Riding with hands on the stem?
06-10-08 | 09:32 PM
#51
unofficial
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,054
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From: san rafael, CA
Wasn't there a big issue in road time trials where people would be in a certain aero position (forgive me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was called the Preying Mantis?) which was really aero, but compressed your lungs (arms really close together), so every once and a while riders would bail hard due to blacking out from lack of oxygen? Someone told me this once (i think)... just remembered it... dunno.
but hands close together (not on aero bars) would equal a higher torso, meaning more wind resistance, where as on the drops your body out of the way creating less wind resistance?... That would be my guess considering road racers don't use 3" flat bars for racing (I guess they would if they were more aero
)
but hands close together (not on aero bars) would equal a higher torso, meaning more wind resistance, where as on the drops your body out of the way creating less wind resistance?... That would be my guess considering road racers don't use 3" flat bars for racing (I guess they would if they were more aero
)
06-10-08 | 09:40 PM
#53
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 238
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From: Quarantine
Bikes: fixed gear raleigh super record, Fixed gear tall bike, SS tall bike, Triple high tall bike, Trek 4500, Diamond back viper, trek 800/nishiki chopper bike, I think/hope thats all
I'm fairly sure that their hand placement is a direct correlation to you passing them. hands close to the stem = less mashing ability uphill.
06-11-08 | 12:22 AM
#55
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
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No it's the Praying Mantis position as made famous by Floyd Landis in the timetrial of the TdF 06. Although it was banned for some archaic reason
What Landis is using is not new, he is leveraging his power by extending his position forward much like a triathlete. The advantages of a forward position vary by rider. As the position is moved forward different muscles are used. Triathletes often use the forward position so that they would feel fresher for the run. More emphasis is being placed on the quads rather than the hamstring muscles. Breathing is improved since there is much more room to expand the chest.
What Landis is using is not new, he is leveraging his power by extending his position forward much like a triathlete. The advantages of a forward position vary by rider. As the position is moved forward different muscles are used. Triathletes often use the forward position so that they would feel fresher for the run. More emphasis is being placed on the quads rather than the hamstring muscles. Breathing is improved since there is much more room to expand the chest.
06-11-08 | 01:28 AM
#56
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 280
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From: SE Wisconsin
Bikes: 1994 Trek 1200, 1984 Raleigh Prestige, 1980 Motobecane Grand Jubile, custom 531 track, and a bunch of tinker bikes of all type
why would you do this to nice deda bars? 
anyway, on a simliar note, saw a guy in the loop down in chicago with nothing but mtb bar-ends stuck on either side of the stem onto a 4 inch piece of pipe. ridiculous!
anyway, on a simliar note, saw a guy in the loop down in chicago with nothing but mtb bar-ends stuck on either side of the stem onto a 4 inch piece of pipe. ridiculous!
06-11-08 | 01:47 AM
#57
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2008
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I ride with my hands in the center for two reasons. The first being that I don't have grips on my handlebars, so I don't have a "set" location for my hands to be. Secondly, my stem drops my bullhorns pretty low, so it can get uncomfortable leaning over when my hands are spaced farther (not to say that I always ride with my hands in the center, otherwise I would have bars like the chopped ones above).
