Handlebar adjustment

[CAS29]

Hi.... I've had my bike for a while but I haven't ever used it as much as I would like. Now I'm hoping to change that, but am finding that it isn't as comfortable as I'd like.

My husband and I both got bikes at the same time. Our original idea was to get the bikes, get in shape and then do some biking holdiays (we live just outside of Milan, Italy). The reality is we go cycling on the weekend and have a relatively easy time on the bike paths either along the canals near us, or a bit more challenging time through the woods on dirt paths.
Sometimes we're out for 3-4 hours at a time and do about 50km - for people who have never been very sporty, this is an accomplishment!

Looking back, I realize I didn't really go about things wisely...... the bike was too much for me (I am sure I still don't use my gears properly) and I spent a long time trying to get used to the feel of it. Now I realize it just doesn't fit properly.

One problem is that the service here is quite different than in North America - there is no way you can test ride bikes - and the service people we've found just haven't been very good.

My bike is a B'twin 5 hybrid.

I am pretty sure (now, in retrospect) that the bike is too long for me, though not too tall.
I have played around with the handlebars again and got them higher and at a different angle (they are fairly straight bars). They are as high as they can go now.
I have the seat as far forward as it will go (there isn't a whole lot of flexibility there)
It was a lot better, but what I think the problem might be is that the handlebars are simply too far from me.- result is pain in wrists, elbows and neck/shoulder.

I am absolutely not comfortable with drop handlebars - but I think maybe getting a shorter stem (probably no stem actually) will pull them back enough to let me be comfortable. I'm not prepared to look at getting a different bike at the moment, but I am willing to spend a little bit to make some adjustments to what I've got.

I've been trying to look at pics of different types of bars to see what is out there and I'm wondering if moustache bars might be a good option? I see several women here have commented favourably on them.

There are a lot of women here who really seem to know what they're talking about! I hope that I can start to learn and really make some progress with my riding!

[Flur]

Shortening your stem substantially from the original will affect your handling and is generally not a good idea, but you can get a stem with a higher angle that will allow you to be more upright and may make the reach more comfortable. Also, different bars may help. Do you have drop bars now?

[CAS29]

No, I don't have drop bars now.... they are quite straight.
I don't like the idea of drop bars AT ALL. I don't like to have my head down.
Your suggestion of higher angle sounds like it would solve part of my problem.

[Rosie8]

Trading handlebars from straight to swept back improved my comfort immensely. I tried a few bike shops before I found someone who was willing to experiment. I have tourist type handlebars traded from an old Schwinn. There are many names and styles of handlebars that can suit you:
moustache, sparrow, tourist, priest, etc. If you look at the Velo Orange website you can click on pictures of some of these.

Some of the handlebars have rise and sweep which can put you in a more upright position.

[CAS29]

Rosie8 - that's a good idea-- trying different handlebars to see what works. The only trouble is that I live in Italy (in a small town no less) and the shops here are not into letting you try things out unless you already have a good relationship with them or know someone who works there ..and I don't.

However, what I have done is to switch to a taller (longer?) stem, that has an adjustable angle on it. So I've got more height and the bar is closer to me. Today was the first day out and I could feel a difference already. I will have to tweak it a bit more, but I think I'm going to do reasonably well with this solution.

Over the next few months I'm going to see what I can do to try different bikes and bars - I do know one fellow who is a member of a (men's) bike club and I'm hoping he'll help. Right now just about everyone and his brother is off on the traditional August vacation ... so for now.. I'll work with the adjustables.

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

[mimitabby]

Hey CAS, where do you live? I have a girlfriend in Piacenza who also rides.

You have a very common problem for women. We have long legs compared to our arms and torsos, so we are given bikes that are too big for us. We have the same problem here and if you keep reading, you will find dozens of us here on TE who are experiencing exactly what you are experiencing.

What i found that might help you in Italy is that they do have some smaller bikes that fit women, you just have to look for them. While it's true that you can adjust your own bike somewhat, if you go too far, your bike will not handle as well for you.

Good luck and welcome to TE?

[CAS29]

I live about an hour north of Piacenza - much closer to Milan....
Is your friend American or Italian (just curious.. I'm Canadian myself).

I do have long legs -but I am also quite long waisted... I think my arms are a normal length, but I'm definitely on generic-more-suited-to-a-man bike. My husband has exactly the same model but if you put them side by side mine actually looks quite a bit taller. (I'm just shy of 5'8" and he is just a little shorter).
At first I thought my problem was simply that I wasn't used to leaning forward - and that is true - I wasn't... but even though I am inconsistent with my riding and am now used to how the bike feels I still have what I consider far too much pain when I ride. I'm hoping this new bar helps and if it does I may look into switching bikes in the future... not this year though.

I am going to start doing more looking around to get an idea of which shops are more helpful and who in my area really knows what they are talking about.

Thanks for the welcome!