braking in the drops

[jessmarimba]

Supposed to be 42cm bars? I have pretty narrow shoulders but they don't feel too wide...I don't think...not sure how they should feel.

I tell ya what, my back loves the different positions these bars allow. Heaven. Now to make my wrists as happy...haha.

[margrette]

shifter levers/brake levers same idea...

[malkin]

Is it comfy to brake while your hands are perched on the hoods?

Is it too big of a reach no matter what? ( If no, you might need smaller reach brakes.

Is there a place in the drop where it is a comfortable reach to to brake lever (even if it isn't a realistic position for riding)? (If yes, you might want to move the levers so you can reach them from a realistic riding position.)

[malkin]

I just reread your OP...to reduce strain on your wrists, you might try dropping your elbows and thus your entire upper body. This will require greater ab/core strength.

It's always something.

[jessmarimba]

It isn't strain so much as an impossible angle, which would be cured by lowering the brakes as margrette and Becky suggested. My back actually feels better on the flat part of the bars or bent over lower in the drops...halfway up with my hands forward to kinda try to reach the brakes, the muscles pull over the screws in my back.

The brakes are unreachable on the hoods as well, I generally use them by wrapping my entire hand around the little plastic brake support thingies (what are those called?)

[OakLeaf]

If you can't reach the brakes on the hoods either, even when they're that high, you probably just need shorter reach levers. Expensive ... but you need to be able to brake.

[DebW]

Looks to me like the bars are tilted up too much. Try making the bottom of the drops flat and see how that feels.

[LivetoRide]

Looks to me like the bars are tilted up too much. Try making the bottom of the drops flat and see how that feels.

I second this and Becky's suggestion of moving the brake levers. If neither helps your problems, consider getting some different handlebars as a different one may allow you to get things set up to where you need.