skeleton question

[elk]

Actually, because i am a "fuss er" I moved the seat forward a bit on the rails
and that feels better; also puts me more squarely on the isch.

And yes I think the straight handlebars are bugging me.

I want to sit up a little straighter, or at least have more choice to either lean forward or back...maybe I should put cruiser or moustache handlebars on...

[Torrilin]

I can lean forward on mine pretty easily. Just do a push up! I can get some sit up straighter by shifting to light contact with the bar. And on 20 mile rides where I do that, my wrists don't complain. Problems kick in when I'm nervous about navigating, or I'm nervous about the terrain.

Probably what I should do is go test ride some other bikes with different bars to get a clearer idea of what works for me.

[ChickWithBrains]

Definitely NOT sitting on your femurs. It's just not an anatomic possibility unless you have congenital deformities resulting in trochanters that are wildly torsed. Or a really, really interesting seat (or riding position)!

Sounds like you could use a good bike fit. Consider having a pro help you out at your local bike shop or search online for some good pointers on how to fit yourself -- you'll need a friend, a measureing tape (or device to accurately hang a plumb line) to both make sure your seat position positions your knee correctly over your pedal and ball of your foot as well as creating the right angle at the top and bottom of your pedal stroke (i.e., the fore/aft position of your seat and its height). Unfortunately, if you're at the end of the rails and struggle with fit, you might have the wrong frame size -- as I did!