Should I be standing up for hills? Why? Why not?
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Should I be standing up for hills? Why? Why not?
Was apprehensive of hills until 3 days ago. Newbie rider since Dec. Monday I'll be riding on constantly hilly mups and bikeways (marked routes through neighborhoods) 15 miles in to work and 15 miles back for the first time if the weather's good. (got showers and lockers at work, it owns)
I didn't think I was ready yet to do this due to large amounts of hills and I've only been riding flat trails along a river (15 miles easy there) but the last 3 days I've rode different sections of that hilly mup between work and home for 3x 10 mile partial-rides and it was no problem.
Those 3 rides I always shifted low and rode slow in the seat. Was in no hurry, don't ever need to be.
At the river where I had been riding a bunch since Dec, there's only one hill, a giant one (to me) 110 feet up in about a quarter mile and I always did that seated and waaay slow like 5-6 mph, 1st gear on mtb or hybrid.
My work is 200' higher than my house but so many hills up and down in between, and using a couple websites to analyze gps logs of those 3 partial-rides, I'll be climbing 1500-2000 vertical feet.
Should I be getting up more and shifting low less? Why? Not looking to be a racer or push myself hard real soon, any reason I should get up? I'm 37, 225 lbs and have always been naturally strong + naturally big in that my ideal not-fat weight has always been between 190-200. When I say naturally strong I mean even at times when I was never weightlifting I could deadlift way heavier stuff off the ground than anyone I knew, in HS beat most any of them at armwrestling but that didn't translate at all to endurance. When I was in awesome shape at 190, lifting and running a lot in my 20s, my very longest runs were like 3 or 4 miles. 2-2.5 was typical. I never felt like going further.
I didn't think I was ready yet to do this due to large amounts of hills and I've only been riding flat trails along a river (15 miles easy there) but the last 3 days I've rode different sections of that hilly mup between work and home for 3x 10 mile partial-rides and it was no problem.
Those 3 rides I always shifted low and rode slow in the seat. Was in no hurry, don't ever need to be.
At the river where I had been riding a bunch since Dec, there's only one hill, a giant one (to me) 110 feet up in about a quarter mile and I always did that seated and waaay slow like 5-6 mph, 1st gear on mtb or hybrid.
My work is 200' higher than my house but so many hills up and down in between, and using a couple websites to analyze gps logs of those 3 partial-rides, I'll be climbing 1500-2000 vertical feet.
Should I be getting up more and shifting low less? Why? Not looking to be a racer or push myself hard real soon, any reason I should get up? I'm 37, 225 lbs and have always been naturally strong + naturally big in that my ideal not-fat weight has always been between 190-200. When I say naturally strong I mean even at times when I was never weightlifting I could deadlift way heavier stuff off the ground than anyone I knew, in HS beat most any of them at armwrestling but that didn't translate at all to endurance. When I was in awesome shape at 190, lifting and running a lot in my 20s, my very longest runs were like 3 or 4 miles. 2-2.5 was typical. I never felt like going further.
Last edited by John Redcorn; 06-21-14 at 11:18 AM.
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There's no real reason to if you're just getting up the hill, except for working a different set of muscles. Gear down and spin, if that works for you and you're not racing or training, no reason to do it differently.
Everyone's different. I see little guys hopping up all the time, others just keep a steady pace. i'll get out of the saddle if I'm running out of gas and want to keep my speed up, but only briefly. There are some who go up the whole hill standing.
Everyone's different. I see little guys hopping up all the time, others just keep a steady pace. i'll get out of the saddle if I'm running out of gas and want to keep my speed up, but only briefly. There are some who go up the whole hill standing.
#3
The Recumbent Quant
To add to the above post:
Lighter guys get more benefit standing than heavier ones (although the exercising different muscles works for everyone).
The other reason to stand is because your gearing isn't low enough.
If you can sit and spin, then that's a fine technique.
Lighter guys get more benefit standing than heavier ones (although the exercising different muscles works for everyone).
The other reason to stand is because your gearing isn't low enough.
If you can sit and spin, then that's a fine technique.
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#6
aka Timi
Should I be standing up for hills? Why? Why not?
On long hills fully loaded touring I alternate standing with one gear higher, then shift down one gear and sit down.
Well until I'm so knackered I'm just on my granny gear standing or sitting, or stopping and hanging over my handlebars that is!
Well until I'm so knackered I'm just on my granny gear standing or sitting, or stopping and hanging over my handlebars that is!
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Depends on a fast 60 mile ride I'll power up the hill until I lose momentum then drop down and spin - often its faster with an easier gear and faster cadence anyway. If I'm riding 120 miles plus? Nope I spin my way up the hills because I know I'll need that energy later.
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Check out youtube of the Tour De France when they are in the mountains. Unless they are attacking or defending they are seated in the climb.
#9
aka Phil Jungels
Standing also gives your butt a rest................
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Your weight doesn't make a difference at to whether you stand or not. If the hill is short and I've got a lot of speed, I'll attack the hill and stand. If the hill is a long one, I'll gear down but I also stand occasionally on long hills to work a different set of muscles. There's really no rule.
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#13
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Remain on your saddle if you can, it's easier, and you've a long day at work. On the way home hammer up the hills for fun if you like. Enjoy the ride
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Out in Southeast OK there are some big hills that some people call mountains.
Last edited by John Redcorn; 06-21-14 at 10:47 AM.
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There is no right or wrong. It all depends on what type of bike you're riding...I have no choice but to stand up because all my bikes are FG/SS...The only way for me to get up hills is to stand up on the pedals.
#17
Senior Member
Hills? What are hills?
#18
Banned
The Maastricht 'Alps', dude .. try the hills in Liège, just across the border..
Here is a street that is entirely steps .. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li%C3%A...h_Montagne.jpg
Here is a street that is entirely steps .. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li%C3%A...h_Montagne.jpg
Last edited by fietsbob; 06-22-14 at 11:01 AM.
#19
Keep on climbing
Marco Pantani was famous for standing ALL THE TIME with his hands in the drops. Most everybody else will stand depending on the situation, but with their hands on the brake hoods.
As for the OP -- standing vs. sitting... there are pros and cons to doing both. The good climbers I know can do both equally well. Play around. Move around on the bike. Figure out what works for you. Stand through the curves, sit on the straights. Sit through the curves, stand on the straightaways.
As for the OP -- standing vs. sitting... there are pros and cons to doing both. The good climbers I know can do both equally well. Play around. Move around on the bike. Figure out what works for you. Stand through the curves, sit on the straights. Sit through the curves, stand on the straightaways.
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#21
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To be honest, I'll stand when I'm too lazy to shift. There's a slight incline near my house that I take all the time and sometimes I'll stand.
I think we're running out of topics here.
I think we're running out of topics here.
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HILL. Nearly impossible to describe, as individual definitions vary so widely, but you'll know it when you see it. Some go up. Other, more popular ones, go down. Do not panic when you see the 'up' variety. Instead, carefully assess the gradient, mentally flip through your available gears to find its equal, then dismount and enjoy your ability to become an instant pedestrian.
– The Pedaller's A-Z
What kind of triangle did that make? I'd strain myself just googling it.
Another singlespeeder here, on a steady diet of hills. As the going gets tougher, spend more time out of the saddle than on, each turn of the cranks a little victory. When I had gears I was on the spin cycle.
Really steep hills can cause hallucinations near the summit.
– The Pedaller's A-Z
Really steep hills can cause hallucinations near the summit.
Last edited by 905; 06-22-14 at 04:36 AM. Reason: Bob Seger and the bite the bullet band
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Lol we have a 4% incline on one of the brevets that the local council labeled at 40%! You look at the 'hill', look at the sign and think huh?
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The road in the distance isn't another road. And there was a huge valley in between the tops of the hill.
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Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#25
Banned
My town has streets steeper than that .. straight up, over landslides, that were just repaved after they slipped.
but I push my bike up those, or actually go indirectly around them a few blocks to get to the top of the hill
not as light and strong at 67 as I was at 30.
so there is .. sit, stand, and get off and push .. traditional British, the 'push-bike' is the one without the engine.
but I push my bike up those, or actually go indirectly around them a few blocks to get to the top of the hill
not as light and strong at 67 as I was at 30.
so there is .. sit, stand, and get off and push .. traditional British, the 'push-bike' is the one without the engine.
Last edited by fietsbob; 06-22-14 at 12:26 PM.