Handlebar height and comfort

[sparklywheels]

Has anyone found a lower handlebar more comfortable, even when the bars are already quite low(12-14cm drop). I’ve noticed that lowering the bars makes the drops more comfortable but the hoods less so and vice versa. Specifically, I’ve found it easier to shift more weight onto the pedals when the handlebar is the perfect height. Raising it from there seems to increase hand pressure somehow. Could there be something else wrong with my fit perhaps, or is this typical?

[RocketRacing]

As i have dropped my front end, i have been no less comfortable. But i am no fit pro.

It makes sense to me that a lower front also puts more weight on the pedals. Maybe less of your weight is being supported by your saddle, and more by your legs/arms. That may not actually be ideal for energy conservation/efficiency.

But again, i am no expert.

[joeyb1000]

Yes. Mine is "slammed", and I use Deda Deep bars. If I try to raise it, my back gets sore on longer rides. (FYI, I'm 59, but have been racing for a long time).

But, everybody is different.

[osw000]

Bike fitting is holding too much balls in the air. You cannot simply play with one factor.

In my experience lowering handle bar can be felt "nicer" when your reach is properly set up, your body weight well balanced (fore-aft saddle position) and you are able to rotate your pelvis (you're flexible and have the right saddle)

As I cannot do the later properly due to low flexibility, although the right curved saddle improved my experience a lot, I have to bring it up a little. Too much height and I will charge more weight forward, which leaves hands a bit sore after long rides.

Comfort depends on feeling well balanced on the bike, not too much weight here not too little there, not too high not too low, not too forward not too backwards.

Make minor tweaks, give it a try. Eventually you will find a drop saddle to bar measure that works for you.

Check also the lever position and that the transition with the handlebar is flat and smooth. Sometimes hand numbness comes from high bars and levers pointed up: which OTOH is a sign that you cannot stand your bikes reach.

[F45]

14cm drop and bare carbon saddle, so comfy I can fall asleep riding.

[JerryLook]

I have the same setup as above, 14cm saddle to bar drop with a bare carbon saddle. I almost fell asleep for real riding last week. It doesn’t help that I ride mostly at night.

I wonder how people can ride so upright that don’t have an injury, back problem, low flexibility etc. Its crazy that people spend so much money on aero frames, wheels, etc when your body position is such a big percentage of the drag.
Personally, I wanted to get as low as I could comfortably first, and then worry about the other aero parts.

[sparklywheels]

I’m not crazy like my club mates tell me then! . How tall are you guys by th me way, since I think tall riders tend to have more drop.

[osw000]

I wonder how people can ride so upright that don’t have an injury, back problem, low flexibility etc.

Because either they haven't got a fit or they actually got it.

Go to a bike shop and see how bikes are built by default. With a pile of spacers.

For the average Joe, fitters also tend to be conservative and favor health over performance, so its likely that after a fit they will position more like you are on a city bike than like a World Tour racer.

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[zefs]

Look at saddle position again, if you get hand pressure. Is your saddle tilted down, or are you slipping forward when applying power to the pedals?
In general you may have a flexible back and able to use a big saddle drop, but if your hips don't like that saddle drop you might not be pushing as much power.

[TobinHatesYou]

There's a happy medium in bar drop because the best aero position is a nearly level back with elbows bent in the drops. If the drops are any lower, you just increase your frontal area. There's also an interesting dynamic with shorter cranks. While most people raise their saddles ~5mm if they get 5mm shorter cranks, I actually lower my saddle and increase the setback. This keeps full leg extension through the bottom of the stroke while getting me lower. Stuff like KOPS doesn't matter...as long as you aren't hyperextending your knees, you're fine. It does change your power phases ever so slightly, but you will adapt quickly. A slight bit more glute activation, a slight bit less quad activation. A side effect is this actually preserves my quads for out of the saddle efforts and higher intensity where I scoot up a bit on the saddle.

As far as fitters go, most will stick to back angles between 40-45deg with hands on hoods, arms fairly straight but not locked out...unless the rider says they are comfortable and want to get lower.

[wilwil]

Eddy Merkx and and his generation had very little drop compared to riders today but they were still just as low on the bike because they rode with their arms bent. Is loads of drop any better?

[osw000]

Maybe it seems little compared to the top of the handlebar. But relative to the lever position and drops I think it's not so far from today's stems and compact bars.
If you look at pictures see how low and far are the levers and traditional handlebars used to have a massive drop.
I think that compensates the apparent difference.



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[Jugi]

Has anyone found a lower handlebar more comfortable, even when the bars are already quite low(12-14cm drop). I’ve noticed that lowering the bars makes the drops more comfortable but the hoods less so and vice versa.

You are not alone having this train of thought. In my opinion the biggest caveat in bike fit is that people tend to think the bike has to be made comfortable to sit on. But in fact it is not meant for static sitting, it's meant for doing quite a lot of work with leg and lower torso muscles. The work itself is quite ergonomic, but the working posture may not always be so. A bike fit is supposed to refine that working posture, not a sitting still posture.

[bremerradkurier]

Eddy Merkx and and his generation had very little drop compared to riders today but they were still just as low on the bike because they rode with their arms bent. Is loads of drop any better?

Eddy's generation had triceps and deltoids to support their upper torso-today's GC riders have T-rex arms.

[sparklywheels]

There's a happy medium in bar drop because the best aero position is a nearly level back with elbows bent in the drops. If the drops are any lower, you just increase your frontal area. There's also an interesting dynamic with shorter cranks. While most people raise their saddles ~5mm if they get 5mm shorter cranks, I actually lower my saddle and increase the setback. This keeps full leg extension through the bottom of the stroke while getting me lower. Stuff like KOPS doesn't matter...as long as you aren't hyperextending your knees, you're fine. It does change your power phases ever so slightly, but you will adapt quickly. A slight bit more glute activation, a slight bit less quad activation. A side effect is this actually preserves my quads for out of the saddle efforts and higher intensity where I scoot up a bit on the saddle.

As far as fitters go, most will stick to back angles between 40-45deg with hands on hoods, arms fairly straight but not locked out...unless the rider says they are comfortable and want to get lower.

I’ve found this worked really well for me! Honestly I think cranks are way too long on stock bikes. I’m using 170mm ones and they’re so comfy.