zilspeed
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 07:20 PM |
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Cycling question
Yes, another one.
Been sticking at it and have now incorporated it into my daily commute.
Yesterday, I went for a Saturday route which involves a bit of descending and a bit of hillclimbing.
Not a hige distance, 12 miles all in. That's not bad for a 45 year old recovering bat fastard.
Anyway.
Having recently 'learnt' how to cycle standing up, I came to a bit of a hill.
I've listened to all the cyclists I know, read the forums and will gladly accept all knowledge as the novice which I am.
I'm aware that standing isn't necessarily a great idea, but I thought I would have a go anyway.
The gradient starts about 10% then eases off a bit.
I was about 8 miles in at this point and feeling not too bad.
The gear I could comfortably pedal sitting was no use to me at all standing. Gelt like all spin and no go.
I'm trying to maintain a high cadence and give the knees a chance, but standing up, it felt much too low a gear.
Clicked up a couple of gears and that was more like it !!
The resistance was just right and- comparatively - I felt like I was flying, for as long as I could sustain the effort. I naturally leant forward a
bit, and it just felt right, but I couldn't maintain it.
No surprise there.
Cycling gurus, give me your input.
It will all be welcome.
Be as brutal as you like.
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adithorp
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 07:52 PM |
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Nothing wrong with standing.
You use more muscles and so can maintain a higher gear, but you're also burning more oxygen (you get nothing for nothing) so can't
maintain it. So expierienced cyclist use it to, Maintain cadence when the gradient increases briefly, get up short hills quickly without having to
change gear and to alter the mucsles being used on long climbs and reduce the fatigue of long efforts.
The reason you have to change up to do it is due to your relativly low fittness and weight (don't take that the wrong way). In order to ride
seated your on a relatively low gear. Standing you're applying your body weight to the pedals in a greater way and in a low gear the stroke
speed is too high to maintain a rythem through "top dead centre". The higher gear allows this and feels better. As you get fitter your
seated climbing gear will get higher and so the difference will not be so noticable.
When fit and climbing well I would get to just one gear difference. That allows you to stand up, accelerate, sit, slow, stand, accelerate, sit,
slow... Results in a rythem for you, but very uncomfortable for others to follow. Sadly not a chance of doing it at the moment!
edit to add...
High cadence is good and will help your knees and once mastered ward off fatigue but don't be a slave to it. Higher gears have thier place as
well.
[Edited on 17/4/11 by adithorp]
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 08:00 PM |
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Thanks Adi.
It was your input I was waiting for.
Regarding weight and fitness, I'm more than aware of that.
Got to stick at it I guess. 
Thanks again.
Regarding the higher gears.
Where I live, there is an infamous west to east wind which goes along the valley floor of yesterday's route.
Going with the wind, a higher gear is much much easier than going east to west.
There'll be more questions as my experience increases, and hopefully as my fitness improves too.
Cheers
[Edited on 17/4/11 by zilspeed]
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Fred W B
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 08:13 PM |
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When you roll into a hill that is not really steep enough to warrent standing, but your are finding the gear you are in difficult to turn over, put
your hands on the top of the bars just each side of the top bracket, pull with your arms, and feel your stomach muscles help with the effort. Also
helps to slide slighty foward on the saddle.
Cheers
Fred W B
[Edited on 17/4/11 by Fred W B]
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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adithorp
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 08:19 PM |
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Yep, stick at it. The trouble is as you get fitter, you'll still ride as hard (but faster) and so it doesn't feel any easier. One day
it'll just click. A training diary with distance riden, gear on certain hill and the time taken will help you look back and see the
improvement.
I've been out for the first time in three weeks today. It's my favorite time of year to ride, when the weathers right. 70+ mile loop that
I used to do as a "recovery ride" or a hard Sat afternoon training ride... and it killed me today. Still a good day though.
adrian.
PS. I once managed the Marie Curie Cancer Care pro team in the Irish "RAS" (tour of Ireland).
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 08:20 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Fred W B
When you roll into a hill that is not really steep enough to warrent standing, but your are finding the gear you are in difficult to turn over, put
your hands on the top of the bars just each side of the top bracket, pull with your arms, and feel your stomach muscles help with the effort. Also
helps to slide slighty foward on the saddle.
Cheers
Fred W B
[Edited on 17/4/11 by Fred W B]
I'll have a go at that Fred.
Thanks again.
JF
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 09:38 PM |
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I cycle up a steep hill with two bags of shopping on the handle bars, easy if I just stand up and let my weight push the pedal down, it's a bit
like a step class thing and quite relaxing, I just select a gear that is a good pace for me to keep going all the way to the top. Thing with bikes is
you need to pace yourself, it's all about power management and the understanding that you have a crap engine with no endurance so if you pedal
too hard at first then you will run out of puff before you have finished.
also the post above is totally right and you can fit extra bars to the handle bars that allow you to use your arms too, makes a big difference
[Edited on 17/4/11 by Mr Whippy]
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 10:13 PM |
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I'm acutely aware that I have a crap engine.
I'm much more inclined to gear down and spin.
The thing about standing was that all this power appeared, but at a cost.
No way can I maintain that level of output.
Anyway, monday tomorrow.
Another week of cycling part of the way, car sharing the rest.
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skydivepaul
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| posted on 17/4/11 at 10:21 PM |
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hi Zil,
one thing you didnt mention is are you using clipless pedals?
these make a massive difference on the road
you can push down and pull up with clipless pedals
this makes a big difference as you can accelerate uphill to get up to speed then settle into a rythem in the saddle
you use different muscles when pulling up on the pedals (and also forward and back on the pedals) so you can briefly rest your main leg muscles while
still making good progress.
as for hill technique standing (although it does require a lot more effort) is ok as is dropping into a lower gear and "spinning" up the
hill
this time of year is great for biking -only been out twice in the last month
fitting a new bathroom
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02GF74
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| posted on 18/4/11 at 10:53 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
I'm aware that standing isn't necessarily a great idea, but I thought I would have a go anyway.
Depends on the circumstances.
Sitting down uses less energy otherwise bikes would not need to have a saddle. If you ever had a saddle or seat post snap and then have to cycle any
difference, you will see how dfficult it is.
... but going up hill when you need to press the "boost" button is perfectly ok. you can get more power down since you are not relying on
your body weight but can press harder as you are holding onto the bars.
findng the right tempo, gearing etc. takes a but of getting used to so keep the practise.
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zilspeed
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| posted on 18/4/11 at 09:00 PM |
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Tonight, I used a different approach.
Rather than charging the hill like a rhino only to fade out, I picked a gear which I thought was feasible.
There's a section on my way home which goes like this.
Incline - roundabout - flat - roundabout - climb - roundabout - climb.
It's a fairly intense section for me, and has previously meant at least two stops for a breather at strategic points.
This bugged me.
Did it all in one tonight at a pace which I could sustain.
Still a little bit wrecked at the end of it, but did it in one and after the little downhill section which follows it, I could have gone on.
I think I'm starting to get this lark.
Nearly forgot.
The road bike has clipless pedals.
The other bike doesn't.
I would like to use the road bike all the time, but for certain reasons, I can't due to where the bike lives during the day whilst I'm at
work.
Not leaving my new road bike there.
That lives under lock and key when I'm not on it.
Must get a set of clipless pedals for the older bike.
[Edited on 18/4/11 by zilspeed]
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 18/4/11 at 09:08 PM |
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Nice one. Your strategy sounds like a good one.
Now you have avoided stopping once, you will never stop on that section again.
Great progress.
I ride a fixed wheel, but there are no hills on my route to work (its soft in the south).
Matt
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zilspeed
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| posted on 18/4/11 at 09:11 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by matt_gsxr
Nice one. Your strategy sounds like a good one.
Now you have avoided stopping once, you will never stop on that section again.
Great progress.
I ride a fixed wheel, but there are no hills on my route to work (its soft in the south).
Matt
Hardcore.
Up here, we have hills. 
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 18/4/11 at 09:57 PM |
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well done finding the right way for you, everyones different. My missy would topple off her bike if she tried to pedal standing up (to high a center
of gravity  )
using bikes takes a bit of time to build up your strength but in a few months of regular use you should find it so much easier so stick at it.
Eye's and ears open though, be safe
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 19/4/11 at 10:49 AM |
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Fixie riders pah!
<nothing more to add!>
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adithorp
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| posted on 19/4/11 at 12:26 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Fixie riders pah!
<nothing more to add!>
"Fixie" is an horrible Americanism.  Anybody that uses it will be first against the wall come the revolution. Retract it or your name
goes in the book! The correct term is simply "fixed".
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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zilspeed
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| posted on 19/4/11 at 05:13 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Fixie riders pah!
<nothing more to add!>
"Fixie" is an horrible Americanism. Anybody that uses it will be first against the wall come the revolution. Retract it or your name
goes in the book! The correct term is simply "fixed".
There's only one way to settle this....
FIGHT !!!!!
If it helps, I don't have / won't be getting a fixed wheel bike.
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Marcus
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| posted on 20/4/11 at 08:27 PM |
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I trashed my road bike in the snow this year, snapped the rear mech hanger clean off and bent the rear stay. I'm in the process of converting to
a single speed / fixed using a flip flop hub. Never ridden one before so that will be an education!!
Zil, just stick at it, it will come!
I ride to work every morning, fortunately it's only 5 miles each way so hardly break a sweat but it keeps the legs turning, I try to do 60 or 70
miles on the road bike at the weekend or about 45 on the mountain bike depending how I feel. It's nice to have the choice!!
BTW I'm coming up 47 in May and not particularly light, so all is not lost!!
Good luck with the fitness.
Marcus
Because kits are for girls!!
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zilspeed
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| posted on 20/4/11 at 08:52 PM |
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Yeah, I'm sticking with it.
I've got used to it being tough.
Mornings are easy - downhill for a good bit.
But at night, I have to come home.
Back up hill.
Anybody can cycle on the flat, I guess.
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