boomer58 

Hello everyone, I joined this forum recently and I am enjoying reading through the threads posted on here. I returned to riding this past year and I'm really getting hooked again. I purchased a Specialized Allez and it seems to be a good bike for my abilities. I try to do 22 - 26 miles every other day on flat trails. My goal is to do the Tour de Cure 63 mile ride in March here in Florida. As a type 1 diabetic, it's something I have wanted to do for many years but never seemed to be able to. Anyways my question is my current bike has the standard curved handle bars and I have been dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis among other hand issues and I'm wondering if switching to a road bike that has flat or straight handle bars would relieve some of the pain I am experiencing. I haven't looked at any bikes yet but just wondering if any of you have gone that route and what kind of bike did you get ? I also have a Specialized Crossroads that I really like but I find it to be a little heavy and I only use it riding around town when I just want an easy mindless cruise through the city. Your thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated, boomer.

Rick

Drop bars are a good choice because there are plenty of hand positions to move between. Being older the lean can be more of a problem. I ride with bars and seat level instead of a more leaned forward position. Some would call this a touring bike position. As the handlebars become higher the seat then need to be wider some for proper support. This is just a little info and you will need to experiment with riding position to see what helps you. More members will chime in and you should give more info on what hurts.

MarcusT

There are many handle bar designs. Jones, Surly, butterfly and even flat bars with extended bar ends. Take your time and use what you find most comfortable. Also consider raising the stem for comfort
Just remember changing to other bars, you may have to change brake levers

Small cog

I personally like flat or riser bars and have them on all my bikes and find them very comfortable especially on a long day in the saddle, I am not a fast rider but can still cover 100 miles in a day. It sounds like you need to test ride several bikes until you find one that suits you and gives the most comfort perhaps a hybrid of some sort, if you go for a flat or riser bar you can also use something like Ergon GP1 handlebar grip which will spread the load on your hands and might help, a shorter top tube will also bring you more upright and could be more comfortable, as has been said a more upright position puts more weight on your behind so a comfort saddle of some sort might help there, I use well worn in Brooks but they are not to everyone's taste.

Bluejohn

After trouble with a herniated disk in my back, I've converted all my bikes to flat bars as a simple way to reduce reach and increase the height, putting me into a more back friendly position - and I've found it's far more comfortable. I was concerned I may have less hand positions or be slower but neither of those has been an issue.
It does mean a change of brake levers and in my case shifters too since I was using downtube shifters which meant further bending my back to reach down, but neither job is complex.

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.

CAT7RDR

^^^^^ Thank you for taking the time to post this Maelochs.
Extremely helpful and detailed.

delbiker1 

For me, flat bars are too limiting in hand/arm positioning. I can no longer do traditional style drop bars, hence, I have a couple of alternative handle bars that allow a lot of hand movement and room for accessories. A drop bar that has become my favorite all around bar is the Ritchey Beacon, reach 65mm, drop 80mm, and 36 degree flare. I was at first a bit surprised by how much I liked them, with the exception of the width toward the drop ends. I have gotten used to that and these bars have helped with badly arthritic thumbs, and chronic spinal and shoulder issues. I can still get fairly aero when riding into a headwind, and I can stay there for an extended time. Weight and price are reasonable, comfort factor is really high.
Another option I like, sort of an alt bar, the Velo-Orange Porteur bar, and I use mine with the 15 degree rise instead of drop. Sort of a short reach, mild curve mustache bar. I am using this bar with an 11 speed drivetrain: 6400 bar end levers in friction mode, cross type brake levers, and 11 speed rear cassette, 11-34, and 6500 short rear derailleur. A more upright position, using a longer stem due to shape of bar, grip area and 25.4 clamp. Another versatile, lot of room for movement, very high comfort level. It is a bit limiting with component compatibility and how they are set up. The bar end levers work great for me.

I just saw Maelochs post, he gives great advice. It is not just about the handlebars. Making changes in small increments and keeping track of them, I found to be a big help. That includes detail on what was done, what was liked or disliked.

mstateglfr 

I have no idea if a flat bar bike would reduce your RA symptoms. From what I understand(and it is admittedly little), RA impacts each person differently in location, severity, frequency, etc. So even if someone else with RA chimes in, their situation may not translate to your situation.

What I do know is bike geometry and if you are hoping to ride more upright(less pressure on your arms and wrists, there are some things you can do.
The Specialized Allez is a relatively upright/relaxed road bike in terms of geometry(at least in what my size would be).

1- Go get a professional bike fit. Call around and find someone with experience fitting people with physical limitations. It will cost $200-300, but you will be able to try a bunch of different riding positions and experience how they all feel and which ones may help reduce pain or stress to areas you are concerned about.
2- A drop bar offers a lot of different hand positions, which I find crucial on longer rides because varying my hand position for even 1 minute at a time helps to reduce fatigue. Again, not sure how much that translates to your concerns with RA, but I have to think that more hand positions is better than fewer(flat bar).
3- Look into a stem with more rise. If you have a 100mm stem that is set at 7 degrees up(common default setting), you could get a 35 degree stem that is also 100mm and once you install that, the bars will be 38mm higher up and also 30mm closer to you. An 80mm stem with 35 degree angle would put the bars up 23mm and 42mm closer to you.
4- Look into drop handlebars that have rise. Specialized Hover bar puts the touchpoints of the handlebar 15mm higher than your stock bar. Surly Truck Stop Bar puts the touchpoints of the handlebar 30mm higher than your stock bar. At the extreme end of things, the Soma Condor drop bar places the touchpoints 50mm higher than your stock bar.

But really- discuss these options with an experienced fitter and see what they suggest too since they will be able to see your positioning and you will be able to try out various positions and determine what feels best.

jaxgtr

I converted a bike with drop bars to flat bar when I converted it to a commuter as I wanted my position to be more upright. I converted it from a 2x to a 1x system, so I needed to replace the shifters, rear derailleur, and I found a chainring that would work with the 105 crank I had. It worked beautifully and I put a lot of miles on that bike until I sold it in 2021. As far as helping the RA, no idea but mstateglfr has a lot of great suggestions I would check into first.



converted to the flat bar

squirtdad

drop bars provide the maximum flexiblity on hand positions so you can change them up (flat bar like with hand one the bars, on the curve at the end, on the brake hoods and in the drops

drop bars also let you get lower if needed when you have a head wind and are more efficient for long distances

Do you have good gel gloves?

also check your bike fit, that can make a big difference

for me personally flat bars cause me a lot of wrist pain so don't use

BlazingPedals

If you go the flat-bar route, maybe get some bar ends to give yourself another hand position. Remember that the more upright you are, the more wind you'll catch and the more you'll have to work to get down the road. Your lean angle is a compromise between comfort and effort.

CrimsonEclipse

Flat bars are a gateway drug to deer antlers....

(no, it's not a bad thing)

Rick

If you want to experiment on your current road bike, there are bars such as the Crazy Bars and the Koga Denham Bar that are a good fit with your current bicycle. You will still most likely need to raise the height some.

boomer58 

Lots of great info here. I appreciate all of it, and now rereading it again. With several shoulder and neck surgeries, it's always a struggle to get the right fit when I get a bike. This one has surprisingly been pretty good for me but then the RA developed and I'm back to riding being a bit of a struggle. I totally believe in the small adjustments being the key to better comfort. I put the gel pads on over the original handle bar tape then wrapped another roll of tape over them for more padding and that has helped a lot. I have the Ergon grips on my Crossroads bike and I really love them. It was the first thing I added when I got the bike. I really love the comfort of that bike and except for the weight, it is a fun bike to ride. I meant to ask about some gel gloves in my original post and if any of you use them and some recommendations for them. Just had an injection in the one hand yesterday so I won't be riding for a few days. I'll try fooling with some adjustments in the next few days and I'll be traveling for almost 2 weeks over Christmas so that will give my hands a little break. I realize that at 65 I have limits on what I can do as far as riding goes but it is an addiction, and a good one at that and I will find the right combo to make it as enjoyable as I can. Thank you all very much for your advice and expertise on this subject, boomer.

chaadster

You might also want to to try clip-on aero bars, which in addition to freeing up your hands from constant gripping duties, can be added to your bike quite inexpensively and without need to change or modify pricey drivetrain bits. They bolt right on your handlebars, and you'll want the type with the forearm rests. For example, for $54 off Amazon, you could give it a try.

They're not good for urban riding when you need fine control and ready access to brakes, but for flat, open road cruising-- like you might do in FL-- they're pretty nice. They can take some fussing to get set up the way you want; rest pad spacing width and fore-aft, height, reach to pads and reach from pads to handholds...all that stuff needs properly set, and you may want flip-up rest pads so that you can access the regular bars properly. It all suggests that cheaping out on aero bars may not be the way to go ultimately, as pricier, full-featured bars will give you the flexibility you need.

As for gloves, I don't know which features are helpful to RA sufferers, but I've had a peerless experience with the MAAP Race gloves which use a full-palm, multi-density Elastic Interface Tech pad. They're very flexible, and while the padding does a great job of providing comfort, it feels "transparent," as there is no sense of needing to squeeze through it to find affirmative contact and grip. There are other brands using the EIT pad as well as other versions of the EIT pad, all of which can be sussed on the EIT website. All are pricey, though I have no intention of abandoning the gloves because they are top-of-category in my experience over decades of glove use.

BlazingPedals

LOL, this reminded me of an old checklist on how to make your bike more comfortable. After adding foam and gel everywhere, including multiple layers of pipe insulation and padded tape, the respondent was advised to just get a recumbent. That, however, would not be a small change.

Yan 

Flat handlebars won't help for your rheumatoid arthritis. I'd ride a recumbent if I was in your situation.

Kapusta

I don’t think anyone here is qualified to say whether or not it will help with issues from your rheumatoid arthritis.

However, if you simply want a more upright position, a flat bar can achieve that.

As far as hand comfort and the need for multiple positions, thats just personal preference. Its a toss up for me. Yes drops have multiple hand positions, but I find a properly set flat bar to be more comfortable than any of the drop bar positions, and find i don’t really need other hand positions. In the end I go with drops for the Road/Gravel bike.

I’ve set up my wife's road bike with a flat bar and she loves it.

Jay Turberville

As others have said. Nobody here can really know what will work for you. These things are individual and personal. But I do think it is reasonable to suggest you try options with multiple possible hand positions. I think that most people will agree that the ability to change hand positions during a long ride is generally helpful in relieving hand fatigue. So it seems likely that this would help with RA as well. And the more options, the more likely it is that you will find a particularly good positions/grip that is easier on your RA.

I noticed that most road riders seldom use their drops and spend most of their time more upright on the hoods. So I started experimenting with flat bars and had the idea of using MTB bar ends toward the middle of the handlebar as mini aero bars. The idea was to provide an additional hand position and a narrow more aero position without having to bend over a lot. I finally ended up with the setup pictured below. Its an older Scott AT4-Pro MTB Aero bar with the bar ends added. I've found this to be a nice setup - for me. I don't want to get low and crane my neck up to see forward. I'm done with that.

I'm not suggesting that you try to copy this setup. But I do encourage you to experiment. It seems that there are more and more handlebar options available these days as more and more people find themselves unhappy with traditional bars. Heck there are even variations on the drop bars that have a shallower and wider drop, flatter bar tops, etc. So take note of your pain points and try some stuff out. Experimenting can get pricey. So cruising Craigslist and other used channels can help mitigate the costs. I think these Scott AT4 bars cost me $20. Maybe you know other riders who have tried stuff and have bars you can try out?

Bluejohn

There's a whole world of swept "flat" bars which offer a variety of hand positions like mustache bars for example.

Maelochs

I really like what @Jay Turberville did in post #20 .... I had an old touring bike (a bike I converted into a touring bike) with a set of MTB bar ends above the brake hoods (back in the downtube-shifter days) and found them exceedingly useful on very long days.

Trakhak

Any of the other clamp-on aero bars on offer on Amazon would likely be better than the ones you linked to. The design has a fatal flaw: large holes are drilled through the fairly small-diameter aluminum tubing for bolting them to the handlebar. I bought exactly that model in about 1988 or so and used them for about 6 months until they broke. Leaning on the bars and going over bumps fatigues the aluminum at the holes.

No crash, thankfully, but they immediately swung over to one side when they broke, so it was a near thing. Clearly not all of those bars have broken---I was putting a lot of hard miles in back then, so that was probably a contributing factor---but why take the chance?

These look fine, especially for under $30.

BlazingPedals

One thing I've been guilty of in the past is taking a perfectdly good bike and altering it to be something else, and in the process spending more money that it would've cost to just get the bike I wanted. Converting road bars to flat bars might be in that category. New bars, stem, shifters... then worrying about whether the derailleurs are compatible with the new shifters... I mean, if you've already got the parts in your shop, it'd be OK; but maybe getting an N+1 is justified here.

t2p

^^^^^

agree - something to consider

OP has two Specialized bikes - Allez and a Crossroads - maybe take a look at a newer Sirrus or similar ?

maybe a Roubaix or similar ?

the position on the Sirrus (or similar) might agree and be comfortable

and / or upgrade the Crossroads to improve / reduce weight ?

but maybe just small change / dial in the fit of the Allez will be sufficient … ?