Standing on a MTB?

[DJR]

Talking of standing, learn to track stand, it is one of the most usefull mtb skills, especially climbing really rough extremely steep singletrack and hairpin bends. (Look at any decent trials rider, and you will see that the basic skill on which everyting else is built, is a track stand.)

[Bos]

Stand going downhill or on very technical flat stuff, all other stuff sit down. Climbing rough terain standing up will have you on your face before you know it, if not that spinning out. Smooth climbs with Plenty of traction, stand up & sit down in intervalls to releave the bum and work some other muscles, but keep that extra reserve for the last 20 km of the race when you need it.

[tombeej]

Stand going downhill or on very technical flat stuff, all other stuff sit down. Climbing rough terain standing up will have you on your face before you know it, if not that spinning out. Smooth climbs with Plenty of traction, stand up & sit down in intervalls to releave the bum and work some other muscles, but keep that extra reserve for the last 20 km of the race when you need it.

 

 

100 cement in agreement.

 

To the OP, for mtb stay seated on steep climbs. The moment you stand, you unweight the rear wheel and lose your traction. If you're trying to climb steep loose rutted stuff, you'll spin out the rear wheel and then be forced to walk. If you're in the right gear and stay seated (even sliding your backside forward until it's hovering off the front of the seat), you can climb things you wouldn't have thought possible before.

 

I only alternate standing/sitting when on a long easy-gradient climb, where I need to get the blood flowing back to certain areas and to use different muscles to save my legs.

 

For road, there's not that need to keep rear wheel traction like mtb, so standing/sitting on climbs becomes much more about personal riding style (Pantani vs. Ullrich).

Edited March 23, 2011 by tombeej

[gongmech]

If you can stand on your seat whilst riding u should join the circus.... I hear they're in town.

[Guest Omega Man]

I only ever sit while putting on my helmet & goggles.

[King_Crispy]

You're allowed to stand anytime, but only if you hold your water bottle like the pro's do. Then you can do anything

[Cappies]

Excluding all the technical terrain arguments;

 

standing on smooth surface climbs will use more energy. What I found however, is that my heart rate goes up (more energy consumption), but some muscles gets a rest.

 

What I do sometimes, lean more on your arms/shoulder and use your weight to pedal down by bending your legs as little as possible. More of the upper body muscles gets used, which is propably the reason for the increase in heart rate.

 

This allows you to have a upper body workout and resting the legs by using rested muscles and gravity in the pedal action.

[Polo]

There's a guy outside Checkers in Kloof street CT that does bike tricks for money. This guy goes down Kloof street, in traffic, standing on his head in basket attached to the front of the bicycle

 

An example of the kind of standing you shouldn't do...ever!

[Bos]

There's a guy outside Checkers in Kloof street CT that does bike tricks for money. This guy goes down Kloof street, in traffic, standing on his head in basket attached to the front of the bicycle

 

An example of the kind of standing you shouldn't do...ever!

 

I have seen that ! He should join a circus! People always ooh and aah hinking he is out of controle.. legend.

 

@ polo- Ons moet vir n ride gaan!

[SwissVan]

To much standing will make your hands sore for sure.

 

I did lots of standing last week, especialy after suffering from stage 3 sitboneatitus....then my hands started getting sore.

[Slowbee]

okes this thread is the bomb, have not read so many funny comments in a long time !

 

, allround!

[cat-i]

hey! what's all this talk about standing on cats!

[tombeej]

To much standing will make your hands sore for sure.

 

I did lots of standing last week, especialy after suffering from stage 3 sitboneatitus....then my hands started getting sore.

 

 

That's what you get when you stand on your hands. I'd say lesson learnt

[SwissVan]

That's what you get when you stand on your hands. I'd say lesson learnt

 

Did i mention how tired my arms got from peddaling