I've had my hybrid just over a month.. already want a road bike!

[sarahspins]

Well I'm not sure anyone REALLY cares, but my 7.6 mile test ride was a success... MUCH more comfortable overall, and is it my imagination that it feels like I'm working slightly different muscle groups now? I felt it in my triceps/upper arms and more in my quads than usual... not in a bad way, just in a "hey, we're getting more of a workout now" way Could that be because I'm in a bit more "forward" in position now? The reach is fine and I'm not uncomfortable at all (my hands and upper body are lower, of course).. and I got no numbness in my hands, though I did get a cramp in my left thenar muscle (palm), but that tends to give me trouble from time to time anyways (I nearly sliced through that muscle completely with an ice skate 15 years ago, and it's never been the same since) so I'm not sure I'd call it a problem just yet. It could be a glove issue.. I dunno. It didn't happen until about a mile from home. I'm not too worried about it just yet.. I'll take a cramp I can feel over numb hands!

[Cataboo]

Sarah - yes, if you're leaned over more, you use a slightly different set of muscles than you do upright...

The sparrows look really neat - let me know in a month or so how you like 'em and maybe I'll stop being cheap

[sarahspins]

I will! After just a couple of days I'm amazed at the difference.. NO hand cramp yesterday, much much much more comfortable than the stock bars.. just hope it stays that way.. or continues to feel even better

I think I ride a little faster now too, but that could be my imagination since my average isn't really up that much

[Cataboo]

If it feels like you're faster, I'm sure you are... Just if you go faster, then you get tired a little bit more, which slows you down a bit to compensate till you adjust. Or something like that.

You sort of did the same thing as aerobars - I'm definitely faster & more efficient if I'm on aerobars, just certain parts of me & the saddle don't tend to get along when I lean that far forward. Part of it's the aerodynamics and I think part is which set of muscles you start using.

I was riding my surly the other day and think I really wanted to change the handlebars for something, or I at least need to change the stem. They're not happying. I've got it set up with 8 speed mountain bike components, but I now have bar end shifters, so I could put mustache style bars on (the ones I originally bought for it that didn't fit mtb shifters) and bar end shifters and convert it to a 9 speed...

[Zen]

Sarah, do you have any photos of those bars from a different angle? I can't tell a whole lot from that one shot.
I'm considering different bars for my 7.6 as well but I have no desire for a "real" road bike.

[sarahspins]

I'll take some.. give me a few

[sarahspins]

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