Lowering handlebar
 

Ive been riding my bike for around 7 months, over 2,000 miles and have mproved my average from 17's mph to steady 19's mph. Im riding 50 to 80 miles per ride.

My bike is a specialized roubaix, and i have to say, very confortable, ive riden 375 miles in 3 days, pain free. So im sure my fit is nice.

On a few rides my group has started to d sprint moments to see who can hold and try to see max speed. Ive reached 26.7 alone sprinting, and now would like to start alterin position.

Ive noticed how relaxed my bike position is, because my handlebar is slightly lower than my seat, just a tiny bit. Yet i see* many around me that have this massive diffence in seat.vs handlebar hight difference. I guess this is the big difference between relaxed and agressive.

In an effort to get a better sprint, last night i lowered my handlebar 1 small spacer and one big spacer, looks* like half an inch lower. The spacers over the stem look silly to me. Is this making sence? Does 1/2 an inch make a real difference? My bike has a bent top tube, does this affect the position vs a straght tubed bike?

*need to be cautious looks can be wrong!

1/2" can make a difference, as can bending your elbows a little more. Keep riding it like that for a few weeks to make sure it doesn't cause any pain. At that point, you can go lower if you desire (if you're out of spacers to remove, get a stem with a lower rise), and when you're absolutely sure that you found the height you want, you can take it to a shop to have the excess on top cut off (leave 1 small spacer on top if you have a full carbon fork).

fwiw I can only get about 2" difference between my saddle and bars, but I can get my back as low and aerodynamic as anyone else. It's different for different people.

1/2" makes a difference. You are evolving as a cyclist and wanting to be faster. That means more pressure on the pedals which translates to less on the hands and you can sustain a lower handlebar. The Roubaix has a long head tube by design. You can slam your stem down to the head tube and if still not low enough you can use an inverted stem on the order of negative 10-17 degrees or so. Many on this forum ride with a big bar drop and are strong cyclists. I am a decent cyclist and ride with a 2 inch bar drop which is a fair drop for a good rider. Racers many times run 3-4" drop. Reach is comprised of not only drop but horizontal reach. It is possible to ride with more drop but less horizontal reach for the same body position on the bike.
Hope that helps.

Thanks guys! This helps! Ill try this for a few weeks then if no hand pain is felt i'll lower it 1 more spacer. Then ill just stop and evolve as much as i can before buying a negative stem

before you lower the handlebar, can you comfortably sustain longer rides on drops, not on the hoods?

Thats a good observation. I can hold longer on the drops than before. Yet i tend to stay on the hoods most of the ride. Thinking about it, i only use the drops when its my turn to lead the pace line. I should practice my drop possition then, great observstion!!

Who cares? That has nothing to do with lowering your handlebars 1/2in...asking if someone has the ability to ride 4-5inches lower than their normal riding position doesn't prove anything.

How long you stay in the drops is irrevelant. Watch a stage race or long single day race and see how often the pros are riding in their drops. The most important position is on the hoods or on the tops, which is where you should be most of the time, and where they are most of the time.
If you really are concerned with being more aero, you should find the lowest height you can ride on the top hand positions, then change your bars out till you get a position you're comfterable riding with while in the drops, since that position is secondary.

I disagree. I really disagree.

This is basic fit 101. You're position on the hoods and top of the bar is the primary riding position. You establish your bar/saddle drop based off that, not the drops. Whether or not you can ride in a position with your hands 4-5inches lower than your normal riding position has absolutely nothing to do with how much drop you can handle on the tops of the bars. Zero, zip, zilch.

My statement had NOTHING to do with fit.

Mine did, so why bother disagreeing?

OP- If by lowering your bars, you make it more uncomfortable to ride in the drops (and thus do not do it, or don't do it as much), the lowering of your bars has made you slower. You are better off to ride more in the drops of higher bars than to sit on the hoods of lower bars.

Plus, if you want better sprints you should get stronger, not change your bike fit. Unless you're putting out 1000+W in a sprint, you're probably limited by power much more than drag.

I apreciate the discussion! Both are right, right now i know my current position is comfortable. Im going tolower my bars as an experiment, see how comfortable i feel, hopefully i can get used to it since its still not that low. My quest is maintian comdortabilty and sprinting faster* with a more agressive posture.

*Accomplished almost entirely by getting better at this

OP; the Specialized/Roubaix stem you have along with the 20mm of spacers gives you a lot of “flexibility” as you get more flexible, strong and comfortable sustaining a good aero position. Flipping the stem in combination with the supplied +/ - 8, 16 degree shim along with the std (2) 5mm and (1) 10mm spacers gives you multiple options from the start. You can also drop your degrees gradually over time by picking up from the Spec fitters toolbox +/-10, 14 and/or +/-12 shims.

Aero in a comfortable position of power is king. Getting the body to drape properly over the bike into a well balanced reach to bar comes with the body maturing. Your thoughts to go incrementally are wise. Test over some miles on the hoods and in the drops and then make small adjustments.

I also assume your saddle position is optimal for you and keep that big melon that we all share in our helmets “eyes forward” and resist the urge to slam it crown first into wind. THAT’s adds to an already big drag. Work those neck muscles as you drop down. Good riding.

OP, as you lower the bar your center of gravity will shift forward . You can counter the effect by sliding the saddle back a bit. Takes some of the pressure off your hands.

Last saturday i rode 70 miles with the lowered handlebars.

Didnt feel any pain, noticed i have to correct my elbow bend. I was used to the past position. Felt my performance ahainst wind to be up by 100% but im almost certain training is the reason.

Abouy my seat, i follow sheldon browns practical tip of keeping the knee pivot slightly forward in comparison to the pedal pivot. Unfprtunatly my friends dont visualize this I cant do this alone. :) i still try.

DonDenver, thanx for your insight. Its truly a task for me to keep eyes forward!! :( i want to watch the computer every 30 seconds!!! It sucks, i have this urge to keep up the pace, and the computer is a distraction, ive thought of turning the computer sideways to collect data only!!! I know im just being selfish, selfconceus, and egocentric by watching every 30'secs!!!!!!!!