Touring - Changing Handlebar Height in Mid-Tour?

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Bacciagalupe
08-07-06, 10:30 AM
OK, a new twist on an old question....

I'm off to Ireland for a short (6 days, 30-60 miles/day) with my folding bike, which has flat bars & bar ends (long story short, I don't like drop bars). This gives me two hand positions, but really only one posture. Normally I ride with the bars just about even with the saddle, which is fairly comfortable but can cause a bit of stress in my neck and the area between my shoulder blades.

My bike has a standard stem, so it's pretty easy to adjust it. Since I don't have drops, is it a good idea to vary the height on the bars a bit over the course of the week or on longer tours? Or if I move the bars to a more upright position, will this just relocate the stress from the neck to the seat?

acantor
08-07-06, 11:44 AM
Adjusting the bar height sounds like an excellent idea. Any strategy for redistributing musculo-skeletal loads during a long ride will probably be helpful.

How about using butterfly bars or C-shaped bar ends to gain additional riding postures? Have you considered using aero bars to further increase postural variety?
Bacciagalupe
08-07-06, 07:37 PM
I considered aero bars, but I think that will cause additional neck strain, so that's out. I might go for trekking bars someday, but then I lose the grip shifter. I'm not a fan of brifters, but they might work a little better on trekking bars.

Does anyone make c-shaped bar ends?

acantor
08-08-06, 09:27 AM
I considered aero bars, but I think that will cause additional neck strain, so that's out.


I experience shoulder and neck strain from extended touring, yet I still find aero bars helpful. Riding on aero bars would probably exacerbate my problems if I used them exclusively, but I don't. I use them for postural variety. I estimate that I am on my aerobars 5% - 10% of the time, sometimes less, sometimes more. I use them as a way to relax the muscles of my upper shoulders (as well as my hands) when they start to get sore. In the aero bar position, my upper body is supported more with bone than with muscle. So the main advantage is a good resting position. (I also find that I can climb hills more easily in the aero position.)