handlebar position

TickTockTick

Hi

I am getting a lot of pain in my hands when riding. I don't believe it's a stem length issue though bar width and bar angles (sweep etc) might be playing a part.

Is it common for people to rotate handlebars fore and aft within the stem to try and find a comfortable position? When I fitted the bar, I was just careful to position the markings in the middle of the stem cut out.. but is it common to rotate the bar in the stem? Is this how I might find a more comfy hand position?

CraigXXL

Bar position is as important as any other contact point so play around to find out what is comfortable. Move the brake and shifters about too to see if they make a difference to the feel of your bike.

Frodo1095

Where is the pain in your hands ?
Is it in your little fingers or more in your thumbs ?

dan shard

Look at seat position in relation to bar height too, itf your leaning too far forwards it may add to the strain on your hands

Fenred

I used to experience arm/shoulder discomfort and in the past have rolled the bars WAY forward to alleviate the problem...I then experimented with stem length, got that dialled, returned bars to a "neutral" position, problem sorted...

milfredo

I've had pain in my left hand for over 6 years following an operation on my shoulder. It just became one of those things I had to deal with but I changed my bars to some 720mm ones and the pain is no more! It's like a flipping mirical and I feel stuipid for not trying it sooner.

.blitz

TickTockTick wrote:

Is it common for people to rotate handlebars fore and aft within the stem to try and find a comfortable position?

Have never done it any other way. I think the alignment marks are useful for getting the bar in the middle of the stem but that's all.

Tighten the clamp bolts finger tight, sit on the bike and rotate the bars until they feel just right. Same for the controls - finger tight and then turn them until they 'fall readily to hand'. Tighten bolts, go ride, take the hex key with you and stop and adjust some more if they're still not right.

Also agree that wider bars are worth a punt. 680mm feels like a chopstick, 710-720-730 feels about right although I have tried 785s and would use them more if I could fit them between the trees.

sheepsteeth

i always turn my bars in my stem to find the sweet spot, i have had bars which werent comfortable at all no matter how i adjusted.

TickTockTick

Frodo1095 wrote:

Where is the pain in your hands ?
Is it in your little fingers or more in your thumbs ?

wrists and thumbs.. should be noted I do have carpal tunnel....