I have been using Powercranks for quite a while but still haven’t mastered standing while climbing. I have ridden them in a couple of centuries so I am well adapted and consider myself at least an intermeduate triathlete having completed 13 halfs and 3 IMs…I have watched the video on PC website but in practice doesn’t work for me. I have them on my Tri bike if that makes a difference (78 degrees). How long did it take the rest of you? Any Tips?
I can only tell you what helped me…ttn suggested that I put ALL my weight on my hands when leaning forward, then, start pedalling. As your coordination begins to allow you to pedal more smoothly, slowly shift your weight off of your hands to your feet. It worked like majic for me. I still have to practice it periodically to “keep” the feeling and timing…since I rarely stand on a bike anyway, it’s not something I practice very often.
I do think it shows you how much your pedal stroke stinks when standing on regular cranks…the inefficiencies exposed show ANOTHER reason why it’s not a good idea to stand during an endurance race.
I was able to do it after about 6 weeks on the PC’s. The key was getting practice while on the trainer. I use Spinervals once/week, and several of their sessions involve lots of standing. At first, my feet would come to a near stop at the bottom of the circle, then my brain would flash “lift feet”, and I’d yank that foot up to try to catch up with the down stroke. After a handful of sessions, it finally got reasonably smooth (almost elegant in that more total-body coordination is required to smoothly transition between feet, side to side), to the point that I can do it for a minute or so. Now when I ride outdoors, I like to try to stand during my accelerations from stoplights and on short hills.
I totally agree with the prior poster who said it makes you realize how inefficient you were before learning to unweight on the upstroke. I’m hoping that come road race time, the extra efficiency from standing will make the difference on the steep hills. Keep at it since the rewards will be big for road racing.
I don’t have any enlightenment on how to learn to do it. One day while riding I just jumped up out of the saddle and hammered. Since then I am amazed at how much power you generate out of the saddle on PCs, but I have to add my own words of caution, backed by a power meter reading.
While out riding on the road for the first time with a power meter (and PCs-I don’t ride anything else now) I noted some enormous spikes in the readings whenever I left the saddle. Though I have learned the calibration is off so the numbers are not accurate, several times I more than doubled, sometimes for an extended period of time, my average output for the ride.
This can’t be good for the ride/run of a triathlete, especially anything longer than Olympic Distance races. I usually spin a high rpm anyway, but power readings tell me even that is too hard sometimes and I am thinking about lower gearing.
Chad
Well, the first time I tried it was unintentional on my first outdoor ride last year. I got PC’s and used them for 3 weeks, mainly on the rollers seated. When I got outside, I just started pedalling like a normal bike and got to this hill not far from house which has a pretty steep initial 15% grade and then flattens out to ~7% near the top. My habit was always to stand the first 100m until I get on the less steep stuff, so I did, forgetting I had powercranks. I ended up with both feet at the bottom and almost flew over my handlebars.
By my second outdoor ride, I tried the approach of putting all weight on the hands as others have suggested and gradually I was able to get the weight on the legs by the end of the ride. It did not take much adaptation from regular standing as I “overgeared” initially to give myself some extra resistance on the downstroke so that my hamstrings and hip flexors could have extra time to pick up the trailing crank. Mind you, I have yet to master riding standing with PC’s on rollers, mainly due to lack of trying and fear that I will go flying across the room.
Now, riding for an extended period at reasonable high RPM took many months and when I do ride on the rollers it is something I work on!
thank god i am not the only one. i tried keeping my weight on my hands, with no luck. i haven’t a clue as to how to do it.
MCL…really, put ALL your weight on your hands and begin to pedal! That’s the key, though, ALL your weight. You’ll get it!
I think there are a couple of keys. In addition to keeping the cadence down (what putting the weight on your hands does) do some one legged out of the saddle drills and concentrate on the different coordination. See how much more the hamstrings are involved in bringing the pedal up. It is a completely different coordination. Once you realize this you can concentrate on it unweighted, going up a slight hill, etc. all to keep the caadence down so you can concentrate on this. Once you have it once, then it will only be a matter of practice.
When i was in kindergaten, according to my parents, it took me forever to learn how to skip. They apparently used to howl with laughter watching me practice out the window, it was my homework. If I can learn to do it, so can you.
Frank