Liza --

You sure nailed it when you said you work hard at keeping your shoulders and arms relaxed!

I'm amazed at how much time I spend noticing that my shoulders are tight, or my elbows or wrists, or all three -- and then fixing them! Granted, it's not constant, but it does need fairly regular attention. More in the early part of the season than toward the end, and more if I've been away from my bike for a while.

The original poster mentioned being used to riding a mountain bike, and that riding with her hands on the tops is uncomfortable. It WOULD feel narrow, since mountain bars are wider and flat, so the top kind of feels like the place to ride. I don't find myself using that part of the bars much -- do many road riders? They're pretty much my place of last resort, when I really need a break from everywhere else!

Karen in Boise