Where on the handlebars should your hands be on a hill?

mogsawerble4

Unsure due to conflicting information as to where to put put my hands when going uphill should I be on my drops, tops or hoods?

napoleond

Wherever is comfortable.

lotus49

Watch what other people do and experiment.

If you watch much racing, resting your hands on the hoods seems to commonest option. Riders generally use the drops for aero reasons but the benefit of this is much lower on a climb due to the lower speeds, which is why it's a popular place to launch a break - the impact of being on your own vs being in a group is much less. Having your hands on the top of the bars makes it harder to steer when your pushing hard. This leaves the hoods as the best option, by my reasoning at least.

However, you only really have three options, as NapoleonD said, whichever one works for you is the "correct" option.

baldwin471

Completely up to you. Personally i have my hands on the tops the vast majority of the time.

Mad_Malx

Arms outstretched:
http://cycling.norbtech.com/2012/07/sag ... ill-hands/

davem399

Most of the time on the tops, but move to the hoods occassionally when getting out of the saddle to stretch my back.

thegreatdivide

Tops when climbing, hoods when 'honking' out of the saddle, drops when sprinting up a short climb. The latter is optional but works for me.

pdstsp

Hands on the tops can help open the chest and hence aid breathing - or so I once read. Like many here, on a long climg I'll ride on the tops and shift to the hoods when out of saddle. Unlike thegreatdivide I don't normally sprint up anything

giant_man

loosely hands holding the tops imo when climbing

Wacky Racer

Usually the tops, but sometimes the hoods out of the saddle. As others have said, whatever works for you. I know a couple of riders who always use the hoods, so I guess there's not a correct way.

houndlegs

I have no idea why,but I find climbing easier if I'm down on the drops

xcmad

Go with what feels good.

Typically I try and place hands on top/middle of bars and this reminds me to keep still and no rocking back and forth to save energy. When things get tough, its on the hoods. And on the drops over the crest.

kentphil

I've recently been liking holding on the drops on climbs. Don't grip too tight, put all your power through your legs. Also I find less, but deep breaths better rather than panting quickly helps too. This seems to help slow my heart rate down.

Insideinfo

Wherever it feels comfortable.

elderone

usually one on the saddle one on the bars,easier to push it that way lol..

on the tops normally.