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Old 04-21-22, 09:29 AM
  #11  
qwaalodge
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Getting the reach as short as possible will actually reduce load on your hands --- it's OK as long as your knees don't bang on the handlebar when making tight turns both sitted or pedaling while standing on the pedals.

The reason is deathly simple, as you move your arms closer to you, the farther back your upper body CoG moves. Noting that the upperbody CoG also accounts for arm position. The farther back the upperbody CoG is, the easier it becomes for your core muscles to support your upperbody weight. The better the core muscles can support the upper body, the less load will be on your hands.

Additionally, the farther back you move your hands, the easier to curve your lowerback. It further moves your upperbody CoG even more to the back and curving you lowerback, rotates the pelvis into more upright position without increasing frontal drag (does not increase aero drag).

I did this with the balance method and the result for a low-miler rider like me is incredible. I was able to do 3 hour non-stop rides from my usual 30 minute rides without getting numb hands nor soreness anywhere. The only problem I encountered with super short reach is the setup made it harder to pedal out of the saddle in steep gradients. So it does have disadvantages. If you pedal out of the saddle a lot, it will be terrible. But if you're the type of rider who prefers to sit all the way, then it will be great.
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