I was out on my TT bike tonight and came up to a few hills, is it better to go up hills in a aero position or by standing up.
I tried both ways on the same hill and couldn’t really tell a difference. Being in my aero position felt good but I was in a climbing gear. When I stood to climb I wasn’t in that bigh of a climbing gear, compared to when i was sitting
When I had my bike fit I asked my FIST guy the same question. He told me that I should stay in the aero position since that were the most power is.
My 2 cents & I expect change
No matter which kind of bike you’re in it is almost always better to sit; I find climbing in the aero position uncomfortable with extended grades of > 5-8%.
When climbing a hill I was always taught to first get into a gear you can spin at (i.e. 90-100 rpm) and as you notice you legs slowing down drop the gears (trying to maintain 90-100 rpm), once you get into the 80’s or lower in your last gear and if you’re tired you can stand, but first bring it up a few gears - do this because when you’re standing your RPM’s will drop a whole lot and you want to maintain the same pace.
If you’ve got the gearing for it stay seated and remain comfortable.
Dan wrote an article not too long ago on climbing on a TT/Tri bike but I can’t find it. Here are some older ones.
Stand:
Sit:
Okay, I’ll bite on this because I feel differently.
I like to get out of the seat and climb with my tribike … but your setup has got to give you room to climb effectively. I’m relatively tall at 6’4 and 37 inseam so it really refreshes my legs to climb and I pass a lot of people on climbs who are seated and trying to spin. I can stay down for long flat races like IMF, but even then like to stretch out my legs by just shifting down and getting out of the seat … it stretches out my back and my legs and I’m quite sure no one is passing me while I do it.
This may be one of those individual things, but no one will convince me that I’m faster staying continually seated and in the aero position on climbs … it just isn’t true.
Dave
I would think it depends on the distance.
I’m not sitting on no climbs in a 40K.
Might come up out of the saddle a couple times in an IM just to switch up the muscle gorups, but would tend to stay seated for 95% of the climb.
I was a course marshal at the Junior National Championship time trial a few years ago. I was stationed atop a large hill where I could see from bottom to top. I noticed that most people stood as they climbed it, but a few didn’t. Then I noticed that the ones who remained seated and on their aerobars seemed to make it up the hill faster. Then I started timing the riders. Every single time, the riders who stayed seated and in their aerobars got up the hill faster than those who stood.
Now … having said that,
I was along the barriers about 75 yards from the finish at the USPRO TT Championship in Greenville, SC this past year. It was a very hilly course and the finish was at the crest of a pretty sharp little hill. Almost every rider remained seated as they came up this hill to the finish line. The notable exception … Dave Zabriski who absolutely launched himself out of the saddle and powered to the line. I’ve heard people knock DZ by saying his whole thing is just the fact that he has the most aero position. WRONG! The guy can generate some serious power!
.
I agree with you dcsxtri. Maybe I haven’t spent enough time in the aero position, but after an hour on the aerobars, it sure feels nice to get out of the saddle, even if only for a minute.
I’ve been riding a lot of hills this winter and it depends on how the steep the climb. If its something I can climb in my big ring or even up to my 39-19, then i’ll stay in my aero bars. If its steep and I’m in my 39-21, 23 or 25…I’ll put my hands on the bar extensions and slide back on my saddle. If its really steep and really long, I’ll even rest my hands on my arm rests. I’ll also get out of the saddle occasionally to stretch out my lower back and switch muscle groups a little.
Most of the riding, I’ve been doing is hillier than the vast majority of tri bike courses…and truthfully I probably would be better served with a road bike. That’s next on the shopping list.
I’ll be the really wierd one on this. I do both at the sametime i am still down in aero normally but i am out of the saddle.
I never spin though. Besides of the damn Boulder Peak hill even then about half way up i started cranking. Half or Iron my strategy will probably be different but i’m not gonna try to save my legs in an olympic or sprint
Grant
Never stand when you can sit - never sit when you can lay down.
Ride a fixie, then you have to stand 
Seriously though. Long and/or shallow hills I sit. Short sharp stuff I stand to preserve the momentum.
Standing probably uses more energy so you may pay for it on the run in a triathlon. It does feel good to get off the saddle and out of the aero-bars, though. As your speed is lower there is probably less time loss than from sitting up at other times.
Quote: “I was along the barriers about 75 yards from the finish at the USPRO TT Championship in Greenville, SC this past year. It was a very hilly course and the finish was at the crest of a pretty sharp little hill. Almost every rider remained seated as they came up this hill to the finish line. The notable exception … Dave Zabriski who absolutely launched himself out of the saddle and powered to the line. I’ve heard people knock DZ by saying his whole thing is just the fact that he has the most aero position. WRONG! The guy can generate some serious power!”
Bob C,
lol.
I’ve always wondered how someone (DZ) could ride 54 kph and not generate some serious power, even if it was flat terrain!
Generally I stay seated, and in the aerobars when over 15mph
.
I always stay seated as much as possible and rarely ever get out of the saddle. in training rides, i stay in the aerobars even on steeper climbs to train myself to be comfortable and powerful in that position. as the grade increases, i will stay aero, but slide back on my saddle a little. even steeper and I may sit up, but still stay seated. you can control your HR much easier when seated, whereas your HR will jack up when you stand.
my training buddies always joke with me that I never get out of the saddle. still I climb better and faster than they do when they are standing. it’s a big deal if we encounter a big hill and I decide to get out of the saddle.
IMO, very beneficial in long course to be able to grind out a hill in aero or seated position while controlling HR. you will be comfortable and relaxed while everyone else is blowing themselves up. now in short course races, I may stand to power over short steep hills to get the speed up. depends.
Standing probably uses more energy so you may pay for it on the run in a triathlon. It does feel good to get off the saddle and out of the aero-bars, though. As your speed is lower there is probably less time loss than from sitting up at other times.
That’s probably true.
I also think whether to sit or stand will depend upon what you’re trying to accomplish, they type of event, and what you’re comfortable with. In a road race, not standing while others attack over a hill or even a roller could get you dropped. In a time trial, you may want to stand to, among other things, maintain momentum over a steep patch or to pick up as much speed as you approach and go over the crest of a climb, In the bike portion of a triathlon, you’ll have to take into consideration whether the effort will impact you on the run – how you ride during a sprint will likely differ from how you ride at longer distances. And certainly, whether you put in some out-of-the-saddle training will make a difference on how effective standing is during a race. I’ll put in about 3 miles nonstop out of the saddle riding each week, culminating in a full attack at the end of the three miles. This three miles usually comes almost immediately after I put in a 45 minute climb where I’m glued to the saddle. I also make a point of trying to attack over the top of any climb or roller during other rides.
Generally I stay seated, and in the aerobars when over 15mph
my rule of thumb is 30kph(18,75mph) on short hills, if I fall under that I stand and push hard to the top and recover downhill, that applies to IMs also.
on long hills, I stay on the aerobars when over 25kph, and just ride however it feels better if going slower
in the (in)famous words of PNF to another retired pro (Liz V) - “sit your ASS down!” (at least that is what Liz said…)
.