Originally Posted by
canam73
What kind of shifter/brake levers do you have? Some models of shimano are made to take shims that will move the levers closer to the bars.
As for rough roads I usually sit a little more upright and grip the bars further back where they start to turn back towards the stem. It seems to help. I also upshift to a higher gear for slower cadence and that makes rough roads a little more pleasant to ride, too.
Not to mention that you should have a light, firm grasp on them. Light enough so as to not hurt your wrists, but not so light that your hands are being shaken off the bar.