Riding out of the saddle
 

When riding the bike standing , my quads really burn ( I’m new to biking) what exercises/ stretches can help me ride longer out of the saddle without this sensation?

Bc of the burning I cant ride out of the saddle more than 30-60 seconds

i haven’t biked since I was in my teens (20 years ago lol)

Keep riding out of the saddle. Stand and pedal a bit, then sit and rest. Lather-rinse-vomit-repeat.

Add some other strengthening exercises -- squats, lunges, etc. Check the YouTube Bowflex channel for very good brief tutorials -- they're only 2-3 minutes each, and they don't require any Bowflex equipment and keep the sales pitches to a minimum.

Stair walks. Stepper machines at the gym. Pretty much anything that strengthens the legs, from arches to ankles to knees to quads, hips and lower back. It all helps.

Depending on your age, overall health, how long you've gone without exercise, it'll take awhile to see real improvements. I went 14 years with little or no exercise after my neck and back were broken in a car wreck and I mostly walked short distances with a cane. After resuming cycling in 2015 it took a few *years* of consistent effort to get to a level of fitness comparable to other 50-60 y/o guys in my area. Years. After that much inactivity it doesn't come back in weeks or months.

So I’m 225 lb and 6 feet tall, yes I watch lot of YouTube videos , especially global cycling network for learning. At first I had trouble riding standing and then a video about how you should lean forward over the handle bar and sway the bike really helped and eliminated knee pain when riding out of saddle.

i just bought my bike less then a month ago and was interested in biking for 4-5 months. I’m really enjoying the journey!

They worked for me:
https://www.thebikesmiths.com/produc...SABEgLV1vD_BwE

Can I stand riding?
 

I'm new here, but I'm an old rider.

The answer has to be: ride more. Simply, you become a stronger rider the more you ride.

My wife and I used to do long tandem road rides and we would have to stand for certain situations. My wife would always want to sit down earlier than I would, and sometimes sat without warning.

The body tells us when it is tired.

Of course you have to find the right gear to stand and pedal in first.

My favorite form of riding is single speed mountain biking. This requires sometimes extended periods of standing and mostly in a gear ratio that is not ideal.

Bike fit is crucial. What passes for a good fit is a never ending discussion. Single speeding over the years has revealed a lot to me about standing, climbing trails.

We went back on the tandem after a couple years of not using it. The narrow bar width and the grip over the hoods wasn't ideal for standing. I did it, but had to compensate.

You'll get there. If I took up climbing again (as in "rock"), I wouldn't have the strength in my fingers either and would tire very quickly.
Even if I have been on a two-week non-cycling holiday, I can feel my strength have diminished when I return. You haven't used those muscles for 20 years. You have to build them up again.

You sir, are a god.

Get a BMX and ride it uphill

I'm about your size (or I WAS about your size till July. Now 20# lighter!!!). It's harder for us Large Economy Size riders to ride out of the saddle all that much. It works a lot better for lighter riders. Larger guys like us benefit more from "sit and spin".

Let me ask you, though - First, why do you need to go more than 30 seconds out of the saddle? I only stand up at a few fairly steep places on my usual rides, and usually no more than about 20 seconds.

Second, what cadence are you trying to turn while standing? I usually shift two cogs smaller right as I'm about to stand, so my cadence will be lower at the same speed. It's a LOT easier to push 60-70 rpm standing than 80-100. As I sit down I shift two cogs (at least) larger, so I can spin my preferred seated cadence.

My suggestion is to work on this by counting pedal strokes - count each time your right foot goes down. I started out this year at close to 230#. I could stand for about 10 pedal strokes before my thighs hurt too much. Now it's more like 30.

if you cant stand riding, then maybe cycle your intervals to build up the tolerance.

Did u go on a diet of some sort specifically , to lose all that weight? I really want to get back down to 200 or so.

Calorie counting using MyFitnessPal, and riding 80-100 miles a week.

The trick is always leaving calories on the table at the end of the day. And not overcompensating after a big ride.

get a fixed gear :)

I’ve been doing only SS trail and road riding for the last few months. That means a lot of standing, especially on longer, steeper hills.

I’ve noticed a similar effect. I switched from drop bars to swept back touring bars and I find it much more workable to do lots of long OOS climbs when the bars are wider and offer the chance to stand more upright and over the pedals in basically a running motion as well as a more forward posture like riding the hoods.

Also, when riding SS, it’s often standing that is easy and restful when compared with climbing the same steep hill in the same gear while seated. The same steady 5% grade that I climb standing at 12 mph requires more like 14 mph seated to feel comfortable on my knees but that is a lot of watts for me. I’m definitely more winded at the top if I stay in the saddle.

Otto

The point is you choose a lighter gear for sitting down (more spinning) than you do standing up. If you use the same gear as is comfortable for standing, it will be really heavy when sitting down. The reverse is also true: If you sit and spin at a comfortable power output and then stand, the gear will be too light for standing comfortably.

I know you said "single speed", but that's why we have gears. The same principle applies.

Have to agree with this.

Straying off topic a little, we've witnessed mountain bike bars go wide, and at the same time now we are seeing more touring/bike packing/mtb alternative handlebars trending towards wider with more sweep.
sweep.

Wider bars, to a point, are great for steadying gear loads on the bike, andy experience is also that more sweep 12- 34° or so is beneficial for loaded bike handling am comfort.

The sweep is good for standing as well, because to me it feels likey elbows and wrists are more comfortable, and more powerful with more sweep for the slower cadence of standing climbing or the control of a loaded bike packing or touring bike, seated or standing.

With traditional narrow drop bars, hanging on the hoods works, and because the grip is a sort of socket grip, the rider can adapt their grip angle, a modicum of comfort and control is achievable.

But when I think of the long passes with full loads I've done, I pretty sure it would be better with wider bars.

So coming back to standing for long periods of time, and for what? For faster times? Not sure why it is important. But if you are going to stand, the fit is important.

But most of the time riders are seated. The bike has to fit to that condition. Only trials mountain bikes have no seats. Look at those bars and stems!

If you want to get good at standing on climbs, I'm certain removing your seatpost will have a positive effect!

you are absolutely right. I hereby demote you to demigod with all the rights and privileges granted there to. Don’t spend it all in one place. :D

I won’t stand for it nor will I take it sitting down!

Have to agree with this.

Straying off topic a little, we've witnessed mountain bike bars go wide, and at the same time now we are seeing more touring/bike packing/mtb alternative handlebars trending towards wider with more sweep.
sweep.

Wider bars, to a point, are great for steadying gear loads on the bike, andy experience is also that more sweep 12- 34° or so is beneficial for loaded bike handling am comfort.

The sweep is good for standing as well, because to me it feels likey elbows and wrists are more comfortable, and more powerful with more sweep for the slower cadence of standing climbing or the control of a loaded bike packing or touring bike, seated or standing.

With traditional narrow drop bars, hanging on the hoods works, and because the grip is a sort of socket grip, the rider can adapt their grip angle, a modicum of comfort and control is achievable.

But when I think of the long passes with full loads I've done, I pretty sure it would be better with wider bars.

So coming back to standing for long periods of time, and for what? For faster times? Not sure why it is important. But if you are going to stand, the fit is important.

But most of the time riders are seated. The bike has to fit to that condition. Only trials mountain bikes have no seats. Look at those bars and stems!

If you want to get good at standing on climbs, I'm certain removing your seatpost will have a positive effect!

There is your reasons why you can't ride out of the saddle. It's a fitness issue. You need to ride more and build up your fitness...I will also say that a fixed gear or singlespeed bike the best tool for becoming good at riding out of the saddle because it will force you to stand up.

I was around 225 pounds and dropped down to about 180 over a period of several months. That was a few years ago and I have kept the weight off. I did it because I was in my mid 50's and my doctor told me I had borderline high blood pressure and my cholesterol was too high. I lost the weight by being careful about what I ate and I have kept it to 3 simple rules based on QUANTITY(eat less and do not have second servings), QUALITY (a diet high in fiber with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, low in highly processed carbs like white bread and low in fat, less red meat and more chicken and fish) and VELOCITY (slow down when eating and enjoy the food).

In addition to watching what I eat I now do an easy 20 to 30 minute exercise routine every morning which is mostly stretching and yoga-like stuff daily and add light weights (mostly for upper body workout of hands, arms and shoulders) a couple of days a week. I also ride my bike and swim for exercise when I can. The key is to be consistent and keep at it even if you miss a day of exercise or go overboard with eating one day then get back to healthy eating and routine exercise the next day. The results come slowly but can be seen in the long run and are worth all of the effort. At first I did not eat much bread or baked goods even though I love them I gave them up for the first several months and that allowed my to shed pounds quickly. Now I eat a small amount of bread and baked goods and am able to maintain a good weight. Now at 180 pounds my blood pressure is normal and my cholesterol is fine. It does take a lot of will power and effort but it can be done.

Yes.
I do two kinds of standing:
1. steep climbs.
If it's extremely steep, I'm already in my lowest gear. I'll try to slow down as much as possible while still having steering control. That's around 2.9 to 3.3 mph for me.
If it's moderately steep and long, I'll stand occasionally to use different muscles. I shift one or two cogs harder, otherwise I'll burn out too fast. I might even do a few pedal strokes, then coast briefly, and repeat.
With experience, I know how hard to work on different grades and shorter or longer pitches.

2. periodically getting off the saddle on a longer ride.
definitely shift to a harder gear for this. I'm trying to just step down on each pedal, keeping my weight centered. The goal is to have very little weight on my hands, either pressing down or pulling up. And a reasonably slow cadence so I can maintain it.

Longer climbs
I have a 34 front - 32 rear low gear. With this, I can stay seated on grades up to 10% or so, and mix standing and sitting on grades 10-14%. Just standing if it's steeper than that. Being able to stay seated is a big advantage for me.

(All my rides have hills, and I ride at least twice a week for a few hours each, preferably 3-4 times a week. I can do hills much easier now.)