I rode (for me) a fairly fast and flat 100km of gravel and singletrack yesterday finishing on the cobbles of Dundee. The defining factor of the ride (apart from not actually being a very good route but that's on me) was the pain in my arms, specifically right at the base of my triceps and side of my elbows.
Amateur anatomy suggests this is more the tendons than the actual muscle.
I reckon my saddle position is pretty spot on, in as much as I can easily do 'piano hands' on the bars and never get pins and needles etc. even on my CX bike when clattering over roots etc, so I don't think I'm putting too much weight on the bars. Similarly with reach, I really don't think I'm over-reaching.
BUT like an idiot, I think I'm spending way too much time in the 'aero hoods' position, i.e. forearms close to level, which in turn brings the upper arm closer to the body and closer to vertical. This is 'helped' by recently moving to short nosed saddles where I can rotate forward more without saddle discomfort.
It's just dawned on my that 'aero hoods' is maybe not a sustainable position to hold for a 5 hour gravel ride though 🤣
Going back to basics, I guess I should be starting with upper arms at approx 45 degree to torso and elbows 'slightly' bent. Given that my torso is now flatter thanks to saddle choice and general conditioning work, I'm guessing this might actually require me to drop the bars, which seems really counter-intuitive when I'm looking for extra comfort.
How does everybody else sit/hold the bars on long gravel rides? I don't want to be bolt upright though, I guess I'm gradually working towards a racier sort of fit.
Ta
How does everybody else sit/hold the bars on long gravel rides? I don't want to be bolt upright though, I guess I'm gradually working towards a racier sort of fit.
Ta
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I chop and change position very regularly; hoods for a short while, top of bars lightly gripped...top of bars fingertips, drops for a minute etc. I also stand up occasionally....I've realised that at 60...any ideas of fast times and speed are daft. Enjoy a comfy ride now (so have a raised stem too)
I originally rode gravel with my road fit but with wider bars. After doing a few 200 km plus events, I found that my triceps got tired towards the end so I shortened the reach to be closer to my CX position but kept the bars slammed my gravel bike already has a high stack.
Seemed to work for me.
You might be right. Lower bars and a slightly straighter arm position might be more comfortable.
Easy enough to try on your setup? Can you simply remove a spacer and go for a ride?
The only thing to consider otherwise is if that position is better in terms of power and aero, it might not be?
I think my gravel/CX position is pretty similar to my road position. Slightly shorter stem and slightly higher bars. Less than 20mm for either though. Move around a lot more on my gravel bike normally. Drops for descending, tops for climbing, hoods for cruising. Long flat ride like yours might be a bit more static though.
You might be right. Lower bars and a slightly straighter arm position might be more comfortable.
Easy enough to try on your setup? Can you simply remove a spacer and go for a ride?
Yes, can quite easily remove several spacers in fact. The CX bike is weird in that it feels too long whilst also being a bit too low at the front, I think if I want to be resting hands on hoods whilst keeping arms relaxed but straight, I'd need to go for a shorter stem also and possibly a straight instead of setback post, which is where it starts getting a mite more expensive. Ironically the setback seatpost was originally to get my weight further back and UNWEIGHT the hands/arms, I might have been barking up the wrong tree with that...
I'm very close to retiring the CX bike for the spring now anyway so will just take these lessons learned on to the summer gravel bike.
Drops for descending, tops for climbing, hoods for cruising. Long flat ride like yours might be a bit more static though.
This is also relevant, I don't remember it being such an issue in the summer when I do more rolling rides.
After doing a few 200 km plus events, I found that my triceps got tired towards the end so I shortened the reach to be closer to my CX position but kept the bars slammed my gravel bike already has a high stack.
Good to hear, will certainly try it on the summer bike which I'm planning on using for some 200km rides funnily enough. It actually has wider bars which I'm now regretting, I've never really loved the feel of them. Might pinch the narrower bars off the CX bike to experiment with before trying to sell them on as they're quite fancy Lauf Smoothies.
Assuming your bike is setup with a neutral hands-in-hoods position in mind, the aero-hoods position is likley to place your arms under unusual tension. That would certainly tie in with a tendon injury.
If I was in your position my first question would be to ask to what end am I spending hours in that position. Aero gains and riding fast are fun but perhaps not if they're causing injury and discomfort. If you conclude that it's a position you really want to stay in then maybe a bit of conditioning would help - starting with shorter spells in the position and working up to longer. I do know from experience in climbing that tendons take longer to train than muscles and you need to be patient and gentle to avoid injury.
If I was in your position my first question would be to ask to what end am I spending hours in that position. Aero gains and riding fast are fun but perhaps not if they're causing injury and discomfort.
Yeah I think I've just got myself confused and somehow ended up adjusting my fit around aero-hoods as the default position and learned the hard way that it's not sustainable or comfortable over distance and bumps! It's probably slowing me down in the long run as I just end up miserable by the end of the ride 🙄
Time to experiment!
just got back from a 40 mile gravel route myself. sadly my longest ride this year strava reminded me.
got my krampus set up as my gravel bike now, 1.95 tyres, cable discs double ring set up, but more to the point i am far far comfier on mtb bars. so my gravel set up is low riser bars with ergon grips with stubby bar ends. far comfier than drop bars for a vintage mtb rider.
"Gravel bikes are too short - Discuss"
"yes"
I was thinking this recently. It's often the bar shape and rotation rather than the frame only, and how most road-derived bars are (IMHO) not much good for the shorter (vs road fit) riding positions that make sense in many ways for a bike that goes off-road. Road bars tend to have more rounded drops and put you on a more vertical grip area, good gravel bars have a flatter drops area directly below the STIs.
Bike reaches might vary 10-20mm but the bar shape and rotation angle, plus where on the bar the STIs mount, can make much more difference.
I find I'm happier on a longer fit (saddle to bar) that is about the same as my road bike as long as the bar drop area itself is at the right angle and level. The gravel bike just has a different drops grip or position than I have on my road bikes (my gravel bikes are still 'road bikes that go off-road' rather than anything monstercross or drop bar 29er).
got my krampus set up as my gravel bike now, 1.95 tyres, cable discs double ring set up, but more to the point i am far far comfier on mtb bars. so my gravel set up is low riser bars with ergon grips with stubby bar ends. far comfier than drop bars for a vintage mtb rider.
Yes I was trying to figure out why I didn't suffer the same discomfort on the MTB, but in truth it's because the MTB doesn't ALLOW an aero-hoods position, so I'm forced to sit in a more upright position with my arms only slightly bent, and when I've used the MTB for long distance stuff where I might want to get in a tuck, I've fitted proper aero bars.
I chop and change position very regularly; hoods for a short while, top of bars lightly gripped...top of bars fingertips, drops for a minute etc. I also stand up occasionally....I've realised that at 60...any ideas of fast times and speed are daft. Enjoy a comfy ride now (so have a raised stem too)
Ditto