Road Bike Racing - Queston on standing while climbing

When I stand to climb, I have to shift up a couple of gears. When I watch the pros stand, I can't see if they upshift. Seems like they would have to also. Can someone tell me if they do?

Really depends to be honest. Are you standing because the hill got steep or are you just stretching?

Seems I anticipate the climb. When I am about to stand , usually before I hop on the pedals, I upshift one gear before I stand. Not sure if that is what pros do . But, it seems to make sense.

Really depends to be honest. Are you standing because the hill got steep or are you just stretching?

Standing to do a short climb, or because my legs hurt and I want to use somewhat different muscles for a little bit. A gear that is moving me up the hill seated gives too little resistance if I stand, so I need the upshift. But the pros in the Giro or Tour just seem to pop up for a few strokes then sit back down. Maybe they shift, but I don't see it. What do you think?

If I'm standing to stretch, I don't shift more than one gear if even. If I'm standing to alternate between standing and sitting on a climb, I definitely upshift atleast one or two gears when I stand up and then downshift when I'm getting ready to sit down.

First of all, if you're not a pro, what difference does it make? The pros do a lot of things you don't do.

Second, have you really been close enough to a pro peleton to be able to see when they shift?

Third, yes they do.

Bob

I was taught, and continue to practice, the age old technique of shifting up a gear when i get out of the saddle.

Well if I'm standing, it's in the 53x11 if you know what I mean.

Stand? Get down! Get down! You want the snipers to get you man?

Crazy!

First of all, if you're not a pro, what difference does it make? The pros do a lot of things you don't do.

Second, have you really been close enough to a pro peleton to be able to see when they shift?

Third, yes they do.

Bob

Thanks for the info Bob. Of course I'm not a pro, I'm a 68 year-old retired psychology professor. I watch a lot of racing on Versus and on Cycling TV. It's a recent love of mine (6-7 years) and I want to know as much as I can about it. I see these guys shift during ITTs but haven't caught them doing it when they stand. Glad you knew the answer, I'll watch more closely now. (I thought there was a chance they knew to do something I could learn.)

Botto, what's the secret to climbing?

Botto, what's the secret to climbing?

power to weight ratio. duh.

Thanks for the info Bob. Of course I'm not a pro, I'm a 68 year-old retired psychology professor. I watch a lot of racing on Versus and on Cycling TV. It's a recent love of mine (6-7 years) and I want to know as much as I can about it. I see these guys shift during ITTs but haven't caught them doing it when they stand. Glad you knew the answer, I'll watch more closely now. (I thought there was a chance they knew to do something I could learn.)

Those guys shift all the time. But it's such a subtle flick of the finger, you can't see it when they're blazing by at 30 mph.

Try to get ahold of the "Race Day" DVD. Robbie Ventura (former US Postal Service Pro) enters a race with a camcorder fastened to his handlebars. Among the many things you will see and learn from the video is the amazing frequency with which those guys shift gears.

Bob

i dont think standing while climbing is very efficient if your in a high cadence gear ratio... too much body flailing... i tend to shift one or two or even three cogs smaller when standing.

power to weight ratio. duh.

I've had success with snorting helium. It doesn't really help my climbing, but hearing me sound like a Alvin of the Chipmunks as I scream "Hey guys, wait for me" gets everyone laughing so hard that they can't climb so good either.

upshift 2 teeth is my rule of thumb.

Depends upon the situation.

Just to stand up: 1 cog (7-speed cassette) is usually good.

Attacking: 2 cogs for the initial jump, possibly another as I settle in.

Crushing the souls of my competitors: 5 cogs, baby.

Point being, I'm just pulling these numbers out of my butt. Shift your gears in a way that lets you pedal comfortably and effectively. No sense at all in wringing your hands over it.

I think there are differing techniques that pros use when climbing, that are dictated by the race conditions. Try everything and see what works for you, but you are right, I'd like to know what the pros do first. On another note, I wished the races announcers could let the viewer know what gears the riders are pushing on climbs, it would be cool to see the comparisons between pro riders.

I think there are differing techniques that pros use when climbing, that are dictated by the race conditions. Try everything and see what works for you, but you are right, I'd like to know what the pros do first. On another note, I wished the races announcers could let the viewer know what gears the riders are pushing on climbs, it would be cool to see the comparisons between pro riders.

+1... maybe if electronic DA catches on, it might be easy to transmit what gear you're in to the cameras. That would be way cool.

For me, there are two types of climbing: "tired of sitting climbing" and "climbing for speed". I usually demonstrate the first type, as it gets old climbing in the saddle after so long. With this, I maybe downshift 1 or 2 cogs, but sometimes keep it in the same gear and just climb a bit slower, but stretching/working different muscles. Climbing for speed means almost always shifting down 2 cogs, then hammering away while in the drops. Almost like sprinting, but going uphill.

I think there are differing techniques that pros use when climbing, that are dictated by the race conditions. Try everything and see what works for you, but you are right, I'd like to know what the pros do first. On another note, I wished the races announcers could let the viewer know what gears the riders are pushing on climbs, it would be cool to see the comparisons between pro riders.

the good ones do.

I see these guys shift during ITTs but haven't caught them doing it when they stand.

Darn brake lever shifters. You wouldn't have had this problem back in the downtube shifter days.

Like most of the repliers here, I tend to shift up 1 gear when I stand, sometimes 2.

the good ones do.

In english ?