Another Handlebar Question

[HillSlugger]

My Specialized Sequoia Elite has the stock Body Geometry Sequoia Zertz drop bar. I have no problem getting my fingers around the shifters and brakes from the hoods or the drops but I've always found it somewhat uncomfortable riding on the hoods. I'm pretty happy riding in the drops but need to move to the hoods for additional hand positions. I just shortened the stem from 100 to 90 because I felt too stretched out on the hoods; I'm feeling better but I'm still not comfortable. I don't know if I should be looking at further stem changes, a change to the hood position, or a change to a different bar. Thoughts and ideas please!

[Fredwina]

The only thing I would suggest is that if you do move your lever is to make sure you can still comfortably use your brakes. I had a "fitter" do that to me once.

[HillSlugger]

I think one of my issues is that the bars are too wide. With my hands on the hoods my arms definitely angle out from my shoulders to my hands. I always thought I had wide shoulders, but apparently not enough for these bars.

I know that to measure my shoulders I need to measure from the "bony ends". Any advice on finding this?

[divingbiker]

Nicole, the next time we ride together you should try my bike. I don't have the stock bars on it. (I had flat bars for a while, and they didn't put the stock bars on it when I went back to drop bars.) Mine may be a bit narrower than yours, and I think they're shaped a bit differently, too. I can't find any specs online for the Body Geometry Sequoia Zertz bars, but mine are about 40 cm wide. Just a thought before you take the leap and get new bars.

[HillSlugger]

Nicole, the next time we ride together you should try my bike.

What size is your bike?

My bike shop offers "guaranteed fit" on the bike they sell. They'll swap out the stem repeatedly until I'm comfortable; I wonder if they'll do the bars, too?

[divingbiker]

What size is your bike?

Medium, I think, on their scale of XS-XL.

[HillSlugger]

Mine's a small, 51cm.