Questions about standing

tadamsmar said:

Watching the tdf, I see guys standing and seeming to be going slower
than the seated riders around them. And, I find it really hard to
keep a high cadence while standing.

What is standing useful for in racing? In commuting?

I can see that one might want to speed up quickly in some racing
situations. Shifting gears would take more time than simply
increasing power and cadence.

Dumbass,
It gives you a chance to optimize the aerodynamics of your package.

Donald Munro said:

tadamsmar said:

Watching the tdf, I see guys standing and seeming to be going slower
than the seated riders around them. And, I find it really hard to
keep a high cadence while standing.

What is standing useful for in racing? In commuting?

I can see that one might want to speed up quickly in some racing
situations. Shifting gears would take more time than simply
increasing power and cadence.

Dumbass,

Yep that's me, thanks for your patience in replying.

Quoted message said:

It gives you a chance to optimize the aerodynamics of your package.

That means make you back horizontal?

Quoted message said:

Donald Munro said:

tadamsmar said:

Watching the tdf, I see guys standing and seeming to be going slower
than the seated riders around them. And, I find it really hard to
keep a high cadence while standing.

What is standing useful for in racing? In commuting?

I can see that one might want to speed up quickly in some racing
situations. Shifting gears would take more time than simply
increasing power and cadence.

Dumbass,

Yep that's me, thanks for your patience in replying.

Quoted message said:

It gives you a chance to optimize the aerodynamics of your package.

That means make you back horizontal?

Make your back parallel to the direction of the bike. I can see that on
the downhill, but what about when climbing?

I think Donald was pullin' your ... er ... chain.

Standing while pedaling can be a way to apply more power to the pedals ...
if you want to use it that way. Look at a finishing sprint. Those riders
are out of the saddle.

On a long climb, it's usually just a way to shift the workload to a
different muscle group for a brief time ... to change things up and keep
cramps and fatigue from setting in after being seated for a long time.

Usually, when I get out of the saddle I shift to a gear or two harder
(towards the smaller cogs) because I can't keep the cadence as high and the
harder gearing helps me keep my speed up. It's not that hard to keep the
pedals turning in the harder gears because, out of the saddle, you have your
full body weight to bear on the pedals.

I see lots of riders who don't shift to harder gears when they get out of
the saddle and they do lose ground relative to the riders around them unless
they are able to maintain cadence ... which most can't. I hate being behind
these folks on a climb. They get out of the saddle ... which should result
in a bit more speed and power. Instead, they suddenly start coming back at
you and you have to change your rhythm to get around them.

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
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Quoted message said:

Watching the tdf, I see guys standing and seeming to be going slower
than the seated riders around them. And, I find it really hard to
keep a high cadence while standing.

What is standing useful for in racing? In commuting?

I can see that one might want to speed up quickly in some racing
situations. Shifting gears would take more time than simply
increasing power and cadence.

Quoted message said:

Watching the tdf, I see guys standing and seeming to be going slower
than the seated riders around them. And, I find it really hard to
keep a high cadence while standing.

What is standing useful for in racing? In commuting?

I can see that one might want to speed up quickly in some racing
situations. Shifting gears would take more time than simply
increasing power and cadence.

It's just different. When the resistance rises, it helps to throw your
upper body weight into the effort. Or, it's just a posture change. But
supporting that extra weight also increases the workload in other ways.

I used to sit and grind, or stand and sprint on a hill. I was slow.
Then, I started taking indoor cycling classes during the Winters, and
developed a much more efficient standing technique. I can now stand for
many minutes without losing speed. It's a little more taxing than
sitting, but it's a valuable tool.

I'm still slow though.

--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the
trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view,
the most insidious of traitors."
George H.W. Bush, April 16, 1999,