RIDING OUT OF THE SADDLE

Pedalling while standing up is a critical skill. Riding out of the saddle can feel awkward (at least at first), but that doesn’t mean you should always stay seated. Not only does it give you a boost of power when you need it, but it also provides some relief to achy or heavy leg and back muscles.

Riding out of the saddle correctly requires more than just letting your weight fall side-to-side on the pedals. In fact, the upper body and the up-stroke become extremely important when you’re attempting to generate more power during sprinting or steep climbs.

Here are a few tips to adjust your out-of-the-saddle technique:

• Shift to a harder gear: More weight on the pedals makes your cadence jump up when you stand. For this reason, shift down one or two gears before getting out of the saddle.
• Stay over the pedals: Most of your weight should be directly over the pedals when you stand. Avoid moving too far forward or staying too far back.
• Bend your knees: Just as you would seated, there should always be a slight bend in the knees when you pedal standing, even at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
• Move the bike, not your body: The side-to-side rocking motion can help generate power, but try to rock your bike and not your body to be more efficient.
• Pull up on the handlebars: For extra power, try pulling up on the same side of the handlebar as the foot that’s pushing down.
• The upstroke: On steep gradients concentrate on pulling the upstroke and letting your weight fall naturally on the pedal during the down stroke (12 o’clock to 6).

WATCH: “How To Ride Out Of The Saddle”:  https://youtu.be/hTkrnNr39dk