Sitting position.

[Longhorn]

I have a mountain bike (ATB?) with straight handlebars. Now that I'm putting in more time on it, I'm finding out how uncomfortable it is to sit in one position -- upright -- for any length of time. My arms and wrists get numb and even ache a little.

A friend told me they make handlebar accessories that give you multiple hand positions or a place to lean my arms so I can "hunch over" instead of sit so upright. Is this what I need to do? Or maybe I'm not sitting right in the first place? All the bikers who whiz by me are much more horizontal than I am but they're riding road bikes, I guess.

I'm doing a 28-mile ride in early May so I'd like to get this resolved beforehand. Thanks!

[dean_dem]

1. First make sure your saddle and handlebars are adjusted right.

If your wrists hurt, your saddle nose might be pointed down too far, and you're "leaning" on your upper body to support your weight. Your middle part should be supporting you, and your arms should just be holding you up ideally. Try pulling your saddle back a little bit to where the nose is either level or pointing just slightly upward.

If you haven't done so already, you could try investing in a comfortable pair of cycling gloves. Those are almost essential for a longer ride, and they'll definitely take away the numbness.

If you've done all that, one thing to try while riding is to change position on the handlebars every five or ten minutes or so. It's easier on road bikes, where you can switch from the drop bars to the top bar, but on your bike try just moving your hands to different areas of your handlebars. You can also get bars on the ends, I forget exactly what they are called. The key is to not ride on one hand position for more than fifteen minutes at a time, try to switch around a bit.

Hope that helps.:-)

[Longhorn]

2. Those are good suggestions.

I'm going to a beginner ride on Sunday where they will check my bike and helmet and teach us road rules, etc., so I'll be sure to discuss the angle of my saddle. I had it tilting too far back at first because I was always sliding forward. Maybe I moved it back too far, though the slipping isn't a problem any more.

I do have some decent gloves and I try to sit up straighter now and then on the level sections and take one hand off and shake it around. That helps but I'm not very good at riding one-handed yet.

Are you thinking of Aero bars? I checked them out at Nashbar.com but I wasn't sure if they were designed for straight handlebars. I'm not that worried about speed now; I just want to be able to go on long, comfortable rides.

Thanks so much for your help! :D

[BiggJawn]

3. "Bar ends" is what you need.

They clamp onto the end of flat bars and give a few more places to rest your hands.
Or you could check out Rivendell's "Moustache" bars, or the Albatross or Dove handlebars.

Set the saddle level, set the stem height so the bars are the same height as your saddle, and try sliding the saddle back on the seatpost. This changes your center of gravity so there's not as much pressure on your hands.

[Longhorn]

4. I think my problem is largely solved by the purchase of a new bike!

But thanks for the suggestions! I'll keep them in mind in case I need some adjustments on this bike. :hi:

[BiggJawn]

5. That's right, your old bike was too small!

So you should be more comfy now. :-)