Bob Hubt writes:

I haven't learned the 'quiet upper body' phase yet, but it seems
like that's next.

That's called the "nothing moves but my legs" syndrome, a fetish
among beginners and only on short grades. I have ridden many long
climbs in the Alps and never seen anyone ride like that near the
top although some riders start out that way.

As it relates to climbing, I'll bow to your much greater experience
but when you call it a "fetish" it seems like you are saying that
it's a mistake to consciously work toward a "quiet upper body" on
the flats. Do you mean that?

The "quiet upper body" riding is a development in the pursuit of
excessive spinning, where saddle bounce becomes a problem. If you
observe anyone racing you'll notice that riders lunge onto the
downward stroke if working anywhere near top performance. This is not
an option but a necessity. Riding with no upper body motion is
possible only when riding at a less than maximum effort where an
optional style is drawn from extra effort, something riders cannot do
for long when working hard. That goes for flats or on hills sitting
or standing where the equivalent is not leaning the bicycle, an even
more contrived style that is possible when riding lower gears than
optimal.

I sense that we are getting close to discussing "ankling", forbid.

Jobst Brandt