[iowamtb]

Is it just me or do you work different muscles when you stand to pedal vs sitting to pedal? Standing to pedal exhausts me quicker it seems and I want to sit back on the saddle to pedal cause i get tired of standing. I am not talking of 2-3 minutes of standing either. I mean if I stand and mash hard for 30 seconds my legs get exhausted and I want to sit and pedal for a bit. For the record I know I need to get in better shape.

I also think I would rather climb short bursts than longer shallower grades. The longer grades are more tiresome than the shorter steeper ones.

 

[Timon]

there's hills in Iowa?

standing is a full body effort. back, arms, abs, calves...etc. sitting is more exclusively legs. takes more oxygen/exertion to do full body efforts.

there is a point on medium grade climbs where standing continuously at a proper cadence is easier though, imho.

 

[Forged1]

Iowamtb,
The #1 reason why Standing Pedaling is actually better for your knees than Seated Pedaling. | Mountain Bike Training Programs
check out his site lots of great info and training programs.

 

[iowamtb]

Lol try riding over at waubonsie state park. Steep bluffs and deep gorges.
http://forums.mtbr.com/passion/waubonsie-state-park-ride-4-4-15-a-961644.html

 

[*OneSpeed*]

definitely different muscle group, and harder in general, that's what makes SSers stronger riders than most. (not always obviously, but in my opinion frequently)

30 seconds of standing 100% full body effort is a workout, and will make anyone breath hard. what your able to do immediately afterwards and how fast you recover is a function of how good of shape your in.

depending on grade and gearing, I am able to sustain a standing climb for 8-12 minutes without needing a break. a newly acquired skill i started working on mid summer last year. I feel like i have 3 levels of effort. 1 is easiest just using body weight and sustainable for extended periods, 2 is medium effort, and 3 is max effort pulling on the bars and mashing the pedals for all i'm worth.

there are a few rides in my area that are 800-1200ft climbs. (with gears) i find being able to switch from sitting to standing gives my legs a break, it's nice to have that option and i am able to maintain a better pace over a longer distance than only doing one or the other.

when i first started riding SS i was in pretty good shape, better than i've been in 15 years, but i did not have the ability to do standing climbs like i can now. just another eye opening experience thanks to riding SS.

 

[mack_turtle]

I have noticed that sitting to pedal for too long kills my knees. like it ends a ride prematurely with crippling pain. if you can't stand and mash through your climbs, get an easier gear, get a derailleur, or get stronger. Rule # 5.

 

[slohr]

Going to work on standing more myself this year. Easier on the hips. Been doing a lot of planks. Even considering flats again to see if I can make my pedal stroke more naturally efficient and powerful.

 

[SeaBass_]

You'll get there iowa!
Do pushups and planks to build your upper body and core.
You got wide bars on your bike? Bar ends? They help too. (Not everyone is a fan of bar ends but I like them).

 

[iowamtb]

I have noticed that sitting to pedal for too long kills my knees. like it ends a ride prematurely with crippling pain. if you can't stand and mash through your climbs, get an easier gear, get a derailleur, or get stronger. Rule # 5.

Maybe I should have been more clear lol. I can stand and mash and get where I want to go. I was just saying that after the fact I felt more fatigued than if I was sitting and pedaling. I imagine that is because when your legs get fatigued the first thing you want to do naturally is sit down. So when I get exhausted after a climb and mashing I want to plop my skinny ass down on my seat to rest a bit and continue pedaling? I am not that out of shape but I do need to get better. My upper body has always been strong. I carry 70 lb ladders and 35 lb satellite dishes up them ladders on my shoulders every day. Plus I run up and down stairs going from customers basements to the upstairs a lot. I get a lot of exercise on my job lol. But as with everything different things you do uses a separate muscle group. I used to shoot a lot of archery (bowhunting) especially back in high school. Back then I was 6 foot tall and maybe 135 (skinny as hell) and I was shooting a 70 lb pull compound bow back in the day (late 80's). I had some friends who were athletic and muscular that did not shoot and it was all they could do to try and pull my bows back. My back muscles were conditioned. Funny how those things happen......

 

[iowamtb]

You'll get there iowa!
Do pushups and planks to build your upper body and core.
You got wide bars on your bike? Bar ends? They help too. (Not everyone is a fan of bar ends but I like them).

Yea Sea Bass I got 740 bars. That may not be super wide but it is slightly more than shoulder width for me and I like the way they handle so I am keeping them.

 

[Ghost_HTX]

I seem to remember reading somewhere (although I might have seen it on GCN) that up to something like 70% of maximum exertion, sitting is more efficient (as the other guys say - less muscle groups are being used = less oxygen required) and then from 70-100% exertion standing and mashing is more efficient.

I'm pretty sure it was Global Cycling Network on Youtube that taught me that...

Oh, and mack_turtle - if seated pedalling hurts that much after a while then I would seriously recommend getting your seat height / layback adjusted. You would be amazed by the difference just 5mm difference in the seat position makes...

 

[mack_turtle]

yes, you're right about seat height. I borrowed an actual Fit Kit to see what they recommended for my body dimensions. after measuring my actual inseam, thigh, torso, etc, it recommended that I raise my saddle over a centimeter. that's a lot, and it has made a huge difference!

 

[iowamtb]

I don't have a science set for where I put my seat. I can lower it for some big drops and then raise it back up later and I don't know if I'm in the same spot or not lol. But I don't really have problems with my knees at this point so they don't seem to be too bothered anyways. but I generally try to keep my C to where I have a slight bend in my knee when the pedal was at 6 o'clock. what's the best way to mark a black seatpost so you can put it back to the same place every time? Maybe take a file and make a scratch in it?

 

[bbeltramo]

A silver sharpie works. And one if the reasons standing makes you feel more tired is you use more core muscles to stabilize yourself on the bike when standing and mashing

 

[mtnbikej]

Maybe I should have been more clear lol. I can stand and mash and get where I want to go. I was just saying that after the fact I felt more fatigued than if I was sitting and pedaling. I imagine that is because when your legs get fatigued the first thing you want to do naturally is sit down. So when I get exhausted after a climb and mashing I want to plop my skinny ass down on my seat to rest a bit and continue pedaling? I am not that out of shape but I do need to get better. My upper body has always been strong. I carry 70 lb ladders and 35 lb satellite dishes up them ladders on my shoulders every day. Plus I run up and down stairs going from customers basements to the upstairs a lot. I get a lot of exercise on my job lol. But as with everything different things you do uses a separate muscle group. I used to shoot a lot of archery (bowhunting) especially back in high school. Back then I was 6 foot tall and maybe 135 (skinny as hell) and I was shooting a 70 lb pull compound bow back in the day (late 80's). I had some friends who were athletic and muscular that did not shoot and it was all they could do to try and pull my bows back. My back muscles were conditioned. Funny how those things happen......

You are getting too tired because you are running a hard gear, so your whole body is getting tired.

Try putting an easier gear on....you won't get as tired, and sitting and pedaling won't be such a strain on your joints.

 

[SeaBass_]

Yea Sea Bass I got 740 bars. That may not be super wide but it is slightly more than shoulder width for me and I like the way they handle so I am keeping them.

Wish I could run 740's! Too many trees on my trails so 710's it is for me.
mtnbikej is correct about the gear too. An extra tooth in the rear makes a big difference.

 

[iowamtb]

I had 32 by 20 and although it peddles like a dream I felt like I could go down to 18 so I didn't spin quite so much but maybe I should throw the 20 back on and play around. I went to the 18 after one day on a relatively flat track and I thought 32 by 20 was too low. but since then I have written some extremely steep bluffs and trails over in the Lost Hills and I'm wondering if I shouldn't throw the 20 back on and go have fun

 

[SeaBass_]

2 teeth is a big jump as you're going from a 1.6 gear ratio to a 1.77. Maybe try a 19t? that'll put you at 1.68.

 

[iowamtb]

yeah I just decided to give it a try because that seems to be one of the most common gear ratios that single speeders are running. And I could sit here and ask questions on the forms all day long but until I actually tried it myself I knew I would never know for sure how I liked it. and honestly I kind of do like it but I kinda liked the twenty tooth cog on the rear to. I probably have not rode enough yet on this new bike to know exactly what I prefer 99% of the time. I'm just going to have to keep playing with it. I may buy a 19 to cog I don't know.

 

[mrsa101]

Is it just me or do you work different muscles when you stand to pedal vs sitting to pedal? Standing to pedal exhausts me quicker it seems and I want to sit back on the saddle to pedal cause i get tired of standing. I am not talking of 2-3 minutes of standing either. I mean if I stand and mash hard for 30 seconds my legs get exhausted and I want to sit and pedal for a bit. For the record I know I need to get in better shape.

I also think I would rather climb short bursts than longer shallower grades. The longer grades are more tiresome than the shorter steeper ones.

Weird, I feel like im the opposite. I always want to stand, like i have to resist the urge to stand and pedal.
If im going at a medium effort/pace, not trying too hard, then yes, sitting seems easier because you're sitting. but in terms of making it up over something, a long hard climb, anything that requires big bursts of power or lots of sustained power, i prefer standing.

maybe its from riding around bmx bikes as a kid or something. hell up until 4-5 years ago i'd go on entire rides with the seat slammed down cause i always wanted to stand and just wanted the seat out of my way. it wasnt until i got my first full suspension bike that i started sitting most the time.