dagray

Yes this is a serious question.

I can ride/pedal while sitting with no issues, and I can even get down into the lowers on the road bike for short distances (got a fat belly that gets in my way), and I can stand and coast. My issue is I feel unstable when I go to pedal standing.

I think this is in part due to the fact that I haven't seriously riden a bike in 20 years until my recent start this year, and that I am 150 pounds heavier now than I was then.

Thank you for any suggestions (yes the bikes are the correct size for me).

bbeasley

Are you clipped in? If not this might be the issue.

Speed if your friend, the gyroscopic effect is stronger the faster we ride.

Practice on a slight uphill, this will keep pressure against the pedals and feel more stable.

Be careful!

Doohickie

The way I re-learned was I got a single speed bike. I had two gears: sitting and standing. Climbing hills required I pedaled standing up.

What I learned was this: When I was a kid, I didn't think about upper body, it all just flowed. At times I leaned the bike back and forth in time with my pedaling to get more power in my stroke. When I started riding as an adult, that natural coordination was gone. I found that I had to keep a very stiff upper body. handlebars straight, arms stiff, adjust only for steering (and even then, just small corrections). Eventually that naturally loosened up, but it was a little at a time. So now I can attack a hill with "spaghetti arms" or so it appears, but my arms are moving in time with my legs so everything is moving in sync.

Not sure if I explained that right, but that's what worked for me.

Little Darwin

I had to lose some weight before I was comfortable trying to stand, but when I did, I basically started out by sprinting...

While cruising on a flat section, I shifted up 2 or 3 gears and stood up and hammered. Shifting up seemed to provide enough resistance on the pedals to make it feel right.

Rootman

I'm barely over 200 pounds and I too have a hell of a time doing it. I feel like 'm going to go over my handlebars. It helped when I went to my Roam 2 with 700C wheels over my previous 26" wheeld bike, but maybe it was just the larger frame size. I just get real uncomfortable and feel unbalanced.

ill.clyde

+1

Losing weight will help you with this of course too.

I don't have much more of an answer though ... I've been riding standing up since I was a kid and I just never have had an issue.

StephenH

It depends on what the issue is. Coasting while standing allows you to lock one or both knees and simply stand. To pedal while standing, you have to support your body weight with knees bent, and there's no guarantee that you can do it. The stronger you are, and the lighter you are, the easier that is. So Lance could dance on the pedals all day. When I first started riding again, I could do it for about 2 seconds and had to sit down again. Now I can do it a lot longer. Anyway, don't worry about it, keep riding, and as you gain leg muscle and lose weight, it'll come naturally.

It's also easier at a lower cadence- if you're used to a somewhat high cadence, try shifting up a gear or two before trying.

dagray

Thank you for the responses. Yes I am clipped in with cleats. I will keep trying and also maybe trying while riding on the uprights and not the lowers.

Black wallnut 

Three years ago when I first started going to LBS spin classes I could barely stand on the pedals on a trainer, although I did not have problems doing it on the street for short duration. Standing hurt so bad that I could not do it for but less than 30 seconds at a time. With practice I am now able to do it for much longer, several minutes at a time. I also can climb short hills like overpasses standing. I think the advice to shift to a few gears harder is spot on. Just like hills the more you work on standing while pedaling the better you will get at it.

chasm54

If this means you have been standing while riding in the drops, that is part of your problem.

Before standing, change up a gear or two. You need to be in a harder gear so that your bodyweight doesn't cause your cadence to increase and have you spinning too fast, which might unbalance you in itself.

Put your hands on the bar tops. Stand up straight, trying to put as much of your weight as possible on the pedals and as little as possible on your hands. Look ahead rather than at your front wheel. Then go for a steady rhythm - not too fast - the sort of pace at which you might use a stepping machine in a gym, or walk fairly briskly upstairs.

Don't throw the bike from side to side but allow it to rock beneath you. It's normal for the front wheel to weave slightly: don't worry about that, you'll maintain a straight course overall.

When you sit down, change down again to an easier gear.

rumrunn6

slowly a little at a time. there's really no need for it. but if you want to it can be useful sometimes. I find I need more resistance when I'm up out of the saddle, so I plan ahead and upshift 1 or 2 gears before getting up. a lot depends on the hill or general terrain. experiment a little here and there

Wilfred Laurier

that was my first thought

don't lose too much sleep over it though
you can ride a long ways without standing to pedal

standing up to coast for a little bit
can help to rest overused muscles
and temporarily remove pressure from the saddle

linnefaulk

I thought it was just me. Since we moved to Florida and live in a single story home, I don't do stairs. The extra weight, the age and never needing to walk up stairs and left me unable to pedal while standing.

rumrunn6

I live in a 3story condo plus basement. sometimes the stairs are annoying. which is weird cuz when I'm at the gym sometimes I get on the stairmaster and have a good workout. I guess when i'm home I'm relaxing but at the gym I have the mindset to go-for-it. I don't ride enough any more but I think the stairmaster is helping keep the legs strong for my occasional rides

Cyril 

build your core.
you need core strength.

IBOHUNT

^That

Once again, Chasm54 sums it up nicely.

baron von trail 

Mostly it's an issue of leg strength to weight ratio. Obviously, if your legs are weak they can't pedal and maintain balance.

I suggest building leg strength by standing on the pedals while riding a trainer. Once you can do five minutes uninterrupted on that, you'll be more than ready to do it on the road. If you find yourself only able to do a minute, you'll know the answer to your balance issue is what I said.

GravelMN

I find that the keys to standing are to get your center of gravity directly over the pedals and don't let your knees lock at the bottom of the stroke. Even standing you still have to think circles and not stomp down on the front of the stroke.

If riding while sitting down is the majority of exercise you do, you don't develop the stabilizer muscles required for pedaling while standing. This will come with time. Start with a few short distances while standing on each ride. Avoid the tendency to pump the handlebars from side to side with each pedal stroke. This technique has its uses, but initially you should concentrate on trying to ride smooth and straight.

klmmicro

Also something to consider is practicing out of the saddle pedaling on flat even road surfaces might help you in working out your balance. This way you are not straining to climb AND working on balance at the same time. Eventually you will get into a comfort zone with it.

FrenchFit 

This. If you practice on a stationary bike/spin bike you can make huge improvements quickly. On the hoods, on the drops, elbows on the bar (aero), you will build strength and confidence; the balance will come naturally when you transition.

youcoming

Just stand up and have faith in yourself. My fiance was scared s***less to do it. After some words of encouragment she tried it out, stands up all the time now. You also can try by just not throwing bike side to side just stand up tall and pedal. I'm also a huge proponent of using rollers to perfect pedal stroke and gain smoothness on the bike.