Why You Need To Master The Standing Position (And How To Do It)

One of the biggest upgrades you can make to your riding is learning how to master the standing position. Once you feel strong and stable when standing up then you’ll unlock a whole new level of performance and fun. Why? Because standing up is where all the magic happens: (I recorded a podcast going over this, if you prefer you can listen to it here.) It’s the position you use to execute every technical skill on the trail. It’s your strongest, most powerful pedaling position. It makes technical climbs easier—letting you maneuver your bike, use ¼ and ½ pedal strokes, and avoid pedal strikes. You can “cheat” with bodyweight, using gravity to help turn the pedals over instead of relying only on leg strength. You can ride more upright, taking stress off your neck compared to being hunched over seated. You save your crotch from getting mashed into the saddle during hard efforts. And you’ll gain a big advantage over riders who stay shackled to the seat. Yes - standing pedaling is harder at first. But only because you need to build the right skills and strength. Once you do, you’ll never go back to spending so much time grinding away sitting down. Here’s how to speed up that process…

You can listen to Why You Need To Master The Standing Position (And How To Do It) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Why You Need To Master The Standing Position (And How To Do It) is an episode from BikeJames Podcast by James Wilson - MTB Strength Training Systems.

This episode is 33:27 long.

This episode was published on Sep 27, 2025.

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