Originally Posted by
Sunsanvil
In terms of upper body being upright vs. prone, is there a sort of tipping point?
For the past couple summers I've been on a bike I just cant seem to get into a grove with. My body seems to want to either be more upright OR more prone. Where I am now sort of feels like I'm in between and I'm holding myself in in that position. On the straits I'll often either ride with my finger tips touching the bar or my forearms resting on them.
Hmmm ... interesting question. I've used the Peter White guide unterhausen links to for years; works for me re. setting saddle height and fore/aft to get a 'balanced' position. By that, though, I mean a position -- bum relative to bottom bracket (sorry!) such that if you take your hands off the bars you don't immediately feel like you are falling forward.
I think maybe you are talking about core strength. It's a weak point for many cyclists -- myself included (qualifier: I'm an old man (63)). I don't know if you are riding flat bars or risers (you might be?)? I do, and early in the season and/or if I've neglected my physio regime re. maintaining core strength, I tend to find myself having exactly the problem you define!! I tend to find myself wanting either to 'sink down' onto the bars ("Hmmmm ... I think I need to remove spacers/flip the stem etc.") OR push myself 'up' -- fingertips on the bars/grips just as you describe ("Hmmmm ... I think I'll try a riser bar")! However, as the season progresses and/or I regain some lost (through my own neglect) core strength those tendencies simply seem to stop without my being aware of their having done so. I find myself riding 'normally' either on the grips or on the bar-ends, dropping elbows at times to get more 'aero', etc. without even thinking about it or feeling any strain or need to 'sit up' or 'drop down'.
Just a thought.