I started standing going downhill to give my butt an extended break from the saddle. But I noticed I feel a little more balanced standing ( I understand my current bike is not fit to me, so this may change when I get my good bike ) and I also feel like the ride is smoother as my legs absorb some of the road chatter on unsmooth roadways.

Just curious if others do this. Or if this is a faux pas and I should stop. I don't want to get into bad habits.

Nope. I tuck in and it feels more stable.

How straight are you standing up? Seems odd.

Lower center of gravity = more control around the curves

I do sometimes shout "weeeeeeeeee" as I go down.

I do on hot days. Helps dry things out down there.

Thats just nasty.

says the nude fryer of eggs...

i stand for a second or two to stretch my back a little if it's a little stiff and sit right back down. If you stand for too long, your body will act as a parachute and you will slow down. Plus standing makes me more tiring than pedaling uphill.

Oh right -- I've done the "nut dryer" a few times on the commute down a small hill.

maybe if you're going down a 1% grade for 100 feet...but if you're moving down a 16% grade at 50mph standing up would not be so smart. Descending down any serious grade involves serious attention and strength. I've had cars pull out of driveways onto a road ahead of me requiring me to use all my strength to push my butt back while I braked as hard as friction would allow. Standing would be a disaster. So if the hill is a little baby hill and you really, really don't have to worry about braking you might get away with it but personally I'd be giving my butt a break by standing when I am climbing.

Nothing wrong there.
I do it sometimes to give my butt a break, to rest my back and to ride over bad parts of the road.
But it does not makes you more stable.

I do it as a rest opportunity for my butt and a chance to take a breather .

If I am pedalling, no.

If I am coasting, kind of. I put the cranks parallel to the ground, put probably 90% of my weight on then, and have almost no weight on the saddle. I also try to get my torso as low as I can get it.

This.

I'd look at you weird. And if it was a steep-ish descent, I'd stay away from you. Most people stand on the way up, sit on the way down. But then, maybe it's just me.

I don't think he's talking about "standing" like people do going up hill.

I usually lift my rear off the seat so that my legs can absorb bumps on the road.

I don't even stand up to pee in the toilet.

I've started sliding back in the saddle and sort of sitting on the inner part of my legs instead of my butt. This gives the buttocks a few moments with no weight on them and seems to still allow me to be fairly aero.

this does not sound very aero!

nope

I do this, too -- I'm in the same seated/tucked position, but my weight is almost all on my feet, cushioning potholes and it at least feels to me like I have more control, not less. I don't do it to give my butt a break -- I have a pretty tolerant hind end -- I do it to be able to move my weight around to handle terrible road surfaces. Or at night, when I have to just assume the road is going to be a horrorshow and I'm not going to see crap until it's almost under my wheels.

I put my arms out to be like an airplane and go faster.

Only one????

I always ride no hands down every descent. And I cross over the centerline to maximize cornering. Haven't tried going no hands and standing up though...maybe next ride.

I came from hardtail mountain biking where you tend to hover over the rear seat when descending to help absorb impact. I orient my cranks parallel to the ground, hover about an inch off the saddle and grip the saddle with the insides of my thighs. Keeps me aero, gives my butt a break, and keeps me stable. This is only when I spin out my cassette though. Until that point, I am seated and pedaling.

If the road surface is a bit gnarly, then I also tend to hover - being launched out of the saddle after hitting a bump at high speed is no fun. I find that generally, being able to soak up bumps helps keep better control.