LisaSH, your new handlebars

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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]

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

[SouthernBelle]

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

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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:
Attachment 3991



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

Attachment 3989

Attachment 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]

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

[Bikingmomof3]

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:
Attachment 3991



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

Attachment 3989

Attachment 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.