Originally Posted by
I <3 Robots
I'm 5'8" 140lbs. Ride a 54cm Cervelo.
I test rode a bike with 40cm bars. To me it felt better almost immediately. My arms did not feel as spread out on the hoods. I did not lose any leverage when out of the saddle.
Only thing that I had to adjust to was the bike felt a bit twitchier at fist. I noticed it the first time I took my hand off the bar to reach for my bottle. It didn't take long to get used to it.
You need to trust the fit. Your body needs to get used the the new position. Give it a couple hundred miles.
Thanks for the feedback
I rode it again today and still feel narrow. Hands don't fit comfortably on top of bars and on hoods I feel my hands drifting to a more natural position which is outwards (almost like outer edge of thumbs on outer edge of hoods-or what another 1cm on each side might be)-also felt breathing was better in the wider position (or am I imagining this?)
Problem is that in drops I feel good
This change really started from being too wide at 42 and getting wrists caught in drops-plus not being able to reach brakes from drops
Fear if I go up to 40 I will have this issue again
What if I go to 40 and go with shorter stem and or turn bars up a drop-will this compensate for the wider bars so I don't have to reach so much?