Bike setup

jhon
jhon Posts: 37
edited June 2007 in Road beginners
I just bought my new road bike and I know the drop handlebar is suppose to be lower than the seat... but how low should it be? Because at the moment I get a real strain on my neck because I have to bend so low and look up.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I`ll stick my neck out here & say raise it until you`re comfortable. AFAIK theres no hard and fast rule about how high it should be. I also turned my drops up a fair bit until the bit the brakes are attached to is horizontal as it`s far more comfy far me when on the hoods. The brake levers are pointing up at about a 45 degree angle now
  • 2191flint
    2191flint Posts: 803
    Do yourself a BIG favour...check out <b>www.bikefitting.com</b> for your nearest participating LBS and get along for a measure session, it'll be the best œ35 quid you ever spend on your bike.[8D]

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  • on2wheels
    on2wheels Posts: 102
    I'm not an expert by any means, but I don't think the seat should 'have' to be higher than your bars, comfort plays an important part here, just lower your saddle or up the bars if you can, its far more important to be comfortable whilst riding than in pain
  • Chris James
    Chris James Posts: 1,040
    Its a trade off. The lower the bars then potentially you are more streamlined, hence making cycling easier.

    But lower bars can be more uncomfortable, putting more pressure on your perineum and more weight onto your arms.

    So typically tourists have their bars high as they aren't going fast but will be on the bike all day, and racers have them low to help them go quicker.

    For everyone else then it is a case of going for the golden mean. You will find that your body adjusts over time so you may find that your bars creep lower!
  • McBain_v1
    McBain_v1 Posts: 5,237
    If you are relatively new to road biking then the more aero position can come as a bit of surprise. However, I'd advocate riding comfort over extremely aero positions on the bike. The whole idea is that you enjoy your cycling, not see it as an ordeal.

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