Originally Posted by
The_DK
I don't really have much of a stomach - I'm just really, really inflexible. Hoods are comfortable generally, it's just braking on them that I hate because it feels like I can't get enough leverage on the brake levers.
Would y'all suggest I start messing with the stem and handlebars before I reach my flexibility goals then?
The geometry may be a bit aggressive for me, but my options in 63+cm were limited.
Do you notice any restriction of free breathing? If not, then that's probably not it. I put on a lot of weight over a fairly short period of time, and was definitely noticing that I couldn't seem to get enough air into my lungs. The stem extension and new handlebars solved that.
But, if you don't have much constriction, then it's probably something else, though I'd still bet it's the hunched over position. I'll tell you, though, even when I was skinny and used to ride a road bike for long stretches, I spent most of the time on the hoods, and that was my favored position for using the brakes. Maybe you could spend a little time trying to get used to braking from there?