thebobster
Reged: 21/04/2009
Posts: 102
Loc: essex.
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hi all. i have taken up riding in the last 6 months after not riding for 20 years. everything seems to be going fine , all the usual aches and pains are there but to be expected. the thing that gives me most problems are my wrists. i have got a flat handlebar road bike with bar ends.the riding posistion is comfortable.would getting softer grips help, i do want to get a dropped handlebar road bike soon would this make a difference. any help would be appreciated.rob.
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bfergie
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 4877
Loc: Scotlandshire
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With a flat bar a change of hand position is needed, I used one for 400miles in 4 days, two things really help, one are L bend bar ends, not little stubby ones and double wrap in bar tape. These are nice and long, giving another 2 positions,the closer to horizontal they lie the less strain on your wrists!
http://www.parker-international.co.uk/11...mpaign=pid11807
The other thing are Ergon grips, these are fantastic and I have them fitted to my MTB now and all 4 flat bar road bike users I know that have tried them have bought them! They are the mutts nuts, really comfortable!
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=9686
Another thing to consider is the actual handlebar width, road bikes are never more than 46cm wide yet a flat bar can be 10cm more, this angles your wrists plus puts excess load on your shoulders as well as adds to drag, measure your shoulder width, fit the grips and bar ends then hacksaw the bars down to the right size or at least as close as the bars will allow, oversize bars never allow for as narrow a flat bar as standard.
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Campagnolo....liquidation or oxidation....which will kill them first???
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bigoldsideofham
Reged: 23/12/2007
Posts: 3223
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My right wrist has several pins in it and i cannot ride a flat handle bar bike (also they are fugly). The range of positions afforded by a correctly fitting drop bar bike makes even my spacky wrist comfortable!
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Cattlegrid
Reged: 25/04/2008
Posts: 992
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Quote:
The other thing are Ergon grips
I take it every time CRC sell one of these you get an automatic email of thanks and your commission?
You seem to be suggesting them about once a week! 
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thebobster
Reged: 21/04/2009
Posts: 102
Loc: essex.
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thanks guys. think ill give the ergon grips and longer bar ends a try. more money to spend on my bike, better not tell the mrs.thanks, happy ridings to u all. bob
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thebobster
Reged: 21/04/2009
Posts: 102
Loc: essex.
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what does fugly mean anyway
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bfergie
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 4877
Loc: Scotlandshire
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Ah no commission...yet! I suggest them because they are good and wouldn't ride any flat bar bike without them!
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Campagnolo....liquidation or oxidation....which will kill them first???
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wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 5045
Loc: Man of Kent on Kentish Lane
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Quote:
what does fugly mean anyway
f---ing ugly.Incidentally, if you read etymological analysis, this word didn't exist until the 90s, but we were using it at school in the early 80s.
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Invicta
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Cattlegrid
Reged: 25/04/2008
Posts: 992
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Quote:
Quote:
what does fugly mean anyway
f---ing ugly.Incidentally, if you read etymological analysis, this word didn't exist until the 90s, but we were using it at school in the early 80s.
Great word! 
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wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 5045
Loc: Man of Kent on Kentish Lane
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Tis indeed.
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Invicta
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tvrbird
Reged: 21/06/2008
Posts: 1668
Loc: slumped over the keyboard
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'Double-bagger' is a favourite too. Although it can really only apply to people.
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--__o
_\ <_
(_)/(_)
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thebobster
Reged: 21/04/2009
Posts: 102
Loc: essex.
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ok.thanks. but i dont think my bike is kin ugly bigolehamface. i think my bike is lovely with its flat bars.lol.
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bigoldsideofham
Reged: 23/12/2007
Posts: 3223
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And you probably wear baggy shorts, a camelback and have a peak on your lid!
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thebobster
Reged: 21/04/2009
Posts: 102
Loc: essex.
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wow. do u know me. yeah ive got a peak and baggy shorts, i spose u squeeze your fat ass in them womens tights. i think ive seen you on the road. ive gone past u a million times. all the gear and no power. lol
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wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 5045
Loc: Man of Kent on Kentish Lane
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Don't start Bob. Mountain bikes are fugly, just get over it. If you want to ride one, so be it, enjoy it. But don't start a row here, we're old hands at this conflict.
Ain't I hard? 
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Invicta
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bigoldsideofham
Reged: 23/12/2007
Posts: 3223
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bfergie
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 4877
Loc: Scotlandshire
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He said he has a flat bar road bike, not a MTB, anyway, if it's what suits the man then so be it. With bar ends on and cutting down the bar width will give a feel similar to riding on the hoods, rapid fire shifters are nice to use, they are ideal in traffic and they are not slow on the road, what speed you manage to maintain on the tops or on the hoods of a drop bar bike you can do on a flat bar. I even remember a long time ago some nice comments by the above about a flat bar bike I made fitted with Tri-bars and believe me it was not a slow bike. As a survey showed a while ago most of us ride on the tops and hoods anyway, I for one bought compact drop bars with a short reach and short drop to allow me to set the bars a bit lower to make riding on the hoods more aerodynamic while keeping the drops within good reach.
As for MTBs being "fugly", well that's like being a fan of sports cars and ranting to me that my 4x4 is "fugly"...maybe, but it's the right tool for the job. Believe me there is a lot of people on bikes who have the wrong tool for the job, not just road cyclists but MTB riders too, how many MTBs do you see out on a road ride at the weekend or road bikes with no guards on out in the winter, if people would get away from having a specific bike cycling would be much more popular, too many folk suffer on a MTB when a flat bar or a hybrid would be the right thing, too many struggle up hills on a 53/39 chainset when a compact or triple really is the right thing to have. Lots suffer sore hands because they wont fit a second layer of bar tape, if it's good enough for Tom Boonen then it's good enough for me. Cycling is meant to be pleasurable...even for BOSH....although in a sick, painful way!
The point is, the chap asked about a problem he is suffering with, and a fairly new forum member at that, maybe drop bars, STI shifters and gel pads, double bar tape etc would solve the problem but that's a £100+ conversion, I assume the flat bar bike was chosen for a reason, not purely aesthetics so the health issues of the sore wrists should be based around what we have to work with. We don't turn round and suggest someone buys a £3000 Colnago when they really need a winter trainer! GRRRRR!!!
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Campagnolo....liquidation or oxidation....which will kill them first???
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wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 5045
Loc: Man of Kent on Kentish Lane
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Colnago do flat bar bikes? 
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Invicta
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bfergie
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 4877
Loc: Scotlandshire
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Where did I say that Wuv? I was making a point that we have to advise as best we can with what people have and need and not dive straight in to insulting the members just because of the shape of the handlebars or anything else that suits their cycling needs!
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Campagnolo....liquidation or oxidation....which will kill them first???
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mamba80
Reged: 09/08/2007
Posts: 476
Loc: Cornwall
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Hi
Maybe your riding position is placing too much weight on your wrists? could the bars be raised slightly to minimise this?
One advantage of a drop bar is it allows a much wider range of hand positions.
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