Like the rest of you fools,I try to stand also. The bad news is this produces excruciating pain. The good news is I'm making progress. It was Rowan who mentioned beginning by standing for short periods and over time lengthening that time. I actually began by standing on flats as this is actually useful for a butt break. I extended this to portions of hills. This is working although the TdFrance is not in my future. As has been said, shifting to a higher gears for a slower cadence seems to work best at my current level of fitness. On a club ride of a few weeks ago, I unbelievably passed someone. I think better climbing is a continuing process that is never actually over 'till it's over.

They just do it a lot, that's all. They train it up. When I first started riding, I'd go OTS for only a few seconds at a time. My legs would quickly quit. I'm still not someone who prefers to stay up for long periods, but I do it for long enough to move the stress to the slightly different muscle groups used OTS, getting a little recovery before sitting back down.

Try this, Sara. Do some hill repeats, at a reasonably slow cadence, whatever that is for you. I do these at 70-77rpm, but you might have to start with a lower cadence. Use a hill just steep enough so you won't easily spin out. Do a climb for 3 minutes, seated. Next do it alternating 15 seconds seated, 15 up, etc. Then do one seated for 90 seconds, then standing for 90 seconds. If you still can, then do one standing the whole time. Do these now and then, just doing as much as you can each time, with some days in between them. Pretty soon you'll be "dancing on the pedals". It will also be interesting for you to see which method takes you furthest in the 3 minutes. For me, it wasn't what I thought it would be.

This is the epitome of a self-limiting attitude. Not everyone is the same, and not all of us want to 'throw in the age towel' to the extent you suggest here. There are many of us here using 53/39, and doing just fine on the hills. I just did a 110 miles, 6,500' of climbing, with only occasional use of the 39-28 combo, on parts of the longest climb, and then the steepest hill that was near the end. Most of my climbing was on the 21, popping up to the 24 when needed, and the 28 for the rare bailout. And I am not, by any stretch of anyone's imagination, a climber.

Or if you are really skilled, change to a higher gear while still standing.

When I am really going well with standing to pedal up hills, the skill to change gears really is helpful when on a flatter section or when there is a subtle increase in grade. Of course, you do need STIs or MTB shifters to do it effectively, unless you stand while on the drops with bar-end shifters.

People have mentioned the "burn" when standing. I suspect that it's because they stand without shifting up gears, and are trying to maintain the same cadence standing as they were immediately before when they were sitting.

I know there is a lot of doubt about the benefits of fixed gear riding, but it truly did benefit my geared-bike riding by improving my transitions from seated to standing to seated, and by teaching me when the right pressure on the pedals meant I could stand without substantially pushing my aerobic effort towards or past the anaerobic threshhold.

Oh my effing deity...total embarrassment for using one wrong letter...

I'll never live this down.

;~D

I really can stand longer than I indicated here. I've done entire climbs out of the saddle, but hated most every second of it! I have gotten close to total muscular collapse, too. I have done hill repeats to work on strength, and I've climbed some short grades that were so steep if I stopped I'd fall - and there was no way to turn around. Stupid? Me? Well, yeah...

I am amazed how the pros do it. They also are so graceful in the way they literally "dance on the pedals" and move that bike around. It's pure ballet, and marvelous to watch. I just wish I could do it!

And of course, we here at 50+ will always catch that kind of mistake especially when it involves a good laugh.

I would expect nothing less! The laugh, that is!! :~D

Don't worry, when the pros get spat out the back of the peloton on a day of long, tough climbs, they look just and feel just like you and I when our leg muscles say NO MORE!. Mark Cavendish in the Tour Down Under earlier this year comes to mind, as do quite a few other sprinters in other Tours...

Not in my case. I do shift up. I am overweight, so I need to improve my power-to-weight ratio and fitness in order for out-of-the-saddle climbing to be less painful.