I just spent a couple of hours trying to do a flawless climb-out of LAX on a path to LAS. Here's the thing. While climbing, the AP would jump out of VNAV mode and into MCP Speed mode in the middle of each leg. This was fine, because I could activate VNAV after each waypoint. But, as I was climbing to cruise altitude in the final climbing leg, as I reached that altitude, the AT switched into FMC Speed mode, and the throttles dropped to idle and VNAV could not be implimented.

Instead, the speed on the FMC was now the default 110 and I had to scramble to manually pick up the pace.

Is this a result of some disconnect between the climbing mode and cruise mode?

What is the proper proceedure for adding a departure SID to my flight plan so that 1) there are no discontinuities, and 2) I don't get a climb to cruising altitude in the first 13 mile leg of the flight? Do you program the base route first (direct to entry into airway, then airway, then exit point from airway) and then ad sids and stars, or do you set them first, and then add the airways after?

I hope this makes sense.

Colin