Hi everyone,
I've been riding my first gravel bike for a few days now and I'm a little unsure whether the hoods are positioned correctly. I keep reading that the transition from the handlebars to the hoods should ideally be a straight line. Mine are more of a dip, as you can see in the photo. Since I haven't been able to do any long rides yet, I don't have much practical experience. I'd therefore be interested to know if you would consider the position normal or not. I'm still hesitant to remove the bar tape to try and reposition them. Thanks for your input!
by canuck1997
12 Comments
Should be a little bit more down by the handlebar, closer to drops. Surface of hoods, where palms will be, should be horizontal or almost horizontal.
I position mine like this. The upward angle is more comfortable for me, even though its not “correct”
Yeah that “rule” is just a starting point. There is no single way of doing it because there’re tons of differences between handlebars and everyone has slightly different preferences. Having a flat bars-to-hood transition makes more comfortable holding the hoods, especially if you have big hands or when you grab the hoods a bit more towards the back. At the same time on a lot of bars if you set them flat on top they get a bit uncomfortable to ride on the drops. The only suggestion I can give you is: ride them and experiment with minor adjustments, sooner or later you will find the setup that works best for you (unless you start changing bars and stem too often 😅)
It’s all up to personal preference and bike fit. If you’re comfortable and can use all the controls easily then it’s fine. Personally I’d move them down on the bar so that the Shimano logo is parallel with the ground, with a slight (~10°) internal rotation.
Bit hard to tell through those pics but yeah I’d prefer them a smidge higher up to smooth the transition a bit. However with the shape of those bars you’d risk ending up with the hoods pointing up too much if you moved them up much)
honestly the dip looks fine to me! as long as your wrists feel comfortable on longer rides that’s what matters most, not some perfect straight line.
I had the shifters more upright at first and had immense pain, then i leveled them and it was gone. Just try what works for you!
Those are within a reasonable range. Go with whatever works for you, within limits. FWIW, Lance Armstrong often had his brake hoods in roughly that position, although he had a different shape HB.
“Correct” is up to the individual. It’s a part of bike fit and is unique to the person.
It’s a matter of personal preference and body proportions / bikefit. Some people ride with the flat portion exactly horizontal, some with it tilted a bit up, like you have. If it gets into extreme positions (tilted down, or tilted up really steep) that’s a sign that the fit is problematic.
Is it comfy for you? If yes, they’re good, if not, move them
Have fun with the new bike! 🙂
Neill Stanbury recommends a position just like this, especially the more aggressive your riding position, as it lowers the angle that your arms interact with the hoods at.
[YouTube link](https://youtu.be/WjD4g3l3A54)
It’s what I do, and it’s very comfortable. It also reduces the effective reach, so that’s a consideration for the rest of your bike fit.