Question: I have read many articles about circular pedaling techniques, but they all relate to seated riding.
When I’m standing and climbing on short, steep hills, my feet feel like they are attached to a stair climber and I’m just pumping up and down. What exactly should my legs be doing when I’m climbing out of the saddle? — Keith D.
RBR Replies: When you stand, pedal action changes. It’s hard to pull up because you aren’t in contact with the saddle — there’s nothing to brace your hips to pull against.
Generally, when you pedal standing you should use your body weight to help you push down. Let the bike rock rhythmically side to side in an arc of about 6 inches (judged by the movement of the handlebar stem). This gives each leg a direct push against its pedal and makes the best use of your weight.
You can think about getting the non-pushing foot “out of the way” by attempting to pull up. But classic pedaling form is almost impossible.
Be careful not to lean too far forward when standing on climbs. This overly weights the front wheel. It presses the tire into the pavement, scrubbing speed.
Stay back a bit and find the front-to-back sweet spot. This helps center your weight over the crank to drive the pedals as just described.
On short, rolling hills, the trick is to click to the next higher gear (smaller cog), then stand and pedal up and over with a slightly slower cadence. This keeps quads from loading up with lactate because it helps you pedal with body weight.
In fact, it can actually feel like you’re stretching your legs and getting a short rest. Some riders like to get out of the saddle for that reason alone.
out of the saddle is also easy to reach anaerobic zone
which — if you are not on the last minute of a race, will ultimately lower your average speed
Larry English is correct in that you need to be careful when standing. For example, I can be riding steady state up a hill at 3.2w/kg. As soon as I stand, although my perceived exertion feels the same, I look down at my power meter and it now says 4.5w/kg quickly making me out of breath.
“pulling up” on the pedals wastes energy – proven many times over, whether seated or standing. You just need to unweight the “up” leg as much as reasonable.
Seated is different. Your downstroke is automatic for most cyclists. The trick to more power is usually to shift from pushing the pedals to pulling them. And preferably with a stroke similar to running. That is, “forward, down, scrape back” while the other foot does “pull back and up, up and forward.” This technique also engages more muscles in the legs. engages both legs at the same time, and actually can reduce fatigue.