Originally Posted by
CliffordK
Anyway, pulling up certainly isn't impossible as there are many riders that do it, especially on standing hill climbs. The big question is whether or not it is more or less efficient (for all riders).
Mó don't think there's any doubt that, all other things being equal, if a cyclist has a straight either/or could option between stand and mash pulling up, or sit and spin, the latter is the more efficient use of energy. Where the pull-up is beneficial is when your gearing bottoms out and you need the extra power to get through this steep gradient to the leveling off point.