How to Hold Road Bike Handlebars (a bike fitters guide)

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About Neill Stanbury: neillsbikefit.com.au
About the RCA: roadcyclingacademy.com
How to position your hands on the handlebar for comfort, handling, breaking efficiencies and general blood flow. That is a question many beginner to intermediate road cyclists ask. So in today's video, expert bike fitter (Neill Stanbury) will be showing us the four main hand positions.
#cycling #bikefit #tips

[@adamjd7645]

Love the no-nonsense, no KoolAid commentary pitched at us recreational riders & amateur racers that you guys produce. As always: Thanks!

[@Australia-ky7kx]

Excellent video with easy to understand advice. Thanks for posting.

[@JoalHarding]

Taking all tips and using them for my next ride, thank you 😊 !

[@ianezzi9212]

Am loving Cam's 'oohs' and 'aaah's in the background 😂 I'm having all sorts of hand issues recently, possibly more because of riding lumpy gravel (Scotland...) in an aggressive position. Most have been resolved by getting the saddle further back until I can genuinely do a superman like Neill does whilst rolling along (or 'play the piano on the bars'). That was a useful wee snippet about the whole palm taking the weight when you're on the hoods, I think I've been using the crook between the thumb and the index finger too much (perhaps while holding on for dear life or panic braking over bumps) and the ligaments around the base of the thumb joint are getting pretty sore. Feel like I need to relearn how to hold the bars properly...

[@tommylee5873]

Just found your channel. Love it.

[@Lestat1795]

Great as always.

[@davehollingworth5537]

Great content. Thanks 🙏

[@johngracely7373]

Awesome video. Also a Sensah shifter sighting!

[@grandpashreddypants]

Love it. Thanks.

[@mauricetremblay1324]

I wish I could go to AU to spend some time with you guys. Thanks for the content!

[@henrycheang424]

The best bike video.

[@cliffordchaperon6795]

love to see you cycling uTubers (GP Lama, Hambini, Peak Torque, ride media, Cam Nicholls etc) get together & do a review of all sorts of bikes a bit like the RACV does for car of the year by class.

[@zaida500]

Functions beautifully

[@bobbyabraham843]

Nice info

[@riderzonthastorm]

At least two main variations of hand position in the drops and even more on the hoods. Try and you will see, ergonomics of the levers are amazing these days. These little variations also make a big difference when you change them up during a long ride.

[@Godspeed961]

Levers and handlebar are kind in a straight line ! Shimano has a cut on levers , yesterday i found its better cause i hug natural the lever there and help me to grap and push better on climbs . Also from that position i instantly stand up and push . I do second best PR after 4 years and wasnt intented to chase for PR . Today i try again to change the levers , give em little curve , which is more relaxed but i didnt have a proper position to grap and push on uphills. 1cm difference and its like another bike. I really hate road bikes for this ! Flatbar - fitness for ever !

[@co7013]

There are definitely a few distinctly different positions down in the drops. More to the back (relaxed), up front (deeper position, agile steering, touching the brakes) or halfway.

[@ybachaos8479]

What's better for sprinting?

[@co7013]

@@ybachaos8479 forward. So you have agile steering, good aerodynamical position and you can reach the brake levers.

[@DerAusdauersportler]

When you have a great conversation like this both should have a microphone.

[@dementsprechend1542]

Any idea, what's the effect of hood position regards front hub on manouverability? I think farther (towards the front) the hood from front hubb, more difficulty in maneuvering the bike.

[@TheGroupRide]

What you called "Joystick" has often been referred to as "Sphinx"

[@Haegl15]

Brilliant video - as always. I'd never considered the 'joystick' position!

[@christopheroliver148]

I used that mainly for a local 34Km loop, and it seemed a lot faster. Perhaps more surprisingly, it didn't kill my back or legs despite my not being a total gumby.

[@pokiou]

id love one of these videos for an overweight person.. Aka me... im having problems with my quads burning and my hands going numb :(

[@WanderABit]

Two more -- on the corner/bend between tops and hoods. It helps if the handlebar does not have backsweep. Why two? Because one is with your palm down, and the other is with your palm up -- the latter one rotates entire arm so it is possible to bend your arms at your elbows without moving them outwards.

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Thanks for sharing on the thread Maciej

[@RadCJ33]

My default position is at the upper bend, I believe what you describe as palm up. I do not really have my palms up, but rather turned inwards with my thumbs on top of the bars pointing towards the hoods.

[@WanderABit]

@@RadCJ33 Yes, thank you, this is correct, in this position thumbs don't go toward the stem but towards the hoods.

[@jakubkmit747]

in joystick position my triceps are too tense, should i push my hoods further, or do some pushups rather ?

[@andrescen7577]

Should I turn my handlebar so that the drops are level instead of angled downward?

[@pasav8314]

Wallabies? In Jakarta, we have a motorcycle jump in front of us!

[@doomguy8884]

As always, love the video. Question though. I've noticed a lot of Pro riders seem to angle their hoods inwards. Does anyone know why? Like is this for comfort, aero gains, or some other reason?

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Aero gains. Some of the local amateurs do it in my local area too, but I'd only consider it if you're seriously going to use it. Cam

[@camacdonnell1]

I've also noticed in the same vein that a lot of pros use flared handlebars which accentuate that angle, something that amateurs probably are more used to in the gravel world. (Although I'm guessing the pros are using 360mm that flare to 400mm or something like that, rather than 460-500mm)

[@matthewk3233]

I did it to get a little more aero since my stock bars are too wide, but it is more comfortable too since your hands are flatter vs being more upright.

[@h4rdcor31]

I like a little angle because it feels more ergonomic, especially if your bars are too wide. The new Shimano hoods are tilted in by design.

[@Chibster83]

For me angling my levers inward allows for a more neutral wrist angle when “joysticking” or on the hoods. Also, it narrows my hand position a bit for some aero gains.

[@cblanks10]

Just was thinking about hand positions the other day. Have you come across a person dealing with fatigue in there triceps? If so what are some things to try alleviate it?

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Bent elbows and try and take the weight off your hands.

[@neliaroxas9081]

Does the bike turn hard when the drop bar is on?

[@31.8mm]

I like the cat

[@spessartpantani677]

anyone knows wich bikeframe/brand the test guy uses? looks perfect. I m searching a new rimbrake frameset... :-) thanks

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

BH, very old though.

[@ianezzi9212]

One of the 'models' (the guy in the Dutch top) is riding something which looks very like a Basso. They do some very nice rim brake framesets.

[@axelgiuliano]

Hello, is poor posture also the case if you have tingling under the soles of your feet?

[@PP-cm4re]

Is your saddle too high maybe?

[@juriesnake]

What should be my hand position if the road is uneven and has pot holes?

[@garretteverett2613]

Just my personal take, but I find being on the drops is best for rough roads or trails, as it puts me over the bike with bent arms to absorb shocks, puts my eyes on the road close in front of me, and gives me leverage to make sharp turns or hop the bike.

[@derekhobbs1102]

I haven't been able ride no hands since my teens.

[@rolandoinductivo8013]

same here but got it back about 3 years ago. basically took a chance and was surprised i was able to do it. already 47 btw 😁

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Practice and you will fid a way. It will teach you to engage more core and hips, and take weight off the handlebars. Start with one hand and alternate. Once you're comfortable there, you can try both hands. In a safe environment.

[@prod.bronze]

I rode an old Canyon TT frame as my first road bike. I felt so so twitchy and sketchy riding no hands (as a little kid I'd ride no hands around the neighbourhood with ease). I replayed my Canyon with a Giant TCR and I could ride no hands very comfortably again and the bike feels stable as anything when doing so. I think it is to do with the geometry difference in these bikes. the TCR has a sloped top tube whereas the canyon was completely flat. The angle of the fork is also different, the TCR being less twitchy because of it. I can't imagine you've lost your ability to balance no hands, maybe the bike isn't helping.

[@AndreiDamian]

I’ve seen a video on another channel and they said you may need to move your seat backwards. It helped me.

[@DarioFoley-qu8ns]

This is my first road kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and I have taken it out a handful of times and so far it is exceeding all of my expectations. I didn’t want to break the bank on a first bike and the herd is a great option for getting a fast bike with reliable components. I plan on riding this bike for many years to come. Thank you Sava!

[@moslemjahani6640]

Where’s the 56cm frame???

[@michaelmappin4425]

What I wouldn't do for a fit session with this guy. I don't trust anyone locally.

[@donwinston]

Wallabies! All we got in the USA is squirrels and bunny rabbits.

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

haha! Same principle though. Although I reckon the squirrels might be quicker than the wallabies.

[@monochromebluess]

Wallabies. All we have in the U.K. are pesky electric scooters driven by morons.

[@barrydavis3044]

So flat bars are better.

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Depends on the riding you're doing Barry.

[@jeffdixon321]

Meanwhile you are riding something resembling a 2 x 4 up of edge. Real geniuses here!

[@gregtitus2467]

No mention of gloves and the part they play.