LisaSH, your new handlebars [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-11-2007, 09:58 PM

Hi Sandra,

There are many things one can try in attempting to solve a too-long reach. Others can perhaps chime in with their experiences.
The problem might be solved by means other than changing the bars, depending on what you are feeling.

Do you think you got the right size frame? How did you pick the bike, or how was it picked for you, and was it fitted to you by the bike store?

Perhaps you should describe exactly what your "symptoms" are first?

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-11-2007, 10:07 PM

As to my new handlebars, since you asked:

Yes, the new Salsa Poco bars are good. They were so different however that it took until my third ride today to really get a take on them. I especially first had to get used to not having my interruptor brake levers on the tops of my handlebar anymore- i took them off- oh what a panic the first day when I kept grabbing for those brakes at every intersection and they simply weren't there!!! =8-O You can bet I adapted to THAT pretty quickly, needless to say. ;) The new bars have ergonomic "bumps" that fit my hands nicely and make for comfy hand position changes.

I got the new bars to try to shorten my reach by about 1 1/2 to 2 cms. They do not sweep forward at the hood area quite as much as my old regular style road bars. Also the drops are not quite so low down.
Oddly, my reach doesn't "feel" shorter, but they are, I measured. What's different is that now I can ride with my hands comfortably up on the hoods again- I couldn't really get comfy there before without feeling my weight falling forward too much. So that is good.

But the BEST and most unexpected thing is that they seem to be eliminating the significant left elbow pain I have suffered with for many months now when riding more than 10 miles. Today I kept expecting my elbow to really hurt after 20 miles or so, as usual, but no, just a twinge and then no pain, then another twinge and then nothing again. I made it through 30 miles with no big elbow pain for the first time in about 6 months. What an odd sensation that was. It has got to be the bars because the change is so sudden and dramatic.

I have them taped with new cork tape and twine now, am still figuring out how exactly I want to finish them. But I am definitely staying with them. Will take a picture soon so I can post "before and after" pix.
I probably should have ordered some short reach brake levers for my relatively small hands at the same time, but I didn't so that will just have to wait.

sandra

08-12-2007, 05:15 AM

Maybe you missed my post when I bought my bike. I happened to find it used for a great price. It had only been ridden once and was in perfect condition. It is a 52. I rode the bike and it seemed like a good fit. I did take it in to the bike shop and have the stem flipped. Otherwise I've been making small adjustments myself. It's really not bad. I keep wondering if there is any little tweaking I could do to make it even better. It is certainly much easier to ride than my hybrid.

Maybe I should consider paying a bike shop to help me.

A small sidenote: Dear hubby is still plugging along on his hybrid. Yesterday he said "my goal has been to pass someone! I finally did, but she was stopped" :D He test rode a couple of bikes and is in search for the perfect bike.

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-12-2007, 05:33 AM

Sandra, from looking at your bike, I would suggest you start by moving your saddle as far BACK (yes, back) on its rails as you can, and go to the LBS where you bought it (or to any good LBS) and ask to get a slightly shorter stem. Your stem looks to me to be about a 9 and I think a 7 might help a lot. Find out what size you have now- I might not be seeing it right and you might have a 7 on there already. But it looks longer than a 7 to me. Don't be tempted to get a stem shorter than a 7 as it will definitely make your steering wobbly like what happened to me. I went from a 9 to a 5 to a 7 stem, which is now just right.
When you have the stem switched you might want to have them put on a Salsa Poco handlebar- that will help as well.
Pushing the saddle back will make you bend a bit more, lengthening your reach, and also it will pull your center of gravity back a bit and take some of the weight off your hands. Sounds counter-intuitive I know, but my DH explained it well and it worked REALLY well for me.

Paying a good bike shop $100 or so to fit you is a good idea actually. Insist on having the most knowledgeable person there make an appt with you for a thorough fit session. Find out which bike shops have fitting trainer machines (is that what they are called?) that might take measurements of you while you pedal.

Others may make different or better recommendations than I did....I'm no expert. :o

Again- can you describe your symptoms in detail that make you think your reach is too long? What exactly do you feel on your bike, what's the problem(s)?

sandra

08-12-2007, 05:48 AM

Saddle back and a shorter stem! Yes, it does sound counter-intuitive, sounds like it would be lengthening the reach, but I trust your knowledge and will give it a try. Yesterday I tried to raise the saddle but I noticed more shoulder discomfort. I'll try shoving it all the way back and see what happens.

I've only had the bike for 2 weeks today, so there is still an adjustment period to just riding a road bike period.

It was such a fluke when I discovered and bought it. I found it on a classified ad of a bike shop the day it was listed. Emailed the girl and she never replied. She finally replied on a Saturday night and we happened to be going the next day to her town (which is an hour and a half away). I met her father in the parking lot of a car dealership to ride the bike. That is also where I had my first big crash with chips and straps, right as I rode back up in from my hubby and the seller. :o

Anyway, it was in such great condition and the price was so good, and I was in bike love. It felt like it was for me. If worst comes to worst, I know I can sell it and get my money back out of it. The bike shop owner said it was in fantastic condition.

I really think it is going to be OK but it may well be worth it to pay the bike shop to help me.

sandra

08-12-2007, 05:54 AM

What exactly do you feel on your bike, what's the problem(s)?

The weight on my hands and arms is never a problem. No hurting in my arms, no numbness in my hands, etc.

I feel neck and shoulder tiredness or discomfort, which could very well be just from changing from a hybrid to a road bike.

It seemed like my saddle was too low. My leg had a little more bend in it that I thought it should, so I raised it just a hair. Then I noticed discomfort in my shoulders, so I put it back down.

How much bend do you have in your arms when you ride? I did ask the bike shop guy about that and he said a little bit, but not much. His suggestion was to ride it a month and see how I adjusted.

Bad JuJu

08-12-2007, 06:12 AM

Just to throw my little two cents in here, I also have a Salsa Poco bar on my touring bike and it's great for my short reach and small-ish hands. My faster, lighter Bianchi Veloce came with a Deda 4 Girls handlebar (yes, that's what it's called), which is similar to the Poco, but maybe even a little smaller. Love 'em both.

sandra

08-12-2007, 06:19 AM

I also have a Salsa Poco bar on my touring bike and it's great for my short reach and small-ish hands.

I googled the Salsa Poco bars. Please excuse my ignorance. I'm not even sure how to phrase this question. Are you talking about the "short reach" meaning the bottom bar that rolls around? From what I read it appears that THAT part is a smaller drop and reach.

IF SO, I never use that hand position at all anyway, so that may not help me. I change my hands around on the top flat bar and up on the curve (close to the brake) etc, but NEVER use the bottom drop part.:eek: :D

KnottedYet

08-12-2007, 06:37 AM

"reach" is kind of how far the bars are from your saddle
"rise" is sort of how high the bars are relative to the saddle

(the saddle sits where it needs to be relative to the cranks, so it's not something to monkey around with once you find the sweet spot, but bars rise and reach and such can be played with a lot!)

A short reach handlebar will have a smaller/shorter pointing-forward bit on the top of the bar. If you look at the upper part of your bars from above, they kind of look like a staple before it gets bent up in a stapler, with the "legs" pointing forward. A short reach bar will have short "legs", so that your reach (distance from saddle) is shorter when your hands are on the "staple legs" or brake hoods, than it would be on a regular bar (which will have longer "staple legs" and put your hands farther from the saddle.)

Grog

08-12-2007, 08:17 AM

The FSA Wing Pro compact bars (I think I am getting the name right) are somewhat similar to the Salsa Poco bars. A favourite among the members of my all-female club. Comes in 38cm, too. The tops are really cool but non-standard, so it can be a challenge to attach your computer there. Otherwise I love them, but like Lisa it took me a while to get used to them, a few rides perhaps.

rij73

08-12-2007, 08:58 AM

Sandra, did you try just rotating the bars upwards? You just loosen the bolts on the stem faceplate a little, and rotate the bars up so that the brake hoods are essentially closer to the bike. I had to do that when I got my bike. Made a big difference...

Also, some of it is just getting used to the new position. I would put in some miles before making drastic changes. I'm not saying that the bike definitely doesn't need changes, but you need to wait until you're sure that it's not all just a matter of getting used to it. Also stretch your legs, arms, and back thoroughly before getting *every ride* on the bike. I just made the transition from a hybrid to a road bike. The first few days I was petrified thinking I'd made a big mistake. But, then suddenly I felt comfortable! It requires a little more flexibility (hence the stretching recommendation). Try also to not tense up on the bike. That was a big problem for me.

sandra

08-12-2007, 09:17 AM

I may try that rotation. I'd love to see a picture of your bike and your handle bar position.

The guy at the bike shop also told me he could move the brakes up a little higher, but he'd have to rewrap the handlebars.

Trekhawk

08-12-2007, 09:24 AM

Sandra - get yourself Andy Pruitt's Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists.
This is a great book with a large section on bike fit.:)

Bad JuJu

08-12-2007, 09:30 AM

Yes, if you haven't tried rotating your handlebars upward, definitely try it. That's the easiest fix, if it works for you. Keep in mind that small changes can make big differences in how you feel on the bike, and you can't rotate the bars too much or it will become uncomfortable, maybe even impossible, to get your fingers around the brake levers.

As KnottedYet pointed out, the thing about smaller bars is that, while they don't bring the top bar closer to you, everything else ends up being closer and easier to reach: the brake hoods, brake levers, and the drops, if you use them. But again, I'd try the easier changes first: the rotation, and moving the position of the brakes up higher. Bike comfort is such a personal thing, and you never know what's going to help you until you try it.

rij73

08-12-2007, 09:36 AM

I read somewhere that the most you should rotate your bars would have the ends pointing directly at the rear hub.

divingbiker

08-12-2007, 09:46 AM

I just had Salsa Poco 38s put on my road bike, and I'm not sold yet. I think the ergo bend brings my hand back a bit too far, and with my short fingers I have trouble reaching the brakes/shifters from the drops. (Sandra, I don't use the drops much either but I'm trying to improve the fit of my bike so I can.) I think a bar that is more rounded will work better for me instead of the ergo bend. I tested Zencentury's bars (http://www.bontrager.com/Road/Components/Handlebars/24336.php) last weekend, and the reach from the drops was much better.

It's a never-ending quest for more comfort...

RolliePollie

08-12-2007, 09:47 AM

The weight on my hands and arms is never a problem. No hurting in my arms, no numbness in my hands, etc.

I feel neck and shoulder tiredness or discomfort, which could very well be just from changing from a hybrid to a road bike.

It seemed like my saddle was too low. My leg had a little more bend in it that I thought it should, so I raised it just a hair. Then I noticed discomfort in my shoulders, so I put it back down.

How much bend do you have in your arms when you ride? I did ask the bike shop guy about that and he said a little bit, but not much. His suggestion was to ride it a month and see how I adjusted.

Sandra - I am experiencing some shoulder pain as well, although for me, it is mostly just one shoulder. Anyway, I am trying something new and it's helping a lot. Every time I take a drink from my water bottles, which is every 15 minutes at the most, I swing my right arm around and stretch it out. The best stretch seems to be raising my arm straight up and then bending my elbow and sort of reaching down behind my head.

I think my bike fit is ok but not great. However, the more I ride, the more I figure out different ways to change positions to improve my comfort. I decided to try and make it through my first cycling season without changing out any parts (with the exception of my saddle). This is partially due to the fact that I'm really cheap and I'm buying a house next month so I don't want to spend any more money on this bike, and partially due to the fact that I know my body is still adjusting to serious exercise and to being in a position that it really has never been in before! I've made lots of little adjustments to things myself and it's amazing how just a centimeter here and there can really make a difference. It's also interesting to me that when I first got my bike, certain body parts, like my thumbs, were absolultely killing me! But now they don't bother me at all.

Lisa - those handlebars look very cool. I'm glad to read your post about them. I'll put these on my "list" of possibilities for a new bike. :)

Bad JuJu

08-12-2007, 10:43 AM

I read somewhere that the most you should rotate your bars would have the ends pointing directly at the rear hub.
I read that, too, and for all I know there could be a good reason for it, but I don't know what it is, other than too much rotation can make it impossible to use the drops and still reach the brake levers. On the other hand, I think a lot of this kind of received knowledge about bikes evolved from men's discussions of men's bikes and bike fit, so I'm prone to questioning it whenever it doesn't seem to work for my situation.

If the Salsa Poco bar doesn't work, I'd next try the Deda 4 Girls--it's shaped a little differently.

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-12-2007, 10:56 AM

I took some pix of the new bars, but will have to wait until tonight to post them....

In the meantime, here is the place I ordered the bar from:
http://www.westernbikeworks.com/productdetail.asp?p=SBPOC&ssn=9973

And these are the handlebars I had before I switched:
http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handlebars_stems_tape/16111.html

SouthernBelle

08-12-2007, 02:54 PM

Here is the link to my Salsas shortly after I got them set up.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=13964&highlight=orange+tape

I actually dropped the curve a little lower than this pic unlike everybody else.

Previously, I didn't ride in the drops either. My bars were too big, both in width and in drop. So when I tried to ride in the drops my arms were so splayed out and so low, plus no way I could reach the brakes. For me the smaller bars made a big difference.

sandra

08-12-2007, 02:58 PM

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-12-2007, 03:28 PM

Sandra, I got the 40cm width. I got my husband to carefully measure me over the back, shoulder to shoulder, and we eliminated a cm to account for some fat padding on the outside of my shoulders. The idea is to have the same width as would keep your arms straight in front of you- the same width as your shoulders.

And yes, you should EXPECT to feel sore in multiple places for the first couple of weeks of switching to a road bike from a hybrid. You are using muscles that you were not using before. Some people never get sore right from the beginning, others get sore in lots of places. Sharp bad pain or numbness is probably more likely due to the bike fit. Soreness can just be muscles being asked to do new things. I even found my actual reach has extended over my year of riding, probably due to muscles getting more flexible and my core muscles strengthening. My hands/fingers can stretch more now than they used to be able to, due to all the many hours they have stretched to reach my brake levers. :)

You have all the time in the world to get used to your bike and then slowly notice that something is not working well for you. DH emphasized this to me when I started out, and I'm glad i rode a long time before making various changes. I was then better able to judge whether some problem was due to my bike fit or just due to my body and muscles not adapting yet.

sandra

08-12-2007, 03:52 PM

I am not having sharp bad pain or numbness at all, so that is at least a good thing!

SouthernBelle

08-12-2007, 04:03 PM

Mine are 38 cm. Some soreness is inevitable, especially as you increase the length of your rides.

BleeckerSt_Girl

08-12-2007, 04:18 PM

I am not having sharp bad pain or numbness at all, so that is at least a good thing!

I think that is most excellent!! :) :) :)

Well Sandra, since you titled this whole thread about my new handlebars, I might as well post the pictures of them! ;)
First is a pik of my old bars. These were my old 41cm Nitto Noodle drop bars:
3991

And here are my new 40cm Salsa Poco bars, taped up in cork tape but no shellac or finish on them yet:

3989

3990

Oh, and in the first picture I have a 9cm stem, which was too long for me. Now you can see the 7cm stem in the new pix.
So, between the 2 cm of the stem swap and the +/- 2cm of the bar reach change, I have brought my hands back by about 4cm. My hands used to go numb a lot and I felt pretty unbalanced before, too much falling-forward weight. I feel substantially more comfortable now, and better balanced.

Another interesting comparison in the two time periods is you can first see my B17S saddle, which was shorter and set more forward. In the current photos you see my B68 (non-S) which is longer and has longer rails and is shoved back further to pull my center of gravity back further. I love where I can have my saddle now- it gives me much better balance overall, and more pedal power.

sandra

08-12-2007, 04:45 PM

Thanks for the pictures. Very interesting! I can see from the pictures how much difference this must make!

Bikingmomof3

08-12-2007, 05:00 PM

I think that is most excellent!! :) :) :)

Well Sandra, since you titled this whole thread about my new handlebars, I might as well post the pictures of them! ;)
First is a pik of my old bars. These were my old 41cm Nitto Noodle drop bars:
3991

And here are my new 40cm Salsa Poco bars, taped up in cork tape but no shellac or finish on them yet:

3989

3990

Oh, and in the first picture I have a 9cm stem, which was too long for me. Now you can see the 7cm stem in the new pix.
So, between the 2 cm of the stem swap and the +/- 2cm of the bar reach change, I have brought my hands back by about 4cm. My hands used to go numb a lot and I felt pretty unbalanced before, too much falling-forward weight. I feel substantially more comfortable now, and better balanced.

Another interesting comparison in the two time periods is you can first see my B17S saddle, which was shorter and set more forward. In the current photos you see my B68 (non-S) which is longer and has longer rails and is shoved back further to pull my center of gravity back further. I love where I can have my saddle now- it gives me much better balance overall, and more pedal power.

Fantastic pictures and news. Enjoy your new handlebars. :)