# Question about out of the saddle sprinting



## jkuo (Mar 30, 2008)

I recently purchased a Fuji Team as my first road bike. I've been riding mountain bikes for about 12 years now, so I'm not totally new to biking. My question is, when I get out of the saddle to sprint or climb, the bike feels very unstable. As in it feels wobbly and I don't feel in total control. I think some of it has to do with the bars being much narrower than on a mountain bike. But I'm not sure if that's the only reason. So will this get better as I get more accustomed to riding on the road? Is there anything I can do to make it better?


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## superflychief (Mar 25, 2008)

The riding position of a road bike and mtn bike are drastically different. Just your hand position alone ads to the "twichyness" of the bike. You're holding the bars way closer to the wheels then a mtn bike. Just ride more and you'll get used to this new bike.


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## tcruse11 (Jun 9, 2006)

Also make sure you are using a big enough gear


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## jkuo (Mar 30, 2008)

I'm pretty sure I was. Coming from the mtb world, I'm not much of a spinner, I tend to stand and push bigger gears. That's why I was trying to get out of the saddle. But I wasn't used to the instability, so I've basically been backing off and staying seated on the climbs.



tcruse11 said:


> Also make sure you are using a big enough gear


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*Practice, mostly*

but there's some technique. Where are you holding the bars? The drops are best for this, followed by the hoods. It's very unstable with hands on the tops. Also, try moving your weight forward (your knees may come close to hitting the bar, and your head will be over or even in front of the bar) and low (arms bent, back flat). Most people also let the bike sway considerably - this lets the arms do some work, as you pull up on the side where the pedal is going down. Doing that without unintended steering inputs takes some practice.

Practice at low rpms at first. A steep climb is useful for this.


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## jkuo (Mar 30, 2008)

I was riding in the drops. It did seem the most stable. When I tried on the hoods, it was worse. I'll just keep practicing, I appreciate the help.



JCavilia said:


> but there's some technique. Where are you holding the bars? The drops are best for this, followed by the hoods. It's very unstable with hands on the tops. Also, try moving your weight forward (your knees may come close to hitting the bar, and your head will be over or even in front of the bar) and low (arms bent, back flat). Most people also let the bike sway considerably - this lets the arms do some work, as you pull up on the side where the pedal is going down. Doing that without unintended steering inputs takes some practice.
> 
> Practice at low rpms at first. A steep climb is useful for this.


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## John Nelson (Mar 10, 2006)

My advice may differ a bit from the previous. You should let the bike sway some, but not too much. I'd guess that six inches either side of center is enough. And hold pretty-much a straight line of travel.

I would not shift the weight too far forward. It depends somewhat on the steepness of the climb, but Ron Kiefel always says that the nose of the saddle should come very close to brushing the backs of the legs as the bike sways.

I would also avoid climbing while holding the drops. This does not allow the chest to open up fully for best breathing. I recommend hands on the hoods for climbing.

Finding the right mix of sitting and standing while climbing is a personal thing. I can stand all the way up short climbs, but alternate on long climbs. My personal choice on long steep climbs is to pedal sitting at least twice as much as standing. Standing is of course done in a higher gear than sitting. You need to experiment to find your sweet spot.


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

I test-rode a Fuji Supreme RC (women's version of the Team) yesterday, and found it to be rather squirrely when standing and sprinting. I suspect that, for me, at least part of that is the carbon frame (none of my bikes are carbon). I think that you'll see some of the twitchiness decrease as you learn to handle that particular bike and its quirks, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of it is the "personality" of the frame.

BTW, my husband owns a Team and my coworker owns a Team RC, and both confirmed that they feel very twitchy and unstable compared to other bikes that they own. Not bad, just different.


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## funknuggets (Feb 4, 2004)

hmmm....

carbon twitchyness..wtf???? Unless this is some early 90s carbon gig, Im not sure you are going to get noodly response from that frame.

Um, I will say that a shorter wheelbase will definitely add a bit of drama, but... relative to a suspension bike, you have several things... less weight, shorter wheelbase, less surface area between you and the bike, and a way different center of gravity on a roadbike. Plus if you are a bar end rider, when climbing or sprinting on the mtn bike, you likely get a lot of leverage from your arms. All of these will amplify with a roadbike especially if it is a peculiar fit.

Plus if you are used to riding on a mtn bike, I will guarantee you are used to having more weight back, and if you are just starting to ride road and trying to sprint in the drops... you will amplify the above x10 as you are really moving a lot of weight forward.

Think moving from a Jeep to a Lotus. You will say the lotus feels more nimble and remarkably different... no? I think this may be the case here as well... you simply have to get used to the nuances.

Practice form sprinting and you will get used to it.


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## lawrence (May 17, 2005)

John Nelson said it right, you must let the bike sway a little side to side but it's a controlled sway. The lighter the bike, the more twitchiness you feel thus a carbon bike will feel this way as an aluminum will not. Also if the bike is too short for your body frame, it will feel more twitchy. And if you are unfamiliar with the bike, it's not your regular bike, it will feel different.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

John Nelson said:


> I would also avoid climbing while holding the drops. This does not allow the chest to open up fully for best breathing. I recommend hands on the hoods for climbing.












Ah, what did he know?


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## jkuo (Mar 30, 2008)

Well, after spending an hour doing intervals today and working on out of the saddle climbing, I think I've figured it out. It took some trial and error, but I've finally got a position that can work and not feel so nervous. It still feels a bit weird, but at least I'm not worried about crashing. As it turns out, I prefer the drops. The hoods feel a bit more comfortable, but I can put down more power while in the drops. 

I guess I was just too used to having a 610mm riser bar to stabilize the bike.

Again, thanks for all the help.


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## ilium (Aug 15, 2006)

JCavilia said:


> Ah, what did he know?


or him









or him









or him


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*good*

it'll get more natural quickly. As I think about it, the weight shift may be a major difference between mtb and road. On the dirt, you have to keep the weight back to keep traction. If you do that on the road (especially on steep climbs), the light front end exaggerates the squirreliness, I think.


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