Maelochs

There is only limited connection between handlebar style and riding position. With so many bar designs on the market, you can set up almost any bike for almost any riding position.

Before changing the bars (which can drastically change the handling characteristics and balance of the bike, and might require a drastically different (and much longer) stem ….. do some research, do some experimenting, and set up the bike so that it fits you now.

If you think about it … flat bars in your current stem will be where the bar tops are now. If you ride on the bar tops are you comfortable? (yes, a flat bar would be wider, but I am focusing on lean angles right now.)

What I do: I set up my bike by the washer/dryer so I cannot fall to the right. I put a milk crate on the floor on the left, so I can sit upright with one foot on the pedals anywhere in the pedal stroke—I lean against the washer/dryer a little on one side and have my foot o the milk crate on the other side so I am completely stable.

First and Foremost: I set saddle height, angle, and for-and-aft adjustment. For most people there is one spot where the body pretty much works best—a compromise between flexibility and power, comfort and output.

I like to have both feet on the pedals and cycle all the way through the stroke repeatedly, using one hand to hold myself upright. I make tiny adjustments until I feel really comfortable. I might have to make fine adjustments later, but I can get pretty close. I want my ischial loops to be supported on the wide part of the saddle and the nose low enough not to press on tender parts if I lean forward, with the whole saddle pretty level so I don’t slide forward while riding.

The relationship between the saddle and pedals (or bottom bracket) is the most important relationship—it doesn’t change no matter how far you lean or don’t lean your upper body. It is all about comfort and efficiency, as in, enjoying riding and not hurting you joints when you make efforts. Get this right and everything else is based on it.

Once the saddle is basically set, I lean forward to whatever degree I find comfortable Without using my hands.

Ultimately we want our core muscles, not our hands and arms, to support our upper body weight, with the hands only assisting. So, I find a lean angle I can basically hold with just my core muscles. Then I swing my hands forward to see where they naturally fall with a slight, relaxed bend at the elbows. I note where my hands fall naturally, relative to my bars … because that is where my bars should be.

I prefer drop bars, and I find I get best support riding partly on the bars and partly on the hoods, with a lot of changes in position while riding. I have also done many thousands of miles on flat-bar bikes. They can also work just as well …. It is a personal choice. The bars need to be put in the right position no matter what style of bars you choose.

The two ways to adjust drop bars are through changing the stem (stems are cheap) and to get bars with different drops and reaches. Stems come in a variety of sizes and angles. If you know where you want the bars to be, and obviously you know where the steerer, is … you can figure out what angle and length of stem you need.

With a flat bat or other shapes, you still need to determine stem shape and size and also you might want to play with sweep—the amount the bars angle backward. Generally, the wider the bar, the more sweep so that your wrists will be at a natural angle to the arm, but this is very personal.