davida

Hi

So I've been standing on the pedals on climbs lately to keep my speed up and take a bit of pressure off my knees.

The thing I can't get is what if I need to change gears (if the hill gets too steep). If I try to do this standing, then the system is under a heck of a load and not good to change. If I sit down and try to do it, then I lose a lot of momentum.

Also, if the hill starts to get very steep, 20% plus, should I stay standing, or go back to sitting. It seems to use more power standing, so will I get tired quicker and risk losing speed to the point where I will have to stop, compared to the slow and steady plodding that I seem to be able to maintain when sitting down

davida

AndrewP

The output of power is less efficient while standing, but uses a different set of muscles. Therefore only stand for short periods to allow your normal cycling muscles to recover. Shift up several gears before standing and back down again after going back onto the saddle.

Menel

Predict for the terrain in front of you. I've only noticed issues of under load climbing shifting for the chainring and dropping cassette cogs.

So drop to your lower chainring as you approach a steep climb, and then climb cassette cogs as necessary as the hill kicks your ass.

You should also just be able to ease the load even out of the saddle if you have the strength and need to shift.

If I'm already on a steep climb, fairly high on the rear cassette. And a grade gets steeper, say climbing through the inside of a hairpin. Lower the cassette a couple cogs before you hit it and come out of the saddle. You can climb the cassettes back up after you conquer the hairpin.

YMMV.

slowandsteady

This is what I do.

slowandsteady

For me, I see no point in standing for long hills. That slight increase in speed will wear you out quickly over the long haul unless you are insanely fit. Short hills you can just stand and power over before you get tired while you rest on the other way down. Where as, long hills just require you to keep plodding along as efficiently as possible. What constitutes long or short depends on the person.

Homebrew01

Plan ahead and shift before you bog down.

zstjohn

when im climbing unless i know the hill or im feeling good ill start in the biggest cog. if its way to easy ill shift up. its better to shift up than down

merlinextraligh

Modern equipment is designed to shift out of the saddle under load. That's one of the major advantage of integrated shifters.

That said you usually want to be shifting to higher gear as you stand because cadence drops, and to a lower gear as you sit because force drops.

DScott

Shift early and shift often.

While I would never shift front chainrings while standing, your rear der. should be able to handle shifting under load, such as while standing. If not, just ease off a second during the standing shift to make it work.

ILUVUK

That's what I do, too. Whenever I need to move up the cassette when standing, I momentarily ease the load and then shift. Only takes and instant and it doesn't feel as though I lose much momentum.

ultraman6970

Never gotten a single problem shifting standing over the pedals or seated, with down tube shifters u were forced to shift UP seated, shifting down u can do it standing up hitting the levers with the knee a little bit (trickyyy). Maybe AS could add some feedback also

nhluhr

You don't have to be under full load while standing. Just make your shift a threepart sequence... give the crank a little extra juice to set up some momentum, light pedal a revolution while shifting, restore power.

ultraman6970

+1

davida

Thanks that clarifies things

LesterOfPuppets

I do the nhlurh thing. Just lighten up for a bit and shift then.

recon455

Wrong

chado445510

Do what you always do, but just before the pedals are in the 6 and 12 position, shift down. You will not be putting any rotational force at all into the crank if they are vertical. Then, no load on the system = not bad to hear, and not bad for the drivetrain.

Joseph Vigue

Elaborate please is it all wrong or part wrong if only part wrong which part? I'm just getting to the point where I can maintain out of the saddle pedaling for extended periods and it appears to be faster overall. I used to tire quickly but now I have found a way to pace myself.

Eclectus

You can get into a stand up rhythm for for several minutes on long uphill grades.

On chainring shifting, the Di2 looks good: it synchronizes the FD move to catch the "ramp" cogs, and reportedly doesn't require any soft-pedaling, the servo-motor makes the chain move under load. I haven't tried it, but it sounds conceptually valid.

Then comes the matter of RD shifting. Most modern RDs will downshift (smaller to bigger cogs) under load. So shifting big- front-ring-to-small-ring, you usually have to shift just before, or simultaneously, or after, to smaller cog, then as you climb, shift to larger rear cogs. With modern ramp teeth, it works. Standing or sitting.

Beaker

Click the link in recons post

Joseph Vigue

Ty

coasting 

i hate standing on pedals.

kleinboogie

Which is why having a high cadence is a good idea in those situations. It gives you time to release some pressure on the pedals and the shift happens quicker. I also don't stand unless it's just a short rise and I want to power over. My power meter tells me how much force to exert which I regulate by cadence and gearing. Going over a typical rise on my route I'll do between 300-350 watts which is far from exploding and gives me energy to power down the other side while everyone else is coasting. Just some ideas. GL