Road Cycling - new to road

I just bought my first road bike (only rode mountain bikes before that). After climbing a hill out of the saddle I find myself veering side to side and can't seem to control it. Any suggestions?

sit down.

Well...yes...you can sit down...but... ;)

It's normal for your bike to lean from side to side as you pedal out of the saddle. If your bike is going from one side of the road to the other, then something is wrong.

Concentrate on the road ahead of you and not directly in front of you. This should make your line a bit more straight.

velo

Climbing on a road bike is really no different to climbing on a mountain bike, you hold the bars and spin the pedals.
Where are you holding on the bars? For a well set up bike, it should be comfortable to climb with your hands on the brake hoods, or the tops, but not the drops. You dont need to grip the bars hard. Relax your arms and shoulders.

Does the bike fit you? Is it well aligned , how does it handle on descents? Dou you have low enough gears for your climbing ?

Thanks for all the suggestions.

To Velo:
I am veering after the climb is finished and I am on level ground or going downhill.

To MichaelW:
The bike is brand new, bought from and built by a reputable shop. It seems to fit pretty well- I was measured and everything. My hands are on the brake hoods while climbing and I think the gearing is appropriate. The bike handles perfectly on a downhill.
I understand that climbing on any bike is essentially the same, but the handlebars on a mountain bike are somewhat wider and hand position is significantly different.

I am also finding that just riding on level ground, it is more difficult to maintain a perfectly straight line.

after a few hard rides on a new bike its best to take it to a
Local bike shop and have them tune it sometimes the cables shetch (sp) wheels need to be retune..

when going up hill I pull up on the handle bars and rock the bike
side to side with the down push of the pedals. I dont know if this is right but it seems to keep me going in a straight line.


K

Originally posted by chungachanga
I am veering after the climb is finished and I am on level ground or going downhill.


Maybe the frame isn't perfectly aligned. Check how your back wheel tracks the front.

if it only happens after you're out of the saddle it wouldn't seem to be a bike problem. Do you have any inner ear problems (balance)?

The natural tendancy toward strenous hill climbing is to sway from side to side known as "HONKING". you are possibly over exerting yourself , and exhaustion is subconsiously making you react in the same way for quite a distance after attaining level ground .

Just take it easy at first until you adjust to the natural rytham.

originally posted by chungachanga
out of the saddle I find myself veering side to side
When I first started riding I had a similar problem. In my case it was because of inexperience and poorly developed arm and leg muscles (tiring before I reached the top of the hill). After a few weeks of regular riding the wobbling subsided.

Originally posted by RonH

When I first started riding I had a similar problem. In my case it was because of inexperience and poorly developed arm and leg muscles (tiring before I reached the top of the hill).

Good point. Strong arms are a need in out-of-the saddle climbing as well as abs. Try doing some pushups & situps every morning (or night...or lunch...or...) if with time the veering does not improve.

BTW, excessive honking is really bad for your hubs, especially the rear hub.

Plus, "Honking" is a waste of energy. Keep your bike stationary and let your energy sink into the pedals where it will do some good pushing you forward.

Imagine if you set yourself to the simple task of heaving your bike from side to side like that. It would be a lot of work.

Get the rythm so that you pull your bike away from the downward moving pedal with each stroke.

Focus on lifting your up leg rather than concentrating on pushing your down leg. This will help immensly.