Sitting or Standing for Racing in the Woods?

[Bturner]

I've seen alot or debating about this and been told both ways are better. I was hoping once and for all we can come up with a solid answer as to which is the better way to practice/race and why. I watch alot of races and I see the top guys doing both, but we all know we only get to see 5 min clips of GNCC's online so its hard to make an assumption. In the hare scrambles I've done I 've always noticed the A B riders come flying by standing up and hitting berms all the way down the trail standing up, but is this the way they ride the whole race? Some body help me become a better rider and let me know why I'm doing the right way!!

[kan3]

What's your favorite oil?

Does god exist?

Is Elvis really dead?

I'm sure you know by now you will never get a "solid answer" to this question.

Edited March 29, 2012 by kan3

[Bturner]

I was running Honda Syn in my new bike up til recently. One of the 2 tuners I use and trust the most sold me on trying the Rotella syn. I haven't had any problems w/ it at all and its $21 for 2.5 oil changes. It actually seems to work better w/ my clutch feel and non slip, so I guess that's my new favorite, for now! What does that have to do w/ riding position while racing ?

[kan3]

What does that have to do w/ riding position while racing ?

It was a play on the fact that there are so many debates on the topic because it's based on opinion. You wanted solid answers but unfortunately, you'll just get the same responses this type of thread always gets. Kind of like the threads that ask What is your Favorite Oil. You'd be better off just typing "site:https://www.thumpertalk.com/ sitting or standing" into google. =]

Edited March 29, 2012 by kan3

[Bturner]

Haha. For some reason when I checked your question the 1st time from my phone it only showed what's your fav oil. I would've gotten your sarcasm if it showed the rest. Yea I get all that, but I still like to hear peoples opinions and why they believe them.

[motox745]

The best thing YOU can do is to time yourself and see what works best for YOU, after all what works best for someone else might not work for YOU.

[Dwight_Rudder]

Sit when you can, Stand when you have to. Conserve energy.

[MELK-MAN]

Sit when you can, Stand when you have to. Conserve energy.

for sure.. and spoken like someone that actually has some real enduro experience! ? Can we lock the thread now?? LOL.

Edited March 30, 2012 by MELK-MAN

[happy seal]

Sit when you can, Stand when you have to. Conserve energy.

Nuff said!

[dmikel]

I 've always noticed the A B riders come flying by standing up and hitting berms all the way down the trail standing up, but is this the way they ride the whole race?

Yes they ride this way all the time, and not only when they race.

Once you're used to stand, you will be more comfortable standing than sitting. Sit only in fast corners.

You can not learn it on the internet, only with much practice on your bike. It's about muscle memory, learning your body to transition from one position to the other automatically without much effort.

I have big trouble when I ride another bike with different handlebar/riding position; everything is changing.

Edited March 30, 2012 by dmikel

[LittleRedToyota]

Once you're used to stand, you will be more comfortable standing than sitting.

that's what i have found as well. i can ride much faster and with much more control over nasty terrain while standing than i can while sitting. i can also ride much slower over technical nasty terrain and maintain my balance much better while standing (there is a reason trials bikes don't even have seats after all).

however, standing all the time does get tiring by the end of a long day for me, so i follow dwight's advice and sit when i can to conserve energy. i also sometimes sit on hills with loose traction where i do not have enough momentum to carry me up the hill. i get better bite with my rear tire while tractoring if i am sitting.

for the OP, one other thing to keep in mind is that sometimes it looks like fast riders are sitting, but they really aren't. their butts are hovering just over the seat, but all their weight is still on their feet on the pegs. on the other hand, sometimes they are really sitting.

Edited March 30, 2012 by LittleRedToyota

[Bturner]

Cool thanks guys. Yea I understand the concept of doing whats best for me and my style. I just wanted to see what the A/B+ riders had to say and why. When I race hare scrambles I'm standing most of the time in the attack position because it helps me be more aggressive and I feel more in control of the bike when floating over rocks, root, chop, etc. Defiantly helps w/ balance and stability over stuff that I need to be going fast and feeling light over. And yea, I feel ya on conserving energy when you can. These scrambles are 2.5+ hrs and trying to keep a good pace the whole time is hard when your like me and don't train just for racing everyday.

This kinda ties into my next question. I guess I can continue it on this thread. Whats a good training/conditioning regiment for someone who rides and races outdoors? I'm a very fit person, I have always played sports, trained in the gym and eaten healthy. I do weight training 3-4x a week on a regular basis. I don't power lift anymore, I do light weight, 40-55min workouts, 15-20 reps, 5 sets of each and I always super set. I had a personal trainer last year for 3 months. I really liked the new kind of training he taught me, but he'd never ridden dirtbikes or trained anyone that has! I know riding bicycles are good, but for resistance training, what do you recommend or whats everyone doing at the top level? Since I go to the gym almost everyday anyway, I'd like to be doing stuff that would help my endurance and skill go to the next level by being in the right kinda shape for off-road racing or just riding w/ my buddies!! Any comments on what guys are doing to keep in "ride shape" ?

[bg10459]

Some body help me become a better rider and let me know why I'm doing the right way!!

Sit when you can, Stand when you have to. Conserve energy.

And build your endurance so you CAN stand when you have to..... an hour into the race.

[rebelbanshee]

Sit when you can, Stand when you have to. Conserve energy.

this is it right here. I used to stand alot when i was slower, it gave be confidence. A local AA rider told be to sit more. I tried sitting more, and found that i stood too much. You cant turn the bike as fast standing. Also, when id to stand its more like crouching over the seat, just enough to absorb rough terrain and sit back down again. Of course in real rough terrain ill stand all the way up.

So go out and ride sitting down as much as you can. then ride the same loop only standing. Maybe do that a couple times. You'll start to get a feel for what technique is best for what situations.

[humpness]

Depends, are you fat or lazy? Jk you gotta find what's natural for you create your own style. I have my opinions on this but it shouldn't matter. Certain situations requires specific attack positions.

[NemadjiMan]

Go ride a 2 hour Hare Scrambles how you normally do and wait until Tuesday. Check which muscles are sore. Work on those.

[younggunz]

a mix of both. sometimes you gotta stand and sometimes you need a break. there is no definitive "yes you absolutely must stand or else you will lose horribly and be depressed for life", no, it just depends on a whole bucket of different circumstances. sometimes you need to stand, sometimes you dont.

i personally stand until i tire myself out, and then wait for an open section and take a little break to breeze along for about a minute then stand back up and get to it

Edited April 3, 2012 by younggunz

[Bturner]

Yea I hear ya. I stand and sit, just when its needed. Reason I asked is because I've heard some people say that pros stand the entire time and I didn't get why they would unless theres just a level or riding I'm not aware of! But yea, I stand when the terrain makes me and sit when it lets me! I was just thinking out loud, wanted something to write about and hear opinions. I do know some of my slower friends sit the whole time, and I don't know if thats laziness or they just don't get it yet!

[Fade]

We sat on mountain bikes until it got too rough, and hurt our junk, then we would stand up, until it got too rough and the seat came up and hit our junk, then we got off the bikes and walked them ? haha we didnt walk much though....sit when you can is the whole point, atleast to me...

[Jakeblues]

Hey Goon, my experience is the more I stand the faster I get. Until I get tired. The more I stand the more natural it becomes and the more I can stand. When I started riding I sat almost all the time, now I am standing at least 50% of the time.

And as for the pros, I think they sit more than it is shown in the vids, just the vids are usually taken in the most gnarly sections where standing is required.