Handlebars

[wooster]

Having spent a bit of time playing with sticks and handlebar holds I've started to see why drop bars are so popular. Clasping the bars at a "vertical-ish" position is most comfortable to me. I don't want to have them so low though and so I'm going to try the innerbar idea. This would seem to give me the advantage of drop bar grip without the low position. Does this make sense?

Also, I found the GP1 grips on sale so I bought them. Can I buy the larger grip ends from the other grips in the series alone to add to these grips?

 

[SGG on a bike]

Might sound like a daft question, but are you riding with your front forks locked or open? Mrs SGG keeps hers locked 99% of the time unless the road is exceptionally rough or one of those rare occasions when she’s riding on a track. She finds it helps to stabilise her position on the bike when locked as when the forks compress it throws her weight forwards. The other thing she got rid of was her bouncy seat post and swapped it for a lighter solid one (hers is a Merida 40c; don’t know if the 20 model has the seat post and I’m assuming the forks can be locked).

 

[GuyBoden]

Overtime you'll build up your core muscles, so you can ride without pressure on your hands.

 

[wooster]

Thank you. I have tried with and without the fork locked and I have a fixed seat post. I'm hoping that my core will improve. One of the benefits I was hoping to gain from cycling was to strengthen my abdominal and lower back areas. At the moment, frankly, I'm a fat slob!

 

[SGG on a bike]

As some others have said already, it may be just a case of building up fitness and strength. One thing is certain though, it will get easier the more you ride and you may find your "bike fit" will also alter a little as fitness improves. If you can, try to only make small adjustments and only one at a time with a decent ride time in between to get used to them. You will get there I'm sure, just keep at it. The bonus is that gains will come fairly quickly initially and you'll soon be on your way.