Standing up

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biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
@s7ephanie you will be dancing on those pedals soon enough
 
I can only see that as being rather unsympathetic to the drive train, standing up doesn't really make it easy to take the load off during the change.
That’s the skill. If you get it wrong, you’re in big trouble, get it right, and you’ll be charging away from whatever you have to charge away from, like you’ve got a motor, or are on drugs, or both.
 

Lonestar

Veteran
I have to do it on the fixie round Limehouse with the amount of speed bumps.To take the weight off of the rear wheel.I've already snapped an axle when I felt a bit lazy round there one day.
 

rugby bloke

Veteran
Location
Northamptonshire
The occasional bit of standing up does help spread the load and stretch the muscles. I was a bit like Bambi on Ice trying it when I got my first road bike. Practice is definitely the thing. plus not being in too big a cog when you try it !
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
If you are on a road bike, get a good firm grip round the brake hoods before standing on the pedals. Sweaty mitts or squirmy two-layer winter gloves with a Thinsulate layer won't help you to feel secure.

Standing becomes easier on steeper hills.
 

Alan O

Über Member
Location
Liverpool
Also it helps when feeling the need to break wind after you've eaten all those pre-ride high fibre carbs.:whistle:
Isn't that what those saddles with cutouts are for?
 

tom73

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
it get's easier once you get into doing it. I was worried about it when I got back into cycling as I'd never had a bike with drop's before. I found just to try it with out really thinking about it too much worked for me. Now it's not a issue and happily ride which ever way I need at the time.
 
Is that when you dismount while the bike is still in motion, one leg on the left pedal, the other parallel to it?
I can't do that, my legs would hopelessly entangle and I would fall off :laugh:
I had no idea that this had a name. I used to do it all the time on the mountain bike with spiky flat pedals but oddly enough I've not tried it since switching to clipless :whistle:
 
It is quite an interesting point. It is something that I do now without thinking and often do it when bored or when waiting for someone. It is also handy for looking over hedgerows, and I tend to do it when turning around in the road.
I'm just trying to think how I do it or how you can practice. I think it might be helpful to get a bit of experience of doing it by practicing holding on to a post or fence and with one hand holding a brake fully on gradually raise yourself up on the pedals. As mentioned above you tend to have your weight more over the handlebars. It is a thing that as kids a lot of us must have practiced time and time again so that it comes naturally and is hard to explain.
 

Mo1959

Legendary Member
It's not something I ever gave much thought to. Just seemed to do it automatically and I don't consider myself to have particularly good balance or co-ordination. Quite happy on flat bars or drops and can do it from the hoods or drops. I often stand up just to give the legs and back a bit of a stretch and for the short, sharp climbs.
 
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