Transition to standing..........

[I am Spartacus]

To generalize this...
if you don't 'want ' to climb a hill there is nothing much people can offer you as regards advice.
If you do.. no one here can assess your technique to advise better.

Have a quick look at uToob and a few videos of the climbers in operation on the TdF.. disregarding the gulf in actual climbing 'ability' and 'speed' do you think your technique matches theirs when you attempt to climb?
If it varies hugely.. then you have some fun training to do... it may only need a tweak here and there and a lot of persistance.

Now whose technique do you want to emulate as they get out of saddle?
Look at their relaxed body attitude and copy......

oh and for the moment stuff arguments about spinning up or mashing a gear. dont get sidetracked .. find your own way.. but learn from the best

 

[Garz]

Only other option assuming you have a compact now and not a triple is to fit a triple offering easier gears till you have built up the fitness.

 

[aJohnson]

Make sure you get out of the saddle before you have to. If you hit a really steep bit then get out the saddle you'll lose momentum.

Also try switching the gear up just before you get out of the saddle.

 

[jimboalee]

Only other option assuming you have a compact now and not a triple is to fit a triple offering easier gears till you have built up the fitness.

Listen to Mssr E. Merckx

 

[Garz]

On the contrary jimbo, I read your recommendation to "The Wild and Wooly Wonderful Wattage Wizard" last weekend and it was a super read!

 

[lukesdad]

Your body can take more punishment than your brain thinks it can!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Make sure you get out of the saddle before you have to. If you hit a really steep bit then get out the saddle you'll lose momentum.

Also try switching the gear up just before you get out of the saddle.

Yep, when you're ready to stand make sure you click up a gear. Also my biggest big tip when climbing whether seated or standing is... RELAX, especially the upper body. Staying tense saps energy and oxygen for no benefit.

 

[lukesdad]

Get a rhythem you gota dance on them pedals.

 

[MajorMantra]

Get a rhythem you gota dance on them pedals.

...and open your suitcase of courage.

Matthew

 

[BilboSmeggins]

My suitcase of courage was lost at the department of hurt....

 

[Garz]

taken by the luggage handler of no remorse

 

[zacklaws]

Perhaps your problem could be caused by your bike not being set up properly.

I'm basing this on what has just happened to me recently after buying a new road bike. My old one, a Trek 1.2 was that comfortable I could ride 100+ easily with no aches or pains, during or after the ride. A fortnight ago I bought a Trek Madone and its been hell to get it set up right so that it is comfortable, despite the frame size being identical and the downloads from the Trek site showing that the geometry is identical in all measurements, I just could not copy the 1.2's setup.

On the Trek 1.2 I could climb hills changing between sitting and standing with no problem at all, on the Madone, it proved to be very painfull in the quads as soon as I stood up and I too felt like quitting or sitting down the pain was that unbearable. I have now almost ironed out all the problems and raised the seat far higher than the 1.2, perhaps just needs raising a little bit more as I still experience a slight pain in the quads when I stand initially. I have a feeling the problems caused by with having the seat too low, your legs are a bit cramped and become stiff with not getting stretched when sitting and soon as you stand it stretches your quads a bit which have got used to being cramped up whilst sitting causing a bit of pain.

 

[BilboSmeggins]

I think that you may have hit the nail on the head. Next day out (Wednesday, hopefully) I shall knock the seat up a tad, and adjust en-route to see if I can discern the difference. I think I was that focussed on my new SPD's I may have overlooked tweaking the ride-height. Cheers for that

 

[zacklaws]

When I go out for a ride now on my new bike untill I get it set up right, I have been taking a small dictaphone with me and as I ride I switch it on and make notes of what distance I've done and if I have been doing anything specific when I experience pain and whereabouts on the body the pain is. I also record any changes or tweaks that I make to my bike on the ride as well, such as altering the saddle. I also record if any changes to my bike has improved or worsened the problems that I had or has caused other pains elsewhere.

Then when I get home I can make a record of what has happened on that ride in detail and note the results and take measurements of what I have altered and compare to what they were when I started. I also have found out that a good test of how my ride was by going up and down the stairs, if I find it hurts my legs it was a bad ride, but if I can run up and down with no pain in the legs than it was a good one. You usually feel it in the quads if it was a a bad ride. In effect going up stairs is a bit like being sat down to pedal and going down stairs more like standing to pedal.

Just on my first ride out doing this, I was more successful at getting my Madone set up than 4 days just tweaking it and trying to remember what I had done previously and what the effects were. On my first rides out on my new madone I could hardly get up or down stairs my legs were that stiff, but now its just a slight ache

 

[bonj2]

Your body can take more punishment than your brain thinks it can!

correct.