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On longish pedally seated rides when I don't need a good grip on the bars I always find myself rotating my wrists outwards so the bit of my outer palm nearest the wrist is resting on the grips. Just feels a more natural comfortable position. Not being one for experimenting with set up very much I wondered if anyone has any suggestions regarding what I need to alter to be able to comfortably keep my hands in the right place.
There is no 'right' position really. You could try higher sweep bars (although there are fewer options) which let you put your wrists in a more natural position anyway.
When you naturally change your hand position you are doing it to relieve pressure or to help yourself sit a bit more upright, but this is fine and entirely normal. You don't want just one position on a bike for all things really. It's why bar ends and drop handlebars were invented.
It’s what I call the ‘pistol-grip’. Or ‘on the hoods’.
It’s also why I love monstercross bikes and also climbing on my drop-bar tourer.
Most natural forearm/wrist-rotation there is, IMO. It also (again IME) recruits muscle-groups more sympathetically and effectively when pulling on the bars.
Even my (flat-bar) MTB has stubby bar-ends* for this purpose, and like you say, to ‘rest’ my hands/wrist etc on long easy sections that require little bar-control.
*Ergon GP3
On longish pedally seated rides when I don’t need a good grip on the bars I always find myself rotating my wrists outwards so the bit of my outer palm nearest the wrist is resting on the grips.
I think that's perfectly normal.
I do that all the time on non tech climbs. I get painful wrists and pins 'n' needles so changing grip helps this.
Ergon Ga3 grips (which I've fitted to 4 bikes) also lend themselves well to this.
Sometimes I just hold the stem too, pretending I'm on a fixie.
What does this hand/grip position signify?
That you should try some Jones Bars 😝
For long rides on non technical terrain, I can have my wrists at a very natural angle like you describe. Not to everyone's taste, but I really get on with them. Otherwise flared drop bars as mentioned above.
Took me a second to twig this was roadie related, but on my road bike I do the same, rest my palms on the bend of the bars when cruising
Ah sorry, didn't explain that very well. I don't mean rotating my hands to a vertical position as if I were holding bar ends(although I used to use them a lot when it was fashionable :-)). My hands stay horizontal, I just bend my wrists outward if that makes sense? It's almost as if I need a really straight bar with no backsweep. Come to think of it, I think my bar sweep restricts my elbows out position when out of the saddle. Does rotating the bars effect the backsweep?
You’re probably just looking for a more comfy position over distance or just a change.
When I’m doing bridleway rides linked up with road I often hold the end of my handlebars as though I had bar ends on the flat pedally road sections.
When I’m on my road bike I’m often riding on the hoods - it’s naturally a really comfy riding position. Just do whatever’s comfy really.
Sorry again, not roadie related.
Does rotating the bars effect the backsweep?
Yes, if the bars are swept then you have 360deg of rotation to experiment with varying amounts/combinations of up-sweep, down-sweep, back-sweep or fore-sweep!
It means you need bar ends on your bike. I'll be honest, I absolutely love bar ends but they don't seem to work on riser bars for me as the angle seems off. The vain riders will also confirm they look daft on risers, but look ideal on flat bars!
I find them very comfy when just riding at a cruise pace, the ground isn't too bumpy and you just want to keep moving forward. They are brilliant for climbing as well.
If I could sort my lack of flexibility in my back, I would consider a flat bar and bar ends on my current bike...but the flexibility part appears to require effort I've no interest in, so it isn't happening yet!
I had Thomson all mountain carbon bars with cane creek ergo bar ends on my Solaris. Fantastic set up, switched over to carbon jones loops for a change. I like the set up, might work well if you like your new found hand position. But bar ends are ace
I have mudguards on my bike so the weird bars just match!
Could it signify you need to do additional forms of exercise to increase wrist strength/flexibility?
I've watched plenty of bodyweight videos about wrist strengthening, and taken bits and pieces from them, here's one:
Although I recently came across these two which are were made targetting mountain bikers, might be helpful also:
Just take it easy to begin with if you give these a try, as said in the first one, you should feel mild discomfort, but never pain.
I can't quite envisage what you mean - back in the day with very narrow bars I might rotate my hands inwards rather than outwards, but I doubt anyone not on an urban fixie has bars that narrow any more.
Serious question but are you fat around the chest? If so that could push your upper arms outwards.
But overall, changing bar shape is a good thing to try in general and there are loads to choose from if you look in the right places. You could try wider bars which might help given your description. Have a look on Planet X, they generally have a great range of cheap and varied alt bars from On One. £30 is worth it for experimenting before you splash out on £150 for a Jones.
A bit of confusion about how you are moving your hands to relieve pressure. Are you turning your hands so your thumbs are pointing forwards, as if you are riding on the hoods on a road bike or on bar ends, or are turning our thumbs inwards and backwards so your thumbs are pointing back towards your belly?
EDIT: Sort of cross posting with Molgrips.
I do exactly this (Ergon GA3 grips). I can change gear from that position as well, so it's perfect for cruising along for a bit.
Do you mean you rotate your wrists so your fingers are pointing up in the air, presenting a STOP palm to people facing you?
Or more like rotate your hands so the palms are still flat to the ground, but knuckles slightly facing each other?
I always find I'm hold the bars (mtb not road) so the bar enters my hand near the knuckle of my index finger, but it describes a diagonal across my hand so it exits near the outside heel of palm (the stinky pinky side) . I know that doesn't help, just felt like sharing
I'll try again as I am not being very clear. Sorry folks! So, regular grip on the bars(mtb) fingers and thumb wrapped evenly around the grips. I will uncurl my fingers so hand is still flat resting on the grips with fingers all pointing forwards and grips resting between my thumb and index finger, then I will turn my hands until the fingers of each hand are slightly pointing towards each other. This position seems to give me the most natural/comfortable feeling hand/wrist/arm alignment.
james-rennie
I always find I’m hold the bars (mtb not road) so the bar enters my hand near the knuckle of my index finger, but it describes a diagonal across my hand so it exits near the outside heel of palm (the stinky pinky side) . I know that doesn’t help, just felt like sharing
Actually that sounds quite a lot like it.
take a picture 🙂