If standing on a bike isn't comfortable for you, this might help.
I'm still standing better than I ever did.... -- Elton John
Many cyclists use standing -- pedaling up out of the saddle -- only for hard efforts such as sprinting or steep grades. It's stand, thrash, sit. Learning to stand while relaxed is a great addition to a rider's skillset. It engages different muscles than pedaling seated, making it a nice way to give those seated muscles a rest or a stretch. It's useful on long climbs. Being comfortable transitioning smoothly between sitting and standing is also helpful on rolling terrain or on rough ground where maintaining momentum is important.
It is a learned skill. Matching gear selection, cadence, and effort to the terrain comes with practice. It's also a perishable skill -- I find that every spring it takes a couple of rides before it feels smooth again.
Getting started:
The best way that I've found to learn is to start on a long flat or gentle uphill grade. Get rolling along seated, shift up a couple of gears, and stand up. You'll probably have to experiment with gearing until it feels comfortable. The goal is NOT to be pushing hard -- it's to work on feeling like you're rolling the pedals around in a big circle, at an effort that you could sustain for a while. When you get it right it almost feels like you're taking giant strides down the road.
Position should be hands on the hoods. Head up, torso up -- not hunched over the bars. Slight bend in the elbows. You shouldn't have to do a lot of work with your arms if you're balanced over the pedals. The goal is to feel relaxed and smooth.
If you can't find a comfortable position, you may have a bike fit issue.
If it feels like you're working hard, go down a gear. If your foot feels unsupported on the downstroke, go up a gear. Adjust as needed as the slope changes.
Another exercise for smoothness is to ride very slowly while standing. To stay smooth you'll have to put a little pressure on the back foot, just as you do when you're standing and coasting with the pedals horizontal.
You may have to try this on a few rides before it gets comfortable. That's ok! None of us were born knowing this stuff.
Once you're comfortable on a gentle grade, try standing on steeper slopes. Again, the goal is to find a gear and cadence that you can comfortably sustain -- NOT an all-out effort.
A bit of inspiration: this rider has a nice relaxed standing technique: http://thecolcollective.com/col-collection/col/passo-giau-pocol
If you are on a climb and transitioning from seated to standing, you'll probably have to shift UP(to a harder gear/smaller cog) to stand comfortably. For me it's usually up two. Your gearing may be different. Shift back down when you sit down.
You can do that as a practice drill on a longer climb: Find a comfortable gear sitting. Stand up and shift up, 10 pedal strokes, sit down and shift down, 10 pedal strokes, etc. To avoid nasty crunching noises you will have to use good shifting technique, where you make the last pedal stroke hard and then momentarily ease off while making the shift.
As your effort level increases -- more pressure into the pedals -- your upper body does more work. You'll start pulling up on the bars to help drive your foot down. Most people will rock the bike side-to-side to get their full weight over the descending pedal, but that usually happens without conscious effort.
When to stand:
I stand a lot: to use different muscles, to stretch, to break up a long climb, to deal with bumps, because it feels good. On small rises(10-20 pedal strokes) you can maintain momentum by standing and staying in the same gear instead of shifting down and slowing down. On gravel I'll often stand on moderate grades because I know I can't on the steepest grades(due to loss of traction), and I want those "seated" muscles to have had a break.
To recap: Standing relaxed is a skill that can be learned, and that will let you ride more comfortably over longer distances and more challenging terrain.
Questions/comments?
PeterB
Copied from a post to the Upper Valley Velo mailing list by Peter Burghardt