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Thread: Cycling seated v standing

  1. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by that_fjell_guy View Post
    I have to confess, until recently I still thought 'standard' gearing was 11-24/26 with 42/52....ish! Triple chainsets were for touring. However stuff changes!
    When I started 42/52 & 12-21 was the norm, which I used until I was about 50. I always climbed seated in fact did my whole ride seated (with the exception of Chimney bank and some climbs in Wales like Bwalch y Groes.
    I did my first 500 Carlton banks seated using 42/19, and used to do Chimney on 42x21...which is very difficult!
    How things change with age, in just a few years since then I have gone to 42x25. 39x23 then 25. Compact 34x25, tried a triple, 30.42.52. I found all these worked with my original C.Record mechs.
    I started standing on the climbs due to back and hip problems when about 52, and now have settled on triple 30.40.52 with 12/26 at the back and always stand climbing, I avoid the really steep stuff unless its dry as you loose traction standing.
    I blame the decline on Strava as you can not race up hills with such difficult gearing or seated although age must play a part.
    But... as with most things everybody is different.

  2. #22
    Master mr brightside's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lefty View Post
    I'd be interested to know the forumites opinions on the toughest climbs around.
    The best ones i've done are on and around the B6265...

    Peat Lane out of Bewerley- daft really
    B6265 out of Pateley Bridge
    B6265 Dibble's Bridge to Fancarl Crag
    New Road Skyreholme to Fancarl Crag
    Last edited by mr brightside; 13-12-2014 at 06:33 PM.
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  3. #23
    Senior Member Lefty's Avatar
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    Whilst waiting for team Sky on their recce ride of Holme Moss this summer to keep warm lots of riders went up and down the climb several times. ( only 5 times for me whilst several I spoke to did more than double that ) I noticed that most managed the climb seated, it's never steep just goes on a bit. Froome came through at the front, 50m or so in front of the rest of the group, standing for most of the top part of climb, dancing on the pedals ala Contador which surprised me, Richie Porte and the others were all seated and in a group, they made it look easy which I suppose it is given the stuff they are used to.

  4. #24
    Master XRunner's Avatar
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    Should I uncleat before starting a steep hill climb?

    Getting into the wrong gear at the start of a hill climb and then having to change down later has resulted in one fall so far!
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  5. #25
    Master Daletownrunner's Avatar
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    Should I uncleat before starting a steep hill climb?

    Getting into the wrong gear at the start of a hill climb and then having to change down later has resulted in one fall so far!


    You'd probably fall harder if you pull your foot off the pedal :-( I think the old run out of steam keel over is something everyone has done, my opinion is that Standing v Sitting is an instinct thing, I tend to do what feels right at the time :-)

  6. #26
    My teenage son was never much of a biker but I followed him in the Breeze Team Car up the long and steep Tormalet on a low geared MTB and I was so astonished and proud that I burst into tears when he got to the top. He just kept twiddling . We are different: some riders are just stronger at pushingbig gears in the saddle: Ulrich, and some riders are happier spinning a lowergear and standing: Armstrong.
    The secret of getting up a long steep climb is finding a lowenough gear that you can sustain in the saddle because that is more energy efficientthan standing.
    Standing gives you much more power to the pedal (subject toadhesion problems) and you should be able to accelerate or change up butit is bodily inefficient and even Contador flops back on the saddle eventually.
    And impatience has a lot do with it. If you just want to getto the top then spinning a low gear will get you there in the saddle. Theproblem is when you think you should be going faster and start standing,rushing, and lactic builds up and you get breathless … and then tortoise and the hareas we have seen with Froome and Contador (although they are of course still bothstonking along).
    But it’s a long time since I went up Alpe d’Huez etc so I may be talking rubbish!
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  7. #27
    Actually it is Tourmalet!
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  8. #28
    Master shaunaneto's Avatar
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    Tourmalet, cracking wee climb.

    Found it pretty easy too.

    I 'may' have been taking it easy.

    I prefer the Luz Ardiden climb tbh. Especially when done on an MTB so you can ride up to the col below Pic Viscos and descend back to Luz St Saveur on the GR10 or 11 or whatever.
    pies

  9. #29
    Senior Member A.P.E Knott's Avatar
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  10. #30
    Master Al Fowler's Avatar
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    Great stuff. Cheers!

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