[Westy]

Last year I started to do more road riding. I like to head out into the mountains for some 4-9 hour rides that include some long steep climbs. I like my roadbike while pedalling in the saddle but when I pedal standing up I hate it, I feel like I can't get any leverage and it is unstable at higher speeds. Because of that I ended up riding road most of the time on my hardtail with slicks. I'd like to do more road miles this year and was thinking about changing the handlebars on the road bike. The way I look at it my choices are.

1: Wider road bars, I already have 44cm bars so going to a 46 won't make that much difference. Do they make wider bars?

2: slap on some wide flat MTB bars with some spare shifters and brake levers I have. I'll get my familiar wide bar feel but won't have multiple riding positions including a more aerodynamic position.

3: Do #2 but then slap on some TT aero clip ons. This will get funny looks from stuck up roadies but I consider that a plus.

Any thoughts, ideas?

 

[Silver]

You've tried putting your hands on the hoods when you're out of the saddle and climbing, right?

 

[sanjuro]

What is your height and build, like 46 jacket or broad shouldered, etc?

I am curious about the bad leverage and poor high speed stability. It sounds like something to do with the fork alignment or headset. For example, for many years, I could not ride no-handed on my road bike. After upgrading to a Chris King H/S, we noticed the headtube was not level, and we had to grind it level.

After that, no problems with no hands.

Also a typical road setup has your bars 1-2 inches below your saddle height. If your bars are too high or too low, this could throw off your center of gravity.

 

[Wumpus]

They don't get much wider than these --> http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handlebars_stems_tape/16111.html

 

[-dustin]

48s...wow. i run 44s and am not too comfortable out of the saddle. 44s feel too narrow. i never ride in the drops, either.

too bad there's no way to customize bar width on road bikes. unless you use a mtb bar. which i might do on my fixed project.

 

[Wumpus]

I pretty sure that is the bar I got. 48cm outside-to-outside and they flare to 54 cm at the ends.

The curve when riding in the drops and braking could be better, but I also have pretty wide hands.

 

[LordOpie]

You've tried putting your hands on the hoods when you're out of the saddle and climbing, right?

that was my first thought too.

 

[chriskaiser]

I only use 42s, and I cut my MTB handlebars down too, they were just too wide, and through traffic sometimes they would clip car's door mirrors.

On my road I usally ride a few cm back from the levers and just slide my hands for shifting/braking.

On climbs out of saddle and acceleration out of saddle or any time I am not sitting the hoods are where it's at.

 

[Westy]

You've tried putting your hands on the hoods when you're out of the saddle and climbing, right?

Yes, I still can't get the leverage that I would like. Part of my probem riding on the hoods out of the saddle is that I can only get two fingers underneath the hood. This doesn't give me the grip I want. Is there a way to get more room for my fat fingers?

 

[Wumpus]

Yes, I still can't get the leverage that I would like. Part of my probem riding on the hoods out of the saddle is that I can only get two fingers underneath the hood. This doesn't give me the grip I want. Is there a way to get more room for my fat fingers?

I have the index finger in front of the lever -- it grips the little knob in front -- and grip the hood with my middle and ring fingers. The pinky just hangs there. Plenty of leverage.

 

[Wumpus]

Your stability might have something to do with rake and trail. The following scanned pages are quite long, but might help. Page 4 has a diagram to show what trail is. Maybe more than you want to know. Oh well.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

And maybe it has absolutely nothing to do with. It could just be that your road bike has a lot steeper HT angle than your mountain bike and that is the problem.

 

[Triphop]

Maybe try to bring your elbows in, and sway the bike with your lower arms and hands. You shouldn't have to be pulling on the bars like you would on a mountain bike. To a certain extent you want the bars as a support feature when climbing. The hand position described above should help too. 46cm bars are really wide, and unless you are an ex-lineman you should be all right. If you get too wide, you may cause yourself strain in between the shoulder blades.

Wumpus - how do you like that Wound Up fork? I just started riding one. Fabulous.

 

[Wumpus]

Wumpus - how do you like that Wound Up fork? I just started riding one. Fabulous.

So far so good.



I have almost been blinded by the sun reflecting off the crown, though.

 

[Serial Midget]

If you are feeling unstable during out of the saddle climbs but fine otherwise, then I am thinking you need to work on your 'out of the saddle' climbing technique.

Keep spinning circles as you leave the saddle, grasp your hoods and pull your body slightly forward to maximize your power and leverage. To help you maintain your power curve while out of the saddle concentrate on 'throwing' your knees up into the handlebars while rocking the bike from side to side.

Hard to describe in writing... easier if someone shows you. Find a crusty old roadie and ask questions about technique.

Do you have rollers?

Edit: Clip on aero bars are good for long rides but using them slighty alters the way your muscles are employed. I use them quite a lot but only on solo runs - many roadie clubs won't allow the use of aero bars on club rides and I will never draft anyone I haven't ridden with extensively before hand...

 

[Wumpus]

Edit: Clip on aero bars are good for long rides but using them slighty alters the way your muscles are employed. I use them quite a lot but only on solo runs - many roadie clubs won't allow the use of aero bars on club rides and I will never draft anyone I haven't ridden with extensively before hand...

I never did like aero bars. Talk about feeling sketchy.

 

[sanjuro]

Yes, I still can't get the leverage that I would like. Part of my probem riding on the hoods out of the saddle is that I can only get two fingers underneath the hood. This doesn't give me the grip I want. Is there a way to get more room for my fat fingers?

My style is not to grip the levers tightly, but just to use my thumbs. Sometimes during extended out-of-the-saddle efforts, I will release my fingers so they flair out when I throw my bike from side to side.