Technique - When should you sit?

[Benson]

So I’ve typically always been a bit lazy and spent far too much time seated on my EMTB. Number of reasons for this, one is I typically ride EMTB on a Sunday, having done a reasonably long unassisted road road ride the day before (50m +) so my legs are tired and as I said, I’m being lazy. When I hit anything remotely fast, especially gravity fed, I’m up, dropper down and in the attack position. However, returning to anything remotely pedal-y and seat is up and arse is down.

Yesterday I rode Swinley, which is pretty pedal-y in general. However, I focused on spending more time out of the saddle. I stayed up in the attack position, selected a gear that matched my speed with an appropriate cadence and pedalled stood up on the flats. I noticed my control was better, I was better prepared, I was quicker and got bent out of shape far less. Legs were tired tho!

I’m sure this is utterly obvious to more experienced riders than me but I share as another reason I’ve always sat is seeing so many other EMTB riders do the same thing. I’m curious about whether this is considered good or bad technique and what everyone else does?

 

[raine]

Neither.

Your observations with standing up during a climb are pretty self-explanatory. Standing up gives you better balance, and you're more prepared because you're in "attack" stance... but of course, legs will get tired faster because they're pedaling AND supporting all of your weight.

The opposite is climbing while seated - having good balance is more important here, as well as excellent bike control due to the fact that you're in a more "prone" position. Your legs only have to turn the cranks, meanwhile the rest of your body is being supported by the saddle so you can get some rest/recovery while climbing.

Personally I sit on climbs 90% of the time with the seat post up. The other 10% I'm out of the saddle - but that's generally only if there's a short climb in the middle of a long descent and I want to keep the speed/flow going.

Ride/climb how you feel comfortable.

 

[Benson]

Climbing and descending are pretty obvious as to the most likely optimum position. I'm talking about the stuff in between.

 

[steve_sordy]

Climb seated (mostly), descend standing (mostly). In between depends upon how rough it is and how tired my knees are. But mainly, if its rough my arse is out of the seat.

 

[Gary]

I'm quite a dynamic playful sort of rider so I only really ever sit down for extended climbs or long steady flat sections of road. (even then I'm more likely to be stood up pissing about pulling manuals or hopping around)
Ideally you should be standing rather than seated for all technical terrain, corners, dips etc.
and if you ride flat pedals it's even more important to be stood up. flat pedals require pre-loading to unweight a bike. where as clips don't (well.. .not so much anyway)

Standing while riding an mtb or BMX uses quite different muscles to those most used on a mainly seated roadbike ride. The more you stand the stronger your core and stance will get.
I can happily roll around on a bike stood up for hours on end from years of riding DH, DJ and BMX. Dropper posts actually made me lazy (I used to ride for hours with my saddle down previos to droppers).
I also find after a long road ride I no longer want to pedal much but still have energy to ride playfully stood up and don't tire jumping or descending.
longer roadbike rides are like a massive day of rest for my upperbody

Ride/climb how you feel comfortable.

ultimately THIS ^^
it's entirely up to you how you ride your bike.

 

[Mikerb]

I think there is another element to sitting or not sitting apart from bike control and that is allowing the bike to breath below you using your legs as shock absorbers.....so this can mean on the flat as well as downhill. If anything the 2.6 tyre and 29 wheels on my Levo absorb more of the terrain than the 2.3/27.5 of my analogue Cube so there is a temptation to sit more on the E Bike....but I still think it is "kinder" on the bike to let it breath.

 

[steve_sordy]

My core is very strong, thanks to almost 11 years of Pilates (started to help my back). But I sit mostly to save my knee joints.

 

[urastus]

As with gary, steve and mikerb. My legs get tired standing up but they won't get stronger sitting down , but my knees are good. I'm also trying to be more active on my bike and "work it". If I sit down, I kind of veg out . I can also veg out standing - too upright and not active. I do sneak in a sit now and then. I'm not a great rider and I'm always trying to improve. I have to do a few stretches though (hammys, adducters, calves/soleus) or I tear back muscle riding in the attack position.

 

[B1rdie]

I sit for watching redbullTV. This years first UCI XC race was a good example of how important spinning while seated can be, the guy sponsored by specilialized was leading with ease until the very last lap, when his dropper post got stucked at the lower position and he could not sit to have a rest and was took over by two guys.