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Adjusting your Cycling Handlebars
The lower part of the cycling stem should be long enough to raise the top to about the level of the top of your bike saddle, or a few centimeters lower. Lowering the position will decrease wind resistance while cycling but put more strain on your neck muscles. The top of the stem is not normally set higher than the top of the saddle. The length of the top part of the stem should be chosen depending on the length of the top tube of the frame; usually it's longer for people with a long upper body compared to the length of the legs. Care should be taken to choose a solid, rigid stem that does not flex when pulling hard on the cycling handlebars, like when standing to climb a steep hill.I adjust my cycling handlebars to almost horizontal, angled downward very slightly. The straight section in the curve allows an angled hand position anyway. This angle must be chosen before anything else is installed. The brake levers are adjusted next after choosing the angle of the handlebars. They should be installed such that they can be comfortably held with your hands on the brake lever body, and they can be reached easily when the hands hold the curved part of the handlebars. For me, this means that the rubber body is about horizontal (or tilted slightly higher at the front than at the rear), installed at the forward-most (vertical) section of the handlebars. This must be done before installing the handlebar tape and cutting the cables; it's very difficult to make adjustments later. If you use an aero bar, the angle is pretty much a matter of taste. Many prefer the aero bars angling slightly up towards the front end. Any larger angle may hurt your forearms resting on the armrests. Content by Thomas Driemeyer, www.bitrot.de
Edited by Reg Gupton
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