Handlebar Reach

jonhowell

I've got myself a road bike after some years of mountain biking

My LBS fitted me up on the bike and it felt ok to start with

However, I notice that my hands seem to ache a little bit when riding on the hoods, is this because I am not used to it?

I also feel a bit of a pull on my lower back after a little while of riding, the stem has a 10 degree slope downwards on it

Do you think I should flip the stem the other way up or opt for a slightly shorter stem?

keef66

Flip the stem and see how it feels. It's a zero cost option.

topdude

Also, how are the bars positioned ?
If they are sloping down from the tops to the hoods try rotating them up until the curve behind the hoods is almost flat, does that make sense

Erudin

When I first got my road bike after mtb's for years I kept getting back ache/post ride stiffness after 20 miles riding. Found riding the drops and hoods uncomfortable after an hour's riding.

Thought a shorter stem than than the original 10cm would help so tried a 6cm but it felt awful, cramped and handling was twitchy.

But I found after clocking up a couple hundred miles my back got used to the road bike riding position and using the drops and hoods, some back stretches and core exercises helped too. If the saddle to bar drop is huge flip the stem to raise the bars, but hopefully as you clock up the miles your body will adapt to the longer reach/more aero position available on a road bike versus mtb. Small adjustments to the contact points make a big difference.

As my flexibility improved found I could use a longer 12cm stem which improved out of the saddle climbing and handling, took a couple of rides to get used to the longer reach, but now it's the most comfortable/fastest bike I've had.

Saddle position makes a big difference too.

Sheldon Brown:

"Thus, the ideal handlebar height with relation to the saddle height is a function of the intensity with which the cyclist pedals. This will vary as the condition of the cyclist varies, for instance, it is often helpful to raise the bars a bit in the spring if the cyclist has been off of the bike for the winter months, then lower it back down a bit during the course of the season. The racer will usually want the bars lower than the touring or recreational cyclist. The cyclist who pedals all the time will be comfortable with lower bars than the cyclist who coasts down hills."

"On a bicycle, much of the rider's weight should be carried by the pedals, but if your saddle is too far forward, your legs alone can't support your upper body, so you'll wind up leaning on the handlebars too hard.

Different cycling styles involve different amounts of pedal force. Racers obviously apply more force to the pedals, more of the time. The usually recommend position for a racer is the "KOPS" position...."

Peter White:

"For starters, I like to put the saddle in the forward most position that allows the rider to lift his hands off of the handlebar and maintain the torso position without strain. You should not feel like you're about to fall forward when you lift off the handlebar. If it makes no difference to your back muscles whether you have your hands on the bars or not, you know that you aren't using your arms to support your upper body. If you are, your arms and shoulders will surely get tired on a long ride. But this is a starting position. Remember that bicycle fit is a series of compromises."