Drop handle bar position.

[Banjo]

While getting used to my roadbike I initially had the bars rolled back a bit and the stem flipped to make it easier on my back which has suffered a few knocks over the years.

Problem I found was this made it comfy on the hoods but hard to reach the brakes on the drops.I have just rolled the bars forward again and now find it easy to ride in the drops but the new position when in the hoods feels very different.

Just did a fast (for me) 13 mile undulating loop and no problems but its going to take a while to adapt to the lower hoods.

Eventually I want to flip the stem back over and ride the bike as it was designed but will see how it goes like this for a while first.

Old position

New position

In the old position I could only just reach the brakes and found my hands kept slipping down the bars .In the new position I can reach the brakes easilly and hands sit comfortably in the right place ,just need to let my lower back get used to it now.

Any back strengthening exercises I can do or is just riding the bike the best?

 

[HLaB]

Hi Banjo I once read a book that suggested the ideal position for sti's if you were to take a straight line of the bottom straight bit of the bars it would just intersect with the bottom of the levers, akin how you've got them in the 2nd picture. That's only one theory though and there's lots of others probably but the main thing IMO is its comfortable for you and it appears so.

I'm not an expert on exercises but I guess a bog standard sit up would be the best. Time on the bike is good too but if there is something not quite right I think it would suffer under bumps in the road and unfortunately the UK roads are in a state at the moment.

Just my 2p, good luck

 

[Garz]

Trial and error on this im afraid.

I have now dropped the bars so that all the spacers are on top and increased saddle height lately as not only must I be getting used to the riding position but also can get more aero / aggressive.

 

[Chrisc]

While getting used to my roadbike I initially had the bars rolled back a bit and the stem flipped to make it easier on my back which has suffered a few knocks over the years.

Problem I found was this made it comfy on the hoods but hard to reach the brakes on the drops.I have just rolled the bars forward again and now find it easy to ride in the drops but the new position when in the hoods feels very different.

Just did a fast (for me) 13 mile undulating loop and no problems but its going to take a while to adapt to the lower hoods.

Eventually I want to flip the stem back over and ride the bike as it was designed but will see how it goes like this for a while first.


In the old position I could only just reach the brakes and found my hands kept slipping down the bars .In the new position I can reach the brakes easilly and hands sit comfortably in the right place ,just need to let my lower back get used to it now.

Any back strengthening exercises I can do or is just riding the bike the best?

Maybe simple core exercises will help? Plank, bridge etc? My physio pointed out that just cycling does nothing for your core strength and these simple exercises have greatly improved my stability on the bike. No backache, knees ok, shoulders fine, all fine.

I had my bars as you have them now initially because I found it hurt my back a little to lean so far but after a few weeks I flipped it again to its original position. Now planning to move the spacers to the top one by one.

 

[Headgardener]

OP if you struggle to reach the levers on the drops then you can ajust the reach with a small screw which is usualy on the top of the brake hood. This moves the levers nearer to the bars although on some models you need to move the gear lever seperatly. Hope this is of some help.

 

[gaz]

your old position was deffiently wrong, your new one looks near spot on.

 

[Rip Van]

I'm not an expert on exercises but I guess a bog standard sit up would be the best.

+1..........and some lower back stretches.

 

[delstron]

I would say that somewhere between the two would provide the best position, both new and old look extreme.

 

[raindog]

your old position was deffiently wrong, your new one looks near spot on.

+1
just stick with it - you'll soon get used to it

 

[Banjo]

Thanks for all the replies

.I will leave them as they are in the second picture and see how I get on.Will also try and keep up with the sit ups etc to help the process.

Cheers