Not sure that this posting is in the correct place: my apologies if so. On Sunday I cycled over the Bealach na ba on a GT Avalanche with 2.35 knobblies. The next time I'll know to use slicks. However, what caused me most difficulty was the pain in my wrists and hands. Is there much of a difference between the bars on an MTB and a hybrid? They look the same. Or would an audax bike with drop handlebars be better? As a fairly unfit 54-year old, I need all the help I can get. Thanks
Handlebar style
- Thread starter fierce
- Start date
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515mm
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Carmarthenshire
Hmmm....
The wrist and hand pain may be more to do with your position on the bike.
If your seat is too far forward, you are constantly off balance and falling forwards - with the result that your arms and hands have to support a great deal of weight.
When(if) you move your seat, get a pal to help. Sit on the bike with both feet on the pedals - support yourself by holding onto a wall or between a doorframe. Choose a perfectly level bit of floor.
Adjust your seat until, when either pedal is in the full forward position and the ball of your foot is directly over the pedal spindle, you can drop a perfectly vertical line (say, a plumb line) from the back of your kneecap through the middle of the pedal spindle. This is the critical position for your body on the bike. Get this position wrong and you'll never be totally comfortable. You may need to adjust for correct seat height.
I'll bet you a Deuchar's 80'- that your seat was too far forward!
Iechyd Dda!
PS Take a look at www.sheldonbrown.com
he's a diamond mine of cycling info - rest his soul.......
The wrist and hand pain may be more to do with your position on the bike.
If your seat is too far forward, you are constantly off balance and falling forwards - with the result that your arms and hands have to support a great deal of weight.
When(if) you move your seat, get a pal to help. Sit on the bike with both feet on the pedals - support yourself by holding onto a wall or between a doorframe. Choose a perfectly level bit of floor.
Adjust your seat until, when either pedal is in the full forward position and the ball of your foot is directly over the pedal spindle, you can drop a perfectly vertical line (say, a plumb line) from the back of your kneecap through the middle of the pedal spindle. This is the critical position for your body on the bike. Get this position wrong and you'll never be totally comfortable. You may need to adjust for correct seat height.
I'll bet you a Deuchar's 80'- that your seat was too far forward!
Iechyd Dda!
PS Take a look at www.sheldonbrown.com
he's a diamond mine of cycling info - rest his soul.......
I've only recently fitted a Carradice saddlebag - and had to move my saddle forward to accommodate the SQR bracket! I've been hoping to get another bike through my employer's soon-to-start Cycle to Work Scheme. Now it's a necessity. In the meantime I'll take the saddlebag off and adjust the seat, and see how that goes. Thanks for the advice.
515mm said:
Kirstie
Über Member
Thinking about the times that I have had sore wrists, which isn't many, it has been because I've been leaning on them too much, so I would agree with 515mm's assessment. Other things you might want to adjust concern the height of the handlbars in relation to your arse - too low and you'll be leaning on your hands too much. The adjustable elements are: the stack height under your stem (ie how many spacers between the top of the head tube and when the stem starts), the amount of rise in your stem, and the amout of rise in your bars... but start with the saddle position.
I'll soon find out if adjusting the saddle does help, but I've followed your suggestion and looked at the Ergon grips in Evans: not the cheapest, but if they do a good job, they'd be worth it. Irrespective of how effective moving the saddle proves, I still need more hand positions. Thanks.
Rigid Raider said:
PrettyboyTim
New Member
- Location
- Brighton
I've had trouble with my wrists before and I changed the flat bars on my hybrid with some slightly swept back ones, so that my wrist is straight when I have my hands on the bars. I also angled my brake levers forward so that it's pretty flat going along the top of my wrist to the back of my hand. I also have the Ergon handgrips, although I never really use the sidebar sections of them.
domtyler
Über Member
Now fitted my new butterfly bars and took my maiden voyage this morning. The moment I pushed off they felt great, a vast improvement on my On-One Midge bars (wide angle drops), or the wide flat bars before that.
Wherever I felt like putting my hands, I put my hand there and there was a bit of bar ready and waiting for me in just the right position. When accelerating in a high gear, especially as I was fully loaded up and had the child on the back in her seat, I found that being able to grip on the outside of the bars gave amazing amounts of leverage that simply aren't possible with drops. The back bits gave increased control in traffic while the fronts gave a more stretched out and prone position for getting the speed up on the open stretches.
I think they look great as well, really aggressive and sturdy looking. I have yet to put the tape on and fit up the rear brake and gears but once I do I will post some pictures.
I think these bars are ready to take the commuter and touring market by storm, just as they have on the continent. Another great upgrade to my winter bike.
Wherever I felt like putting my hands, I put my hand there and there was a bit of bar ready and waiting for me in just the right position. When accelerating in a high gear, especially as I was fully loaded up and had the child on the back in her seat, I found that being able to grip on the outside of the bars gave amazing amounts of leverage that simply aren't possible with drops. The back bits gave increased control in traffic while the fronts gave a more stretched out and prone position for getting the speed up on the open stretches.
I think they look great as well, really aggressive and sturdy looking. I have yet to put the tape on and fit up the rear brake and gears but once I do I will post some pictures.
I think these bars are ready to take the commuter and touring market by storm, just as they have on the continent. Another great upgrade to my winter bike.
JohnRedcoRn
New Member
i just put on bar ends ; i'h heard they help make climbing easier, which seems to be true, and also i tend to get sore hands and wrists so its nice to be able to vary my hand / arm positions a bit
Somehow, those 2 bits don't add up ! I long to be fit enough to do the Bealach-Na-Ba - I didn't think it was possible to do unless very fit !fierce said:
Chapeau !
My understanding is that a hybrid is more 'comfortable'
, while an MTB is more 'aggressive' 
. This is obviously a bit of a generalisation. (I have a hybrid and an ancient drop bar road/racer)A road/race/audax bike with drop bars would almost certainly be lighter - so less weight to drag up the hill
. The modern 'ergo' bars have a variety of positions for the hands - usually about 5 - so should give some choices to find something comfortable. These types of bike are designed to be ridden fast on a road, while the MTB is not. Slicks would make an MTB better on the road but the weight is still against you. A lighter weight road bike with triple chainring and drop bars would be the 'way to go' IMHO. What were most of the other riders riding ? There might be a clue there Caution: you may be entering The Dark Side
scoosh said:Somehow, those 2 bits don't add up ! I long to be fit enough to do the Bealach-Na-Ba - I didn't think it was possible to do unless very fit !
Chapeau !
Thanks, but my strategy is to put the chain on the 22-tooth granny ring and just keep my legs turning ever so slowly. My mate (has a nice road Bianchi) and I did the loop on the Sunday - there were still a fair number of roadies about, including a couple who organise, or help organise, the Challenge, which took place the previous day. I didn't see anything other than road bikes. I also had a Carradice Camper Longflap with a few bits and bobs + food in it)
The roadies who were about just flew past me, but of the ones I managed to speak to, I was very impressed: great, helpful, encouraging bunch. I thought that they would be bike snobs. I'd love to go back to Bealach-na-ba, but it'll likely have to wait until spring.
I now face the choice of what sort of bike to get at Christmas/New Year, when my employer has promised to start the cycle-to-work scheme - and also how to persuade my wife that I NEED a new bike. Most of the road bikes I've seen don't allow for mudguards, and don't have a granny ring. So, might be a touring/audax. I want to do some lightweigt touring, as well as some challenges like Bealach-na-ba, but only if it's not frowned upon for being the lanterne rouge. I've tried to attach a photo of my bike at the top of the hill (view to Raasay & Skye): hope it works.
