How to ride a FS

[reevil]

Here's a stoopid question for you:

How do you ride a FS bike?

Reason I'm asking is that I've seen loads of stuff about people shifting from FS to HT & being told they need to stand on the pedals more, rather than sitting down. I'm a HT rider & have just moved to FS, so I spend most of my time standing.

I tend to sit if it's a long flat or climb. If I'm moving quick, I'm standing.

I know it'll be mostly personal preference, but do most people sit down alot?

[richm19]

Sit whilst climbing / on the flat. But always stood on the descents.

[Mongoosed]

Ditto. Anything more interesting than dead flat and climbing is out of the seat.

[steve_sordy]

As above I'm off the saddle when descending or going over rough stuff. Well that's the plan anyway!
I tend to sit more on the FS because my arse doesn't take such a beating as when I'm on the HT. Why am I sitting anyway? My knees are not youthful any more.

[randomist]

You can sit down on a FS more due to the increased comfort, but that's just lazy and reduces your control. I only sit down on smooth bits, even uphill and flat there are lots of obstacles that I prefer to get out of the seat for. It tends to be more fun if you're throwing the bike around a bit instead of just waiting for the bike to do the work.

[reevil]

Cool. I think I was asking out of curiosity more than anything else.

I always tended to ride standing up & chuck the bike around anyway (partly why I ride small frames), and just kind of carried this on, but with a bit of bounce at the back.
Never did understand why people said they rode sitting down on faster descending bits & couldn't get the hang of a HT (Unless you're old & knackered like Steve )

[steve_sordy]

............Unless you're old & knackered like Steve

Yup, that's me! Old and knackered (but not lazy).