but you actually ride out of the saddle on PC's exactly the same way you do on regular cranks although it may be more of a co-ordination issue for some and it also might have to do with not being strong enough but I think it is co-ordination more than anything.

Try to forget you are on PC's and as you push down, get up out of the saddle and pretend you are on regular cranks and as you get up out of the saddle bring the upstroke up and continue..........

So difficult to explain.

I can't describe the technique, but I can give you some assurances that it's easier on the road than the trainer. I did my first outdoor ride Sunday after about 10 days of using them inside only. When I finally got up the nerve to try it outside (after making sure no one was close enough to see me or running over me and confirming that the shoulder appeared soft and grassy), it was possible. Not easy mind you, but possible. I think being on a slope helps, if for no other reason because that's the way you have learned how to stand without pc's.

I think it was ttn that helped me learn this quickly. When on your trainer, put most of your weight on your hands while on the hoods, start to pedal, slowly shifting your weight rearward as you get the feel of it. This helped me a lot...made it feel rather simple. Hope it helps you!

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

I have a little video to help you on the web site. I think there are two keys to learning. Understanding the different leg motion and keeping the cadence down.

Understanding the different leg motion. Come outof the saddle and pedal one legged. Notice how the hamstrings are much more important in raising your foot than your hip flexors.

Keeping the cadence down. Keep the bike in a big gear, OR do this up a slope, OR unweight the pedals by puttingyour weight on the handlebars, OR some combination of the above.

Once you get it you'll have it.

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

as ktalon said for me it was totally an issue of weighting. i used to actually YANK on the bars when standing. when you start with PC's i suggest you do the opposite. put nearly all your weight on your arms. now smoothly and easily give some of that weight to your legs as you pedal. if you have problems or slip out of phase shift the weight back to your arms. soon you will be settling quickly into the pedalling, and then you will be popping up and hammering like before.

if you want to get technical, what i was doing before was not only yanking on the bars but actually using my recovering leg as a platform on which to stand. you can't do that on PC's. so you need to use the arms as the platform until you get the hang of not standing on the recovery leg. personally i found it eye opening - i thought the fact that i was yanking the bar meant that i was really "givin 'er" - not so, the PC's told me. i was essentially yanking against a static and counter driving pedal force - good riddance to that! try it, it you weight your arms you could stand and ride those PC's right now as long as you wish.

The only thing I can add to the above (all of which I agree with) is: 1) It is easier after you have gotten used to riding the pc's; and 2) use a really big gear when you are trying to learn the standing climb. Once you've got the feel, it's a piece of cake.

The best thing is...it's faster than what you were doing before, or, you can go the same speed up the same hill with a lower heartrate. It's like ttn said, you find out so many bad things that you used to do that were not efficient or even counter-productive.

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)