Starting Up that Steep Hill

[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.