - the times I practiced after that was slower, due to over-thinking, but it was great progress. Now I just need to keep practicing until it becomes second nature. Stopping properly is fine, but starting has to become instinctive and it isn't quite there yet. That has to change before I can consider urban riding.

[OakLeaf]

One thing just occurred to me: do you stand in the pedals sometimes?

Basically, when you're starting from a stop, you have to stand on the pedals. Maybe it would be easier for you to get used to that if you practiced riding standing up without adding the additional challenge of bringing the bike from leaning to upright.

[Catrin]

One thing just occurred to me: do you stand in the pedals sometimes?

Basically, when you're starting from a stop, you have to stand on the pedals. Maybe it would be easier for you to get used to that if you practiced riding standing up without adding the additional challenge of bringing the bike from leaning to upright.

I do stand when I am stopping, so that helps. I think that I actually did it once today the "proper" way, but almost fell over. It was much easier to start half-way leaning over...

I won't stand and pedal since I am not clipping in right now, but I can try to stand and coast - or at least partially stand.

[OakLeaf]

As long as there's no slipperiness between your shoes and your pedals, you don't need to be clipped in to stand. I do it in street shoes on my hybrid all the time, to accelerate quickly.