Handlebars

[SadieKate]

OK, I looked again at the pics and I think Bikerz and I are saying the same thing. In both photos the backs of your hands are not in the same plane with your forearms. This and the elbow lockout must go! I don't know how much is bike fit, bad habit or weak muscles. If you really want to keep the flat bars, get someone who fits a lot of mtn bikes to help. Just make sure they don't set up the levers for extreme downhills. (as in the butt-flossing position). This will cock up your hands into a bad position.

[CorsairMac]

just another thought amongst all the many:

I was having severe pain in my elbow on my comfort bike. When I started talking to my LBS guys and paying closer attention to my riding - I discovered I tended to "pull" on the bars whenever I was climbing or standing in the pedals. The comfort bike had seagull?? mustache?? bars - don't know what they were called but it had a slight bend in them and I was trying to either get in a more aerodynamic position or using the bars for leverage. Either way - when I stopped pulling on the bars (and switched to flat bars) the elbow pain went away.
So, are you pulling against the bars?? Plus what everyone else said - your arms and hands don't "look" comfortable to me anyway, they look very awkward and tight.

[snapdragen]

Wha? Nobody likes my "shoulders up around the ears" style? That first pic is probably a bad example, I had just come up a nasty, short, steep hill and was trying not to collapse. But I think y'all are right, looking at the second pic, my arms do look awful straight and stiff.

I believe you are correct Denise, strong abs are a must for comfy bike riding. I've not been to my Pilates class for 4 weeks, it's time to dust off the DVD's and do some matwork before my core is completely shot.

LBTC - I think I have rapid fire shifters, my bad, I call 'em thumbies. They're Shimano XT.

Other friends have suggested moustache bars, which I was thinking of getting at some point when Bleu becomes a singlespeed. (After I steal Waldo.....) So I may get them now, and try them out, or check out something like Sadie suggested. Honest mama sadie - I usually do have my thumbs behine the bars

Coach Curtis did a fit for me last year, but I may give him a call and revisit everything. He talked me out of drops because my flexibility wasn't all that great, maybe he'll be happy with 'staches, or have other suggestions. He's a wizard - only reason I'm not seeing him now for my PT is my stupid HMO.

My mood is better, thanks girls. Time to go practice the deep breathing/relaxation techniques Trek ordered me to do!