Riding out of the saddle

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Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
I notice that your survey does not ask the rider's sex so doesn't take into account the differences in musculature between men and women (unless you were intending that only men fill it in?)
In general, men tend to have more explosive power in their leg muscles whereas women excel in stamina. Anecdotally, women tend to use their gears more when climbing whereas men will stand up. I would be interested to know if their actually is a difference.
 
Done

But ride recumbents :laugh:
 
OP
OP
Twilkes

Twilkes

Guru
I notice that your survey does not ask the rider's sex so doesn't take into account the differences in musculature between men and women (unless you were intending that only men fill it in?)
In general, men tend to have more explosive power in their leg muscles whereas women excel in stamina. Anecdotally, women tend to use their gears more when climbing whereas men will stand up. I would be interested to know if their actually is a difference.

Yeah I could have added a few things, but it's just for fun and someone could probably make a phd out of this topic, there's probably a learned technique aspect to it too. The comments on the threads I've posted it on have been illuminating too, I'm not expecting straight-line graphs with clear results but curious about what it does show.

Ironically what started me off thinking about this was wee Emma Pooley who climbs out of the saddle a lot - I wondered whether people who have more body weight to support (I'm 6ft5 and 95kg, so mixed measurements!) are less likely to ride out of the saddle because the benefit of the extra leverage is outweighed, literally, by having to support that extra weight. That's certainly what I find - on a 4 minute climb I tried it once entirely out of the saddle and it felt like I was going much faster, with a lower cadence in a higher gear, but at the end the times were almost the same and I was much more knackered from having stood up the whole time!
 

johnblack

Über Member
I ride far more in the saddle now than a few years back, I've conciously made the effort to change my style as sit and spin is more effective and I like to rely on my cardio rather than strength, especially on long rides. Also I'll ride more out of the saddle on the roadie than on the MTB. But there is still nothing better than using brute strength to nail a short steep climb, getting the timing right so you don't go in to the red too early is not a precise science.
 

Over the Ord

Well-Known Member
Location
Caithness
Done.

Still recovering from the last attempt to cycle out of the saddle, 2 weeks ago foot slipped of the pedal and I hit the grass verge shoulder first with the handle bar wedged between ribs and thigh.

Nothing broken just bruised and gravel rash, scared the crap out of a car driver who stopped to see if I was ok (he thought I was a goner).
 

Tribansman

Veteran
Apart from all but the steepest bits of climbs, I get out of the saddle just to change position and have a break from sitting.

As a challenge last year I did my 10 mile commute all standing. Wouldn't say I enjoyed that!
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Still recovering from the last attempt to cycle out of the saddle, 2 weeks ago foot slipped of the pedal and I hit the grass verge shoulder first with the handle bar wedged between ribs and thigh.
Ouch!

That's one reason why I use SPD pedals!***







*** Someone else will now come along and say that they have been using flat pedals for years and never had a foot slip off. Then I will say that I used to use them and DID have that problem. Then they will say that I should have used flat pedals with pins on. Then I will say that I DID try them but didn't like them because they made it awkward to make subtle adjustments to my foot position. Then they will say that they never have that problem. Then I will say ok, you use your flat pedals, and I will stick to my SPDs... There you go, I've saved us all from a pointless argument! :laugh:
 

MntnMan62

Über Member
Location
Northern NJ
I only got back on the bike in May after years of not riding due to laziness. When I was riding regularly I would often get out of the saddle to climb some of the many hills around my house. But since I've been back on the bike the past few months, I realize I'm not fit enough to do much out of the saddle climbing. Only the past couple of weeks have I begun to stand while climbing the last short steep hill towards the end of my 10 mile loop. And I've begun to stand on a small climb towards the beginning of the loop. I enjoy getting out of the saddle for climbing and feel it gives me some variety to my ride as well as using some different muscles than if I just sat during the climbs. I'm hoping that as I ride more I'll be able to get this aging 58 year old overweight body up out of the saddle more often on both climbs and flats.
 
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