Starting Up that Steep Hill

[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.

[shootingstar]

I'm standing off the bike saddle when I stop, and doing a half-pedal to lever myself /my butt up onto the bike to start cycling.

I cannot sit on saddle, rest for minutes and then start cycling, my saddle is high enough.. Unless there is raised curb to rest my right foot.

It is useful for learners to get to that stage, so that their saddle is at proper height and their legs aren't too cramped when cycling. Otherwise they can't cycle far without feeling uncomfortable somewhere.

[Karenanywild]

How DO you get unclipped safely of you are working up a hill and run out of gas? This is scaring me away from a hill on our ride route.

[lph]

I have my left pedal (spd's) set so loose that I just need to move my foot sideways with scarcely any pressure at all, and my foot just comes off. Easy to do in the same movement as putting my foot down. But this is something you can practice anywhere in a safe place, I should think, by slowing, then postponing the unclip as long as you can before putting a foot down.