[Closed] Pedaling Technique

What's 'hucking'?

So, you're honestly saying on a steep technical climb you sit still in the saddle only monotoring torque/cadence and steering with your hands (a la roadbike climb?) to attain grip not supporting your body whilst still in the saddle and shifting your weight for every, dip, contour, rut, stone, root, soft/hard ground etc. etc.?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, well done. 🙄

Why are you even commeenting when you can't even work out how to lower your saddle to find out yourself?

1) Huh?
2) Relevance?

What's 'hucking'?

I have weak interweb-fu today...

[u][b]not[/u] supporting your body?[/b]really? ok.. either you actually are a super being or have never ridden a steep technical climb.

1) not surprised
2) massively relivant

I see, so as well as walking down anything 'fun' I have now not ridden any climbs either?

For a man I've (thankfully) never met you really do know a lot about me!

Your spelling is getting worse, from a pretty crap starting point, getting angry?

Back OT, are you saying that out of the saddle is always the best way to climb?

there's never ever been anything to get angry about here.. even when good spelling is relevant 😉

of course I'm not saying out of the saddle is better.. I'm saying proper weightshifting is better and isn't really required on a roadbike while climbing a tarmac road in good condition.

Bad habits transfer just as easily as good ones between disciplines 😉

For me - Terrain and speed determines required pedalling style and dictates opportunity to spin.

Fitness and feel seem transferable road to offroad, but surely only your speed and what you see ahead determines what your feet are doing?

Spin if you can find a spot perhaps but smooth progress and transitions are higher priority to me in general than smooth circles, but I do have much to learn 🙂

I will gladly show you a great 50 mile loop of the Surrey Hills, so you can exercise your unrivalled fitness in a new setting! Sure I (like everyone) can learn lots from you

I want tickets to this! Mainly because I suspect GW will spend a lot more time pushing than Nick.

I'm saying proper weightshifting is better and isn't really required on a roadbike while climbing a tarmac road in good condition.

Now find where I said anything to the contrary? In the saddle =/= totally motionless with no weight shifts. If you had one you'd understand this.

Spin if you can find a spot perhaps but smooth progress and transitions are higher priority to me in general than smooth circles, but I do have much to learn

I think my point was that you can be smooth at any cadence (in or out of the saddle), and that is more important on the MTB than the road, or rather a 'bad' pedal stroke will manifest itself more off road.

I want tickets to this! Mainly because I suspect GW will spend a lot more time pushing than Nick.

🙂

Just to clarify GW then it Never acceptable to use the saddle to sit and pedal on an MTB? Or it is but only when you say it is...

I mean some riders of MTBs might have to get up a long perhaps not so steep climb or a smoother flatter section that isn't littered jumps drops bumps, I know such "Sub-Rad^Gnarr" terrain actually offends you, but it does exist and some people use MTBs to ride it...

But anything other than other than proper, always out of the saddle application of your patented "Moar Power" technique is a total no-no?

I'm saying proper weightshifting is better and isn't really required on a roadbike while climbing a tarmac road in good condition.

Do you just sit like a sack of spuds on a road bike, brain switched off cos its 'soooo easy' then?
and on normal (Shitty) UK roads we are allowed out of the saddle? on an MTB but not a Road bike? or is it the other way round... It's all so confusing, I own a road bike but prefer riding my MTBs, I'm now scared to incase I accidentally learn an non-GW approved form or riding and that results in injury or death to myself or others...

I think you need to publish your own set of "GWs Rules", we'd all benefit 😉

Now find where I said anything to the contrary?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, well done.

There is bike at one of the local shops/clubs that has two chainsets, one on the left and the other on the right side of the bottom bracket. They are connected but there is a +/- 10 degree gap between where the crank arms aligned, meaning if you press down without pulling up eqaully on the other you get a load banging noise.

Bloody fantastic for teaching a smooth technique!

Cookea - you have a fantastic talent for reading the shit Njee posts and somehow imagining I said any of it.

quick Q.

roadbike or mtb

climbing or sprinting, when you raise your arses off the saddle do you usually need to change to a higher gear or lower gear?

Why is this?

Why is this?

Because your using more muscles, which means more force. But power output is still limited by your lungs and heart, so your cadence drops, so on anything longer than a sprint your just wasting energy trying to climb entirely out of the saddle.

So you do agree standing creates more power? (albeit not as sustainable)

I think my point was that you can be smooth at any cadence (in or out of the saddle), and that is more important on the MTB than the road, or rather a 'bad' pedal stroke will manifest itself more off road.

Ok, but my point is still that terrain and speed control this - first.

Prioritising pedalling in circles over weighting the bike for flow. That seems odd to me - especially in desirable terrain like techy twisty singletrack.

I do agree that being able to spin is a cornerstone to good form and pretty key to endurance - definitely relevant on more 'open' trails and climbs?

quick Q.

roadbike or mtb

climbing or sprinting, when you raise your arses off the saddle do you usually need to change to a higher gear or lower gear?

Why is this?

That's actually a useful pertinent question...

If I get out of the saddle to grunt up (typically something short and sharp) I normally either keep the gear I'm in or go for a slightly higher (Harder) gear to try and keep my cadence constant/add resistance to the additional weight I'm applying on the downstroke now and/or generate some inertia...

If I stay seated (normally on longer climbs) I probably will select a lower (Easier) gear also to keep my cadence constant/comfortable for the duration of the climb...

It tends to be a combination of reading incline, length of climb, momentum already carried and a rider judgement on weather or not they might need to shift weight about (as you have said) or the trail is smooth enough/has a shallow enough incline that staying seated is more efficient/better for traction that dictate what to do, read the trail/road as you find it...

Much as I hate to agree with GW I do, to a degree at least...

Why would climbing out of the saddle be less efficient than climbing in the saddle? You don't have to be sprinting in a high gear, you can actually stand and pedal with normal cadence and benefit from more muscles sharing the load than if you were in the saddle. I often climb like this at a quicker pace than if I'd stayed seated. I can't go on for ever but it isn't just a sprint. When I need a rest I'll sit down, drop a load of cogs and spin fast, then go back to standing and pedalling hard but smooth.

Getting better at standing and pedalling is also hugely beneficial when going quickly on rough but fairly flat terrain and when traction is limited. It is also allows you to generate speed through pumping to a degree which is impossible when seated. Yes, MTBs and roadbikes are powered by pedals but they're quite different disciplines.

Watch out for Njee, I spotted at least one spelling mistake there 😉

So you do agree standing creates more power? (albeit not as sustainable)

But your argument is a bit extream (and so's the counter that climbing efficiently is all seated). You obviously need to be stood up over really techy bits, even if that's just hovering 1" above the saddle to let the bike move about, but climbing quickly requires you to be efficient, which means sitting down whenever nececary/possible, otherwise you're using your available power to stabilise your upper body rather than drive your legs. Equally if you're fitter you can spend a lot longer seated as the extra momentum carrys your through the rough bits without wasting energy standing up, where less fit rider will grind to a halt and have to stand up to man handle the bike through the rougher section slowly. Just watch an XC race going up a climb, the rear wheels are spinning/gripping/spinning/gripping constantly as the riders adjust body position and power output, but unless there's somethign that needs it they gernearly remain seated and rarely stand up completely.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, well done.

Followed by the eye roll, indicating irony. Clearly lost on you!

So you do agree standing creates more power? (albeit not as sustainable)

No, it creates more torque, you [i]can [/i]generate more power, but it's not a given. I can easily stand up and not increase my power output. That's pretty daft though, because it's more tiring than sitting.

Have we reach a conclusion yet sheesh 🙄 didn't want to create an argument. So I should invest in a bike computer that also measures cadence and go from there.

Not sure I'd say it quite as strongly as GW, but I reckon most mountain bikers would better improve their mountain bike conditioning/fitness/ability by trying to stand most of the time, rather than doing pedaling drills...

GW - Member
You mean the 'bits' just like smooth road al?
That's why I used the words "pretty", "most" and "should"

Well done for coming across like a bit of a knob. You've surpassed yourself since that post too I see!

What a meaningless conversation, seriously guys, IGNORE THE TROLL.

Pot - kettle!

You couldn't make it up 🙂

Not a lot of love for GW in this thread, is there? 😆

Not a lot of love for GW [s]in this thread[/s] on this forum, is there?

FTFY. Are you surprised by this!?

So I should invest in a bike computer that also measures cadence and go from there.

I'd not get too hung up on that, just count for a few seconds, I don't really find focusing on the number all that useful, YMMV. If you want to do drills then choosing a gear that's too low and trying to spin without bouncing is good, surprisingly difficult as the cadence increases >120rpm.

The only love in it is a little creepy tbh

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Talk of the devil.

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