Road Cycling - Handlebar tilt?

Where do you folks set yours? I'm referring to the amount one rotates the bar in the stem so that the drops' flat section tilts down a bit/the brake hoods rotate up a bit. I have a 3T bar and my former coach told me that he sets the centerline of the drops' flat section (the end of the bar) so that it tilts on an imaginary line to the brake boss on the rear triangle. This is supposed to bring the hoods up along with the area where your palms normally rest when on the hoods so that you can rest your wrists for a more aero time trial position (hands cupped over the hoods). Did that all make sense? Anyway, I was looking at some pro bikes in a video and they are tilted much more to achieve the flatness in that area of the bar so the wrists are level. His method doesn't seem to rotate the bar enough for the flat wrist position. Should I mimick the pro set up or what? Thanks.

i tried experimenting on which was most comfortable for me..

I don't know much about a racing setups but i just make mine so that my hands and wrist are on a natural position.. not bent..

see pic..

Sometimes empirical methods are the best. I basically stuck my bike in the trainer, loosened up the faceplate so that the bar was slightly snug but could still rotate given a minimal amount of force, mounted the bike and started riding in the drops. By carefully playing with the tilt, I was able to find a nice comfortable amount that was good for all possible hand positions.

Well for one think, you can move the levers up and down on the barrs, so the two settings -- angle and hood height -- don't have to be locked together.

IMO the best angle will depend on bar height to some extent, as well as bar design. The point is that you don't want your wrists bent when you're in the drops. The lower the drops, the more horizontal you probably need them to be -- but even that will vary with the shape of the bend, the amount of reach, etc.

When I set up a bike, I adjust the bar position first, and then finalize the location of the levers, then tape.

RichC

I keep my hoods tilted up. I spend 80 percent of my time riding on them. Having them up a bit is great for climbing out of the saddle. I agree on the wrist thing. I dont want then to be bent. I want my forarm to be straight when Im on the hoods, with my elbows bent.

I'm in the same boat as you are. I asked the same question a little while back and got opinions to tilt the bar or move the hoods up slightly. So I did both. I untaped the bar, moved the hood clamps up about 1/2 inch on the bar and tilted the bars a bit, maybe not towards the boss but a little bit. It seemed to solve my problem altogether.

I also mucked around with my stem angle and length too. My LBS has been cool so far and is letting me try out several "cheapy" stems until I find the ideal set up. Thats when I'll plunk down the dough on one with some serious "bling bling" :D

Originally posted by dexmax
i tried experimenting on which was most comfortable for me..

I don't know much about a racing setups but i just make mine so that my hands and wrist are on a natural position.. not bent..

see pic..

thats quite a short stem there, dexmax...doesn't that effect handling?

Front wheel turned twards the camera, hides part of the stem.

I have my hoods very high and my drops just slightly below level. It works for me.

As a rule, are the tips of the brake levers even with the bottom edge of the drops' tubing? I know that position used to be the rule with the old non-ergo bars. Is having them even with the bottom of the bars a good starting point? (then worry about rotating/tilting the bar). Thanks.

Originally posted by Phatman
thats quite a short stem there, dexmax...doesn't that effect handling?

Well, its also a small frame.. its a 48cm.

But has a custom geometry, ST=48, TT=53.5, CS=41

I am using a 6cm stem.. Actually, that's not so short considering the frame size.. Handling is ok.. I also have a bike with a shorter TT with a 130mm stem (overall, reach is the same), the handling difference is unoticable..

But the custom one, i can accelerate faster too-- i don't know why.:D