Starting Up that Steep Hill

[kajero]

Whew. Now I have to figure out how to stand. I am so scared of losing my balance!
It isn't that I really want to ride up the hill that much, it's just the another way to enter a trail I like to ride. There are two other entrances that are hilly but not as steep.
It's also the only hill I haven't been able to climb within 3 miles of my house! But maybe I am not meant to climb all the hills in my neighborhood.

[ny biker]

What kind of bike are you riding and are your feet attached to the pedals (with cleats, toe clips, etc)?

[kajero]

Feet are not attached to the pedals. I am leaning toward toe clips.
2012 Specialized Ruby Elite size 44. No modifications have been to the original bike.

[Cyclingfun]

I've recently been persuaded to stay cleated when going up every hill, and have learnt (I think!) how to uncleat and get off at the last moment if my energy runs out before the top. Learning how to sit down and spin smoothly (i.e. pulling up efficiently so I'm pedalling in circles), however slowly, has been like a light-switch coming on. I'm not speedy up hills, but I just don't want to have to get off and push, unless I have to.
The other matter, about the road junction at the start of the climb... If I don't feel I've the technical skill yet to handle such a junction, I get off and walk across it and start from the other side, a few yards beyond the junction so cars coming round the corner get a good sight of me and have time to take avoiding action if I'm wobbling. Am I a bit of a coward? Maybe, but it stops me having any anxiety.
I've got a couple of local hills that used to get me off the bike... but it now gives me pleasure to see how much easier they feel, thanks to increased fitness and better technique (plus changing to a 30t on the Ruby & 34t on the Genesis!) Good luck! x

[shootingstar]

Kinda annoying when there is a red light at a busy traffic intersection at the bottom of a steep long hill.

Half of the time, I am usually hauling weight of something significant (groceries, my own clothing) while cycling.
I use toe clips and have for 2 decades. I could not imagine levering myself with double pannier weight up on bike from a dead stop to grinding steadily up a steep hill without keep my bike-shoe-shod feet connected and stable on the pedals.

And I don't stand up while spinning up hills. It's just my style of cycling up hills.

[OakLeaf]

Well, everyone has their preferred *style,* but the bottom line is, standing takes more cardio effort, sitting takes more leg strength and endurance. If someone is finding she doesn't have the legs to get up a hill but wants to try to tackle it without walking, then it doesn't make sense not to *try* using her body weight to assist.

Again: EVERYBODY stands to ride, because that's how you get a bike started from a stop with a foot down. Some people just prefer to sit down and remain sitting after establishing momentum with their first couple of pedal strokes. Nothing wrong with that. But no one should think they don't know how to stand, because if they can ride a bike at all, they're already doing it.

[lph]

Again: EVERYBODY stands to ride, because that's how you get a bike started from a stop with a foot down. Some people just prefer to sit down and remain sitting after establishing momentum with their first couple of pedal strokes. Nothing wrong with that. But no one should think they don't know how to stand, because if they can ride a bike at all, they're already doing it.

That's an interesting point, Oak. I was recently teaching complete beginners to ride, and that was one of the skills many struggled with on the way, raising the saddle and learning to start while standing.

I stand a lot, as I've said a bazillion times here, my legs just like it, or maybe my endurance just stinks . But come to think of it, most starts I do I only do a half-pedal before shifting my butt up onto the saddle, i.e. only stand long enough to get the pedal from 2 o'clock to 6 o'clock, if that. Pedalling a whole stroke or two while standing is a bit harder at low speed, as I'm reminded the times I need to lug something heavy on my back and have poor balance.

[OakLeaf]

Whew. Now I have to figure out how to stand. I am so scared of losing my balance!

From a dead stop is the easiest way, because you're already doing it! You just don't sit back down once you've got the momentum.

Nybiker is right, you do NOT need clips or cleats, but you DO need secure contact. No slippery shoes, no sandals that might pull off your feet. I stand to climb bridges, in street shoes on the OEM cheap flat pedals on my hybrid all the time.