First, I get out of the saddle for 30-60sec every ten minutes. It helps build strength and endurance for riding out of the saddle, especially for mtb. Like you said, it also relieves saddle discomfort. I can ride for many hours by doing this consistently. Second, I vary my weight back to front. Sometimes I’ll do 60sec over the bars for an upper body workout, then 30sec leaned back for my core and glutes. This, again, helps build strength for mtb.
I love riding out of the saddle after years of hating it. A year ago I thought it would be fun to add riding out of the saddle. I'm 71 and now ride at least 25% of every ride out of the saddle. I've got to the point where i can ride 5 miles this way. People think I'm a bit nuts but going up really steep hills (+10%) is no longer very difficult. Then when you sit down your other muscles have recovered. It's not faster by any means just a nice change and I've added an inch to my upper legs when at my age you're not supposed to be adding muscle. Helps with strengthening your core and forearms too.
At first glance it seems like a scraping-the-barrel idea for a video because I thought riding out the saddle is something innately natural that everyone learned as a kid but, in all fairness Si, you have done a great job at explaining How and Why we ride out the saddle and allowed those who cannot yet do it, to maybe try 👍 Well done GCN for never forgetting the new cyclists.
That was my first thought too, until I remembered that with modern bike gearing, there really isn't a need to ever ride out of the saddle. It's not like the old days where everyone had to go up 10% climbs in a 42x21.
@@gregmuonI have to ride out of the saddle regularly on endurance rides or I won't be able to move the next day. saddles are comfortable but sitting in the same position for many hours isn't
The gentle rocking of the bike, in synchrony with the rest of the body, absolutely takes practice. My friend called this action *"the waggle."* And you can tell someone who's a pro when they do it; it so smooth and seamless in it's transition from seated to standing.
This was very helfpful for me! I am only in my first year with my first road bike ever so this simple video helped address some issues I’ve been having such as hitting the saddle constantly and dealing with majority flat terrain where climbing doesn’t come naturally.
two more points: 1) if you have somebody on your wheel, stand up carefully or warn them, as your back-wheel will move backwards slightly as get out of the saddle. 2) for me, one of the benefits especially uphill is to engage my glutes more and give my quads a bit af rest. it is almost a bit like running rather than the typical seated cycling muscle engagement pattern. I speculate that that's also why a guy like Mike Woods (ex pro runner) is so good on a short steep climb which you'll see him ride out of the saddle for large portions...
Just practice to push handlebars forward or timing of the Push will prevent bike from going backwards if in bunch. Got it backwards when I wrote. (It’s so natural now)
@@DanceonthePedals yes, you can certainly reduce this effect if you stand up carefully and not in a sudden movement. However: The fact that your back wheel moves backwards a little - relative to your center of gravity - is pure physics and the unavoidable counter-movement to your body moving forward relative to CoG.
Also worth pointing out that when in a group, either give warning that you are going to stand up or make sure to push a bit harder as you stand to minimise the bike going backwards into the rider behind you.
Excellent video. Shifting up a gear is probably one of the most important take-away points. It sounds counter-intuitive but as mentioned, one needs an increase in resistance to be efficient when out the saddle 👍
The fore and aft balance greatly affects the efficiency at which you use your body weight. It is difficult to see in the video, but moving your hips just a centimeter or two can affect how easily you tire because it affects how much you are actually pushing down or just shifting your weight. I try and keep body weight over the pedals and be as light as possible on the pedals at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I do not push down but just firm up the leg so as to use body weight as much as possible and focus on keeping the transverse abdominus and other core muscles engaged, so as to flex at the hip and lift the leg. I strive to just move a bit, like a bottle floating on the ocean, but being smooth and efficient takes a lot of practice. It is a good ab workout! Riding in the lower drops while climbing can also be a bit easier on a steep grade.
Really useful video. My wife's been doing the climbs on the Zwift Climb Portal and been looking for some extra power on the red sections! This was just what she needed to help get out of the saddle. Thanks.
isn't it going to be harder on trainers though? you cant sway as much unless you have like a rocker or something similar underneath. as the video says, try not to be stiff but when you do this on trainers you're most likely going to be stiff
Guys and Manon! This is the BEST! These techniques and whens and wheres to use them are fantastic info and besides making us better riders it is soooo much more fun when you know what you are doing! I love the silly videos, but when y'all teach me something like this that makes me "feel like" 😉 I'm kicking ass on the bike I am literally saying to myself, "Thank you GCN, Thank you GCN, ..." while conquering my latest mountain (mole hill) project! Thank you GCN! More like this please!
Great topic for a teaching video Si and GCN, thanks alot! I think most amateur or inexperienced cyclists don't ride out of the saddle nearly enough, or well enough. I would have added more info about utilizing the upper body quite alot while out of saddle. I recommend to make a conscious effort to use arms, back and shoulders to rock side to side. Try straightening the power leg as soon as possible on the downstroke, and shifting as much weight as practical over that leg as it straightens. Use your upper body to force that rocking motion and pull on the brake hoods against the leg force. Together with gravity, that will help your body weight drive the straightened leg down, saving some energy. I stand in the pedals as often as possible, mostly to ease my aching (bad) back. Short out of saddle efforts really help work out the kinks of a long ride. I also think it's a very powerful and efficient technique on short, rolling hills. Love the great videos GCN!
Great vid I will share with my wife since this skills has be difficult to teach. It’s impressive how she does all her climbing in the saddle but completely unnecessary. Everyone should also be aware of being careful when getting out of the saddle while riding in a group. The bike will naturally move backwards for a brief moment when you stand. This can cause an issue if someone is riding behind you.
Great video! I just got back from riding RAGBRAI and by the last day (day 7), but butt was hurting most of the time. On a 70 mile flat route, I stood up whenever my butt starting feeling sore and logged over 10 minutes of standing time of the course of the route. A note when riding in groups. When you stand up, there is an initial 'kick' backwards of the bike. It's a good idea to let people know that you are going to switch to the standing position if riding in a group. The backward 'kick' caused a crash in the sprint stage of the TdF when a sprinter was following too closely and the ride in front came out of the saddle and the wheels touched.
On my mountain bike, I'm walking the pedals out of the saddle about 50% of the time. It reduces the need to shift on varying terrain. Sometimes I walk the pedals in high gears just to build leg strength.
in my experience, it is necessary to downshift at least twice when standing. Having the exact right cadence is critical to controlling fatigue. You want it to be as slow as possible while staying "on top" of the chosen gear; it's a fine balance. Inexperienced riders always select too low a gear. Knowing when to stand on rollers is also a key skill. Again, inexperienced riders always get this wrong; they misjudge how long they can stand and then choose a suboptimal gear that usually too low. Great topic!
I've always really hated riding out of the saddle, even in my younger days, and hardly ever do it. Consequently, my technique leaves a lot to be desired so I'm going to make a point of putting Si's tips to the test and see how it goes. Keep up the good work GCN 😄
That's the kind of thing you just learn intuitively as a kid and never think about. I'm doing all of these things properly without ever having spent a single thought on it.
I've been riding a gravel bike for commuting and I ride out of the saddle not only to accelerate or for climbing, but also because it helps a lot when I walk, specially when I going up steps or walking uphill. I live in a small town and some of the streets have very rough pavement, so I prefer to ride out of the saddle. I manage to ride for many blocks without getting tired. Thanks for the tips, they're very useful.
On one of my local routes there are a few climbs that I’ll ride out of the saddle the whole way up, pretty much every time I do them and all year round. It’s really great strength training and helps get the edge over your mates when you’re going up longer climbs. It brings out your inner Contador.
I’m one for climbing in the saddle, reserving getting out of the saddle when it gets steep. One problem I see is on group rides, where some riders decelerate before getting the power on, assume they are getting up at the wrong part of the stroke
I just switched from a dirt jumper to a 12 speed and one of the first things I noticed was how weird it is to stand on a road bike. Funny how you release a video on this subject less then a month later.
Super helpful content again gcn and Si! Lots of practical tips! I don't ride out of saddle often but for quick acceleration to avoid a dangerous situation i.e. intersections (junctions? ) it can't be beat! Love the content! Please keep this coming!
I learn this in the gym with my pt instructor he was his pain mode you had to do in 20 secs burst I ended up doing 1 minute burst and 1 minute break over 3/4 times keeping a set speed which helped me getting use to getting out of saddle I’ve seen a video explaining why you get out saddle on flat to relieve the old numb bum which helps
Really useful vid. Largely confirms what I'm already doing but nice to see why it works. Moving the hips forward and having my body over the bars works for me on climbs. I always feel I'm that little bit closer to the top.
As someone who rarely rides out of the saddle (while pedalling) I'd like to get better at this. I have adopted a higher cadence after a knee injury (~95rpm) as it doesn't tolerate the torque well. I think I have been avoiding switching to a harder gear because of this and it makes it difficult to have a smooth stroke while out of the saddle. Thanks for the explanations!
Probably obvious but: hands on the hoods for easier pacing and stretching out. For really pushing up a punchy hill or over the top, hands in the drops. At least for me.
A lot of people don't like anything except for bum on seat and hands on hoods. Getting out of the seat takes motivation, practice and a bit more upper body strength - easy to achieve in half a season
I was recently riding with some excellent climbers and what I noticed was that they 'danced' out of the saddle. It's not just for accelerating or climbing or attacking -- it can be a genuinely joyful engagement with the physics of cycling. Ditch the dread and embrace the dance.
The way I’ve always looked at this is that when riding seated, you mostly generate power with your legs and run at a relatively high rpm. Out the saddle however (excluding sprinting), the power comes with higher torque and lower rpm and your whole body is involved. So you use your weight like mentioned in the video, engage your core and pull up with the arm opposite to the leg doing the work.
Overall, very good advice. I was especially surprised that you thought to cover standing for bum relief. A useful technique during longer, endurance oriented events. It can also be a good time to stretch out your ham strings and glutes while you ride by extending and flexing your legs. The one addition I would make is advice on rocking the bike when the bike is loaded for touring or bikepacking. You have to moderate the rocking because the weighted bike will begin to pendulum and become unstable.
Re accelerating in the drops, is there a different position to grip the bars in/at (then what is shown here) for a sprint finish versus doing this at other points in the ride?
I think if you had bikes as a kid the movement comes naturally. As with all things to get more comfortable with something you need to do it more. Would be interested to know if lower seated RPM riders are generally more comfortable out the saddle
Fifteen years of MTB'ing taught me to always remain in the saddle, so when adding road cycling I had to overcome the immediate dismissal of the out-of-saddle technique. These days I find it quite useful for pushing through a steep road climb, but admittedly the quad/hip muscles needed for that position need more work. They are still quite weak.
Good tips, explains why in granny gear on the steepest bit of my local cycle path I feel really jerky going up it (have to confess I often walk up this bit as it's on my way back!)
Would be interesting to have compared Pantani or Contador to say Froome or someone with similar sit down style. Pantani's style was aero on the drops whilst still being out of the saddle.
I consider riding out of the saddle my specialty. Apart from the most obvious reasons (sprint, shor acceleration) I use it just to change a position (usually during climbing) and I use it as the last resort when I have nothing left in my legs and during the steepest parts of a climb. A good core strenght is imporant. I can last for minutes.
The technique for leaning the bike away from the down pedal is a difficult one to learn on a turbo with rocker plate, as almost everyone gets it totally wrong and leans the bike to the downpedal.... I like spinning but my best time up the Cairngorm was when I was 34/34 and several times got out the saddle for 20-30 seconds when the gradient went into 12+ degrees near the Sugar Bowl car park and changed up to the 25/27 at the back.... alternating between the two actually made it more interesting tbh
I don't know why I started, but I always count pedal strokes when I am out of the saddle. As time goes on in the season I try to count higher and higher before sitting back down.
Thanks Si for this. Last time I was on a ride and got up out of the saddle, I snapped my chain. I thought this was because I was in too high a gear. Now your saying gear up to get out of the saddle?? I am confused. Chain was basically new so not sure what to do now.
Any tips to control HR during a climb out of the saddle? Sometimes I feel like climbing out of the saddle to switch between muscles groups, but I don't seem to be able to control my HR during this section. Even though I'm not putting some much more power on the pedals, My body reacts like so
When I watch racing I guess who riders are from the back/ a distance by their out of the saddle style. It’s amazingly different between riders. I’m looking at you AdamYates.
How about locking elbows and putting the weight on bars to give the legs some relief on a 10K+ climb? Also dancing on the pedals? You should do a video to show these techniques.
A couple of questions: 1. Position of body over pedals related to handlebars and saddle? How far back or forward to optimise efficiency? 2. Out of the saddle on inclines over 10% and approaching 15-16% (we have them here). I have never managed to get this right. What do you recommend? Btw I had been struggling for maybe 18 months to come from a seated position to a standing position. Then I had a double hernia operation. Problem solved 🙂
Something I struggle with is my quads burn excessively. I think it is due to mashing the peddles at the bottom of the stroke. When I smooth out the bottom of the stroke and don't let my weight carry too far my quads are much happier.
think of climbing out of the saddle as being similar to doing a salsa with an attractive women - both you and the bike moving/gyrating in perfect sync with strong methodical movements rather than an erratic night club rave (note. i wrote erratic - not erotic - lol).
My ortho doc' says that to avoid placing higher pressure on the knees when pedaling out of the saddle, you want to 1) tighten the glutes, and 2) resist the urge to lean very forward. Anyone else heard this?
What tips do you have for out of the saddle riding? 🤔
First, I get out of the saddle for 30-60sec every ten minutes. It helps build strength and endurance for riding out of the saddle, especially for mtb. Like you said, it also relieves saddle discomfort. I can ride for many hours by doing this consistently.
Second, I vary my weight back to front. Sometimes I’ll do 60sec over the bars for an upper body workout, then 30sec leaned back for my core and glutes. This, again, helps build strength for mtb.
I have one: go mountain biking - after one solid ride you'll either learn it or sell your MTB ;)
Get out of the saddle when you want to let go of a fart. Trust me is much better. You will feel like a motor vehicle letting exhaust smokes out.
I love riding out of the saddle after years of hating it. A year ago I thought it would be fun to add riding out of the saddle. I'm 71 and now ride at least 25% of every ride out of the saddle. I've got to the point where i can ride 5 miles this way. People think I'm a bit nuts but going up really steep hills (+10%) is no longer very difficult. Then when you sit down your other muscles have recovered.
It's not faster by any means just a nice change and I've added an inch to my upper legs when at my age you're not supposed to be adding muscle. Helps with strengthening your core and forearms too.
Am a 69 years old cyclist and have only just started to ride 'out-of-the-saddle'... this tutorial has been very helpful... Thanks ;-)
Si's content is always one of the best there is
At first glance it seems like a scraping-the-barrel idea for a video because I thought riding out the saddle is something innately natural that everyone learned as a kid but, in all fairness Si, you have done a great job at explaining How and Why we ride out the saddle and allowed those who cannot yet do it, to maybe try 👍 Well done GCN for never forgetting the new cyclists.
That was my first thought too, until I remembered that with modern bike gearing, there really isn't a need to ever ride out of the saddle. It's not like the old days where everyone had to go up 10% climbs in a 42x21.
@@gregmuonI have to ride out of the saddle regularly on endurance rides or I won't be able to move the next day. saddles are comfortable but sitting in the same position for many hours isn't
Loved Si’s smirk when doing the exaggerated dancing on the bike demo.
The gentle rocking of the bike, in synchrony with the rest of the body, absolutely takes practice. My friend called this action *"the waggle."* And you can tell someone who's a pro when they do it; it so smooth and seamless in it's transition from seated to standing.
agree, it's the most difficult part and I'm crap at it :D
This was very helfpful for me! I am only in my first year with my first road bike ever so this simple video helped address some issues I’ve been having such as hitting the saddle constantly and dealing with majority flat terrain where climbing doesn’t come naturally.
two more points: 1) if you have somebody on your wheel, stand up carefully or warn them, as your back-wheel will move backwards slightly as get out of the saddle. 2) for me, one of the benefits especially uphill is to engage my glutes more and give my quads a bit af rest. it is almost a bit like running rather than the typical seated cycling muscle engagement pattern. I speculate that that's also why a guy like Mike Woods (ex pro runner) is so good on a short steep climb which you'll see him ride out of the saddle for large portions...
Just practice to push handlebars forward or timing of the Push will prevent bike from going backwards if in bunch. Got it backwards when I wrote. (It’s so natural now)
@@DanceonthePedals yes, you can certainly reduce this effect if you stand up carefully and not in a sudden movement. However: The fact that your back wheel moves backwards a little - relative to your center of gravity - is pure physics and the unavoidable counter-movement to your body moving forward relative to CoG.
Also worth pointing out that when in a group, either give warning that you are going to stand up or make sure to push a bit harder as you stand to minimise the bike going backwards into the rider behind you.
Excellent video. Shifting up a gear is probably one of the most important take-away points. It sounds counter-intuitive but as mentioned, one needs an increase in resistance to be efficient when out the saddle 👍
Always found riding out of the saddle a challenge but it is interesting how simply intuitive it can be.
Great info. I learned a lot. TY
The fore and aft balance greatly affects the efficiency at which you use your body weight. It is difficult to see in the video, but moving your hips just a centimeter or two can affect how easily you tire because it affects how much you are actually pushing down or just shifting your weight. I try and keep body weight over the pedals and be as light as possible on the pedals at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I do not push down but just firm up the leg so as to use body weight as much as possible and focus on keeping the transverse abdominus and other core muscles engaged, so as to flex at the hip and lift the leg. I strive to just move a bit, like a bottle floating on the ocean, but being smooth and efficient takes a lot of practice. It is a good ab workout! Riding in the lower drops while climbing can also be a bit easier on a steep grade.
My wife loved this video. She got out of the saddle a half dozen times today. Thanks
Really useful video. My wife's been doing the climbs on the Zwift Climb Portal and been looking for some extra power on the red sections! This was just what she needed to help get out of the saddle. Thanks.
isn't it going to be harder on trainers though? you cant sway as much unless you have like a rocker or something similar underneath. as the video says, try not to be stiff but when you do this on trainers you're most likely going to be stiff
@jambrayl1300 personally I've never had a problem on a trainer
@@jambrayl1300 Thats not the same as you are not unconciously causing the bike to be stiff but its just anchored
I'm always learning something new,i particularly like this subject. All I need to do is fine tune what I'm doing currently. Thank you
Guys and Manon! This is the BEST! These techniques and whens and wheres to use them are fantastic info and besides making us better riders it is soooo much more fun when you know what you are doing! I love the silly videos, but when y'all teach me something like this that makes me "feel like" 😉 I'm kicking ass on the bike I am literally saying to myself, "Thank you GCN, Thank you GCN, ..." while conquering my latest mountain (mole hill) project! Thank you GCN! More like this please!
Great topic for a teaching video Si and GCN, thanks alot! I think most amateur or inexperienced cyclists don't ride out of the saddle nearly enough, or well enough. I would have added more info about utilizing the upper body quite alot while out of saddle. I recommend to make a conscious effort to use arms, back and shoulders to rock side to side. Try straightening the power leg as soon as possible on the downstroke, and shifting as much weight as practical over that leg as it straightens. Use your upper body to force that rocking motion and pull on the brake hoods against the leg force. Together with gravity, that will help your body weight drive the straightened leg down, saving some energy. I stand in the pedals as often as possible, mostly to ease my aching (bad) back. Short out of saddle efforts really help work out the kinks of a long ride. I also think it's a very powerful and efficient technique on short, rolling hills. Love the great videos GCN!
Great vid I will share with my wife since this skills has be difficult to teach. It’s impressive how she does all her climbing in the saddle but completely unnecessary.
Everyone should also be aware of being careful when getting out of the saddle while riding in a group. The bike will naturally move backwards for a brief moment when you stand. This can cause an issue if someone is riding behind you.
Great video! I just got back from riding RAGBRAI and by the last day (day 7), but butt was hurting most of the time. On a 70 mile flat route, I stood up whenever my butt starting feeling sore and logged over 10 minutes of standing time of the course of the route. A note when riding in groups. When you stand up, there is an initial 'kick' backwards of the bike. It's a good idea to let people know that you are going to switch to the standing position if riding in a group. The backward 'kick' caused a crash in the sprint stage of the TdF when a sprinter was following too closely and the ride in front came out of the saddle and the wheels touched.
Glad to see this technique put into words. Some learned naturally and some by much practice. Thanks for a great video.
Thanks for this! I don't do hills well, so knowing the minor details should be helpful!
On my mountain bike, I'm walking the pedals out of the saddle about 50% of the time. It reduces the need to shift on varying terrain. Sometimes I walk the pedals in high gears just to build leg strength.
in my experience, it is necessary to downshift at least twice when standing. Having the exact right cadence is critical to controlling fatigue. You want it to be as slow as possible while staying "on top" of the chosen gear; it's a fine balance. Inexperienced riders always select too low a gear. Knowing when to stand on rollers is also a key skill. Again, inexperienced riders always get this wrong; they misjudge how long they can stand and then choose a suboptimal gear that usually too low. Great topic!
I've always really hated riding out of the saddle, even in my younger days, and hardly ever do it. Consequently, my technique leaves a lot to be desired so I'm going to make a point of putting Si's tips to the test and see how it goes. Keep up the good work GCN 😄
Extremely well structured and informative video! Thanks Si! Would be great to do a follow up on how to stay relaxed on a climb...
That's the kind of thing you just learn intuitively as a kid and never think about. I'm doing all of these things properly without ever having spent a single thought on it.
I've been riding a gravel bike for commuting and I ride out of the saddle not only to accelerate or for climbing, but also because it helps a lot when I walk, specially when I going up steps or walking uphill. I live in a small town and some of the streets have very rough pavement, so I prefer to ride out of the saddle. I manage to ride for many blocks without getting tired. Thanks for the tips, they're very useful.
On one of my local routes there are a few climbs that I’ll ride out of the saddle the whole way up, pretty much every time I do them and all year round. It’s really great strength training and helps get the edge over your mates when you’re going up longer climbs. It brings out your inner Contador.
I’m one for climbing in the saddle, reserving getting out of the saddle when it gets steep.
One problem I see is on group rides, where some riders decelerate before getting the power on, assume they are getting up at the wrong part of the stroke
There's a few in my area too where I'm trying to stay out of the saddle the whole way but it's taxing af! I hope it's somehow improving my cardio.
That face when the saddle was poking you in the bum... LMAO!!!! Great video!!
I just switched from a dirt jumper to a 12 speed and one of the first things I noticed was how weird it is to stand on a road bike. Funny how you release a video on this subject less then a month later.
Thank you 🙏
I always want to do it but having the right technique helps .
How do i do it on mountain bikes?
Super helpful content again gcn and Si! Lots of practical tips! I don't ride out of saddle often but for quick acceleration to avoid a dangerous situation i.e. intersections (junctions? ) it can't be beat! Love the content! Please keep this coming!
I absolutely love the idea of 50mm slicks!
Already recommended it to friends before finishing watching - hilarious 🤣More importantly, very helpful! 6 months into cycling and learning 💪
Great tips Si. I especially enjoyed your Annemiek van Vleuten impersonation @3:25!
All joking aside, you guys are awesome, thank you for creating a space to learn about our sport without 'crank yankers' like me killin the spirt.❤
I am very comfortable to get in and out of the saddle. It is very easy for me to do so, I am very smooth doing it.
Great stuff! I am like you, more efficient to to ride IN the saddle, use the standing burst or help with the final bit of a climb or to stretch out.
I learn this in the gym with my pt instructor he was his pain mode you had to do in 20 secs burst I ended up doing 1 minute burst and 1 minute break over 3/4 times keeping a set speed which helped me getting use to getting out of saddle I’ve seen a video explaining why you get out saddle on flat to relieve the old numb bum which helps
Really useful vid. Largely confirms what I'm already doing but nice to see why it works. Moving the hips forward and having my body over the bars works for me on climbs. I always feel I'm that little bit closer to the top.
As someone who rarely rides out of the saddle (while pedalling) I'd like to get better at this. I have adopted a higher cadence after a knee injury (~95rpm) as it doesn't tolerate the torque well. I think I have been avoiding switching to a harder gear because of this and it makes it difficult to have a smooth stroke while out of the saddle. Thanks for the explanations!
Probably obvious but: hands on the hoods for easier pacing and stretching out. For really pushing up a punchy hill or over the top, hands in the drops. At least for me.
Great instructions and tips from Si. Appreciate it.
Great tips for improving my technique! And I was just thinking about my need to improve on this! Thanks Si and GCN!
A lot of people don't like anything except for bum on seat and hands on hoods.
Getting out of the seat takes motivation, practice and a bit more upper body strength - easy to achieve in half a season
2 days ago I just thinking about this. And than we hgot a video. Thank you. 🤩✅👍🙂
when you talk about the smooth rocking from side to side you really should cut to the Yates twins from the TFF lol
I was recently riding with some excellent climbers and what I noticed was that they 'danced' out of the saddle. It's not just for accelerating or climbing or attacking -- it can be a genuinely joyful engagement with the physics of cycling. Ditch the dread and embrace the dance.
The way I’ve always looked at this is that when riding seated, you mostly generate power with your legs and run at a relatively high rpm. Out the saddle however (excluding sprinting), the power comes with higher torque and lower rpm and your whole body is involved. So you use your weight like mentioned in the video, engage your core and pull up with the arm opposite to the leg doing the work.
Overall, very good advice. I was especially surprised that you thought to cover standing for bum relief. A useful technique during longer, endurance oriented events. It can also be a good time to stretch out your ham strings and glutes while you ride by extending and flexing your legs.
The one addition I would make is advice on rocking the bike when the bike is loaded for touring or bikepacking. You have to moderate the rocking because the weighted bike will begin to pendulum and become unstable.
I also found heavier loads don't sway as easy
Beautiful and representative animations!
Glad to see this technique😊
Re accelerating in the drops, is there a different position to grip the bars in/at (then what is shown here) for a sprint finish versus doing this at other points in the ride?
I always smirk a little when the tips involve not looking cool. That's not an issue for me because I always ride alone. Also, I thoroughly enjoy GCN.
I think if you had bikes as a kid the movement comes naturally. As with all things to get more comfortable with something you need to do it more. Would be interested to know if lower seated RPM riders are generally more comfortable out the saddle
Fifteen years of MTB'ing taught me to always remain in the saddle, so when adding road cycling I had to overcome the immediate dismissal of the out-of-saddle technique.
These days I find it quite useful for pushing through a steep road climb, but admittedly the quad/hip muscles needed for that position need more work. They are still quite weak.
How are you supposed to mountainbike in the saddle? lmfao
Good tips, explains why in granny gear on the steepest bit of my local cycle path I feel really jerky going up it (have to confess I often walk up this bit as it's on my way back!)
Very helpful video, thanks! I just have a hard time rocking the bike side to side, as I feel I will lose balance 😥
Would be interesting to have compared Pantani or Contador to say Froome or someone with similar sit down style. Pantani's style was aero on the drops whilst still being out of the saddle.
2:03 if you downshift you will have LESS resistance by the pedals, they turn easier the lower gear you are. You need to UPSHIFT instead.
He said down one or two gears harder.
He said "change down". You change UP to a harder gear.
If you think of the rear cassette, you go 'down' when you change to 'harder' gear. Anyway, everybody else seem to have got it ;).
I consider riding out of the saddle my specialty. Apart from the most obvious reasons (sprint, shor acceleration) I use it just to change a position (usually during climbing) and I use it as the last resort when I have nothing left in my legs and during the steepest parts of a climb. A good core strenght is imporant. I can last for minutes.
Do you guys have any insight on pogacar's "tornadoing" out of saddle climb? Contador may have a similar looking out of saddle technique as well
“Wibbly” - word of the day.
Bike sounds awesome!
Thanks Si and the crew...can you do a look into post crash recovery and related subjects....had a bad one yesterday...yeah , merde .
The technique for leaning the bike away from the down pedal is a difficult one to learn on a turbo with rocker plate, as almost everyone gets it totally wrong and leans the bike to the downpedal.... I like spinning but my best time up the Cairngorm was when I was 34/34 and several times got out the saddle for 20-30 seconds when the gradient went into 12+ degrees near the Sugar Bowl car park and changed up to the 25/27 at the back.... alternating between the two actually made it more interesting tbh
It was a gift for my son. He loves it.
I don't know why I started, but I always count pedal strokes when I am out of the saddle. As time goes on in the season I try to count higher and higher before sitting back down.
Thanks Si for this. Last time I was on a ride and got up out of the saddle, I snapped my chain. I thought this was because I was in too high a gear. Now your saying gear up to get out of the saddle?? I am confused. Chain was basically new so not sure what to do now.
Are bikes built with Reynolds 531 tubing still a thing?
Any tips to control HR during a climb out of the saddle? Sometimes I feel like climbing out of the saddle to switch between muscles groups, but I don't seem to be able to control my HR during this section. Even though I'm not putting some much more power on the pedals, My body reacts like so
@@duncana51 Thanks, mate. I'll look into it
I have this same problem. My breathing stays the same but after 30 seconds I sit down and my heart rate is 20 bpm higher.
2:06 You change UP 'into 1 or 2 gears harder', not down! Moving down the block means moving up the gears!
This is an informative video! but only with Si demonstrating it, I realized riding out of saddle could be hilarious as well…😂
4:38 Si's face during this segment 😂
3:24 i remember makishima at the anime named yowanushi pedal 😂
7:26 the "kid on a bmx" technique, almost but not quite sprint and coast
When I watch racing I guess who riders are from the back/ a distance by their out of the saddle style. It’s amazingly different between riders. I’m looking at you AdamYates.
Si what size of crank you use?
How do I avoid my hind wheel loose traction on step sections while riding out of the saddle?
This was exhausting to watch! 😅 You're a machine!!
I enjoyed this video as Simon did not say "winningist" once. Yes I am an English language pedant.
How about locking elbows and putting the weight on bars to give the legs some relief on a 10K+ climb? Also dancing on the pedals? You should do a video to show these techniques.
No, I wouldn't advocate locking out your elbows I'm afraid, I think at that point you should sit back down. Cheers, Si
A couple of questions:
1. Position of body over pedals related to handlebars and saddle? How far back or forward to optimise efficiency?
2. Out of the saddle on inclines over 10% and approaching 15-16% (we have them here). I have never managed to get this right. What do you recommend?
Btw I had been struggling for maybe 18 months to come from a seated position to a standing position. Then I had a double hernia operation. Problem solved 🙂
You missed an opportunity to include that wonderful clip of the Yates twins in the TdF dancing on the pedals in perfect synch!
Something I struggle with is my quads burn excessively. I think it is due to mashing the peddles at the bottom of the stroke. When I smooth out the bottom of the stroke and don't let my weight carry too far my quads are much happier.
That's me at 5:45 LOL 😂 😂
my fav pro out of the saddle: Adam Yates
You forgot to say, try not to shoot the bike backwards when initially getting out of the saddle, can be disastrous when riding in a group.
I'll do it for minutes on end when I'm on a long ride just to change up position. I would say the key is up shift
think of climbing out of the saddle as being similar to doing a salsa with an attractive women - both you and the bike moving/gyrating in perfect sync with strong methodical movements rather than an erratic night club rave
(note. i wrote erratic - not erotic - lol).
bobbing doesn't look the best? we absolutely LOVE IT when alaphilippe is out of the saddle!
when youre climbing you need te swing your body from left to ride to safe as musch energy in the legs and push the most power out
hehehhe i finally managed to do it !!!! 🤠🤠🤠
Great job! 👏
My ortho doc' says that to avoid placing higher pressure on the knees when pedaling out of the saddle, you want to 1) tighten the glutes, and 2) resist the urge to lean very forward. Anyone else heard this?
nice shoes
Question: what's the best technique for riding out of the saddle on Zwift?? I find the trainer becomes unstable a lot of the time
Someone told me a long time to go to keep your heart over your (shoelaces) for running seems to work here @lso
Poll idea: Who rides out of the saddle with style? I like Alaphillippe, the Yates brothers and of course, Pogačar in attack mode.