Hood Position & Handlebar Angle (Here's what to do)
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2022
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About Neill Stanbury: neillsbikefit.com.au
About the RCA: roadcyclingacademy.com
Ever wondered how to position your hoods and handlebars for optimal comfort on your road bike? In this video, Neill Stanbury (bike fitting expert) walks us through the best way to position your hoods and handlebars for optimal positioning and comfort on the road bike...
#hood #handlebar #angle
I love how he says “hood”
“Hoouud” 😂 I genuinely love it
This stuff with Neill needs a bigger thumb for the ‘like’ button.
I’m currently sticking some $ in the piggy bank each week so I can go get a fit with Neill!
Thanks Cam & Neill. 🙌🏽
I can think of no end of other place you could spend money that would be a lot, lot worse. Better is harder.
Neill is just so good. I’ve been able to make several changes that have had a large impact on overall comfort and performance on my bike. Showing up to groups rides is actually quite comical now, seeing how many bikes are set up improperly.
My guess is most people buying a bike do not adjust the position of the hoods (that would be me), assuming they're automatically in the right position. Anyone geting in the driver's seat of a car will move the seat and/or steering column for optimum comfort. That same principle applies to riding position on a bicycle. I could listento Neil for hours. The bloke definitely knows his arse from his elbow.
I love these videos you do with Neil mate! Please keep these coming, I’ve learned immensely several different nuances
Rim brakes are part of planned obsolescence scam by shitmano & co.
I love all ur videos, but this one made such a profound improvement in my position, thank you so much, now it is much easier to get into a more aero position with less hand neuropathy. The till down, so simple, yet so effective. Keep em comin’
THANK YOU! I broke my handlebars before a big double-century last year; thought I had the new setup dialed in, but the hoods were too far forward and I suffered _exactly_ the neck and trapezius issues you described. Got so bad by mile 160 that I could barely hold my head up. These adjustments were 100% what I needed to get back to form.
Experience vs just reading the internet. Thanks for this. Will be tilting my hoods upward.
We're glad we could help you out!
-RCA Team
I have funny geometry and stumbled my way into tilting the hoods up years ago, mucking around on my old Ciombola. It's allowed me to move the saddle aft, relieving the weight on my wrists and increasing my saddle comfort. It's a radical improvement at both ends!
Your clear and concise explanation makes it all make more sense now though. And has given me pause for thought on my new fangled hydraulic brake hoods. Thank you!
@@roadcyclingacademy6476 Funny thing is for me in old TTT Forma and Prima bars with early 2000 Campag Ergo hoods, I actually like them level, and I grab them not from the top so much as the side unless I'm standing on the pedals. There isn't much downward wrist flexion at all in this position.
so well explained! best explanation of hoods setup so far. Congrats!
This is amazing! Just raised my hood yesterday, much more comfortable for the shoulders and it also helped with the reach being too long.
I love these videos. I learn so much from Neil's expertise and it helps dial in my own fit.
Thanks for the comment Neri!
We're glad we can help!
-RCA Team
You guys are the best. I think i’m almost there in relation to my position on the Bike because of your vídeos. I had neck pain, wrist pain and i have solve all the problems thanks to you. I fell that i have to pay you!! Thank you for the amazing job and iformation!
Hey Antonio!
Thanks for the lovely comment and we're glad we could help you!
-RCA Team
Between this and Bike-fit Tuesdays, I have learned a lot from really knowledgable and engaging people. Thanks Neill and Cam for these.
Thanks for the tip.
We're glad we could help!
-RCA Team
Great stuff! My fitter (Endurance PDX) had me rotate my hoods back too. In short, my cleats went back and my saddle went forward and got angled flatter. I’m older, and he wanted me to have a less aggressive position. I already had max spacers, so he shortened the stem and rotated the hoods back to simulate less drop. Works great!
We're glad you are more comfortable on your bike now!
-RCA Team
First ride on a new bike tonight and noticed this exact setup with the hoods where it felt like my hands were falling off a cliff. The reach felt too long too. Can’t wait to make these changes.
I just wanted to say thanks for all the videos. I am new to cycling and getting ready to buy my first road bike. I got myself a pre-purchase bike fit locally, but appreciate all the knowledge you are sharing.
Welcome to the cycling journey! We wish you the best and hope we can continue to add value in your experiences!
-RCA Team
Changing to an upward tilt of the hoods has made my bike so much more comfortable. Cheers.😀
We're glad you are more comfortable on your bike now!
-RCA Team
Amazing tip- so excited to try this. Thanks as always Cam and Neill
Comfort awaits!
-RCA Team
Simple explanation of an important element of bike fit and comfort. Well done.
We're glad that you got great value from watching this video!
-RCA Team
The info from this is amazing, this channel rules. Top level, can't wait to get home and get adjusting.
Cheers Lee
Excellent video and really useful information. I've been setting up a new gravel bike, and used your advice for setting the handlebar angle. Fingers crossed for tomorrow. It's looking like Hindley will be first Aussie to win a Giro D'Italia!! Today's stage on the Marmolada was legendary.
Love Neil’s informative videos
Brilliant video again guys!!! Cheers.
Thanks for sharing the great info. I look forward to every video that drops and especially appreciate the message of how some "fitters" get wrapped around the axle of systems, tech, and going by what the computer tells them while not looking and listening to the person being fitted.
We're glad to have you as a great supporter!
-RCA Team
THANK YOU! Comfort - mission completed. Finally.
Love your stuff Cam. Neil is so comprenhensive.
We're glad you are loving the content!
-RCA Team
Tweaking my handlebar and lever recently and your video definitely help! Thanks
We're glad you are on the right path to comfort!
-RCA Team
Your videos are amazing. Looking forward to trying some of these
How good is Neil. Just THE intellectual stud when it comes to bike fit.
Another great video from you both. Thank you! Would be helpful to practically show how to alter the hood angle for those of us who aren’t so confident! The thought of messing up the bar tape and having to try and re-wrap it gives me the willies!
Changing things on your bike can be a little daunting for sure. Maybe this could be something we could do more of in the future.
-RCA Team
Great one, this is why lately I have adjusted the angle of handlebar to be more comfortable on the hoods which I prefer to be instead of the drops
Hey Eric thanks for the comment!
We're glad you got great value out of our content and pleased you are going well!
-RCA Team
These bike fit videos are fantastic!
Hey Edward,
Thank you for such a kind comment! we're glad you enjoy them!
-RCA Team
Amazing as allways. We really learn a lot with your vídeos. I mean, you guys are the best! Thank you!
We're glad you are enjoying the videos!
-RCA Team
Exactly what I need since I'm fiddling around with hood position right now. Thanks.
Fiddle no more! Happy to help
-RCA Team
Great videos guys. I just bought a new bike and you're right. The upper bar is flat and the hoods are almost flat as well. I will do some tweaks. Thanks again.
Thanks for the detailed explanation.
This was a great video. I went and changed my setup, as the bars/hoods were level and I constantly found I was hunching my right shoulder. Changed the setup to roll the bars down and move the hoods up with a slight up-angle. First ride and immediately noticed I wasn't hunching, but was also able to get lower when holding the hoods and getting the forearms lower. The heel of my hands would sit comfortably in the hollow created by the forward rolled bar and the up-tilt on the hoods. Thanks Neill!
We're glad this video helped your cycling and comfort!
-RCA Team
I want to say I did exactly just that and found my riding position much more comfortable. Wasted a fairly new bar tape though as I’ve only used it for one ride before I realized I needed to angle up the hood (and angle down the bar slightly). Great video!
Ah man, this is gold. Thank you 🙌🏼
I learn so much from your videos thanks
Wow what a quality video and fantastic lesson
Than you for this! Please keep content like this coming!
Thanks for the comment Steve!
We're glad you like the content!
-RCA Team
Finally, some advices for hood angle, I googled this topic a lot, but NO ONE TALK ABOUT IT, like no one cares...
This is one of the most important contact points of the bike and one that has the biggest input to your feel!
-RCA Team
I really love the information you’re sharing. It’s truly invaluable. I have a newer bike (no bike fit) and have been concerned about my connection with the bars for a little bit.
I made some adjustments based on this video and it really has made a huge difference. A tiny bit of fine adjustments and they will be perfect.
Very precise and effective informations, thanks.
Huge amount amount of info once again. Thanks!
I purposefully didn’t go for the integrated bar-stem on the BMC Teammachine. Decided to stick with the separate bar / stem combo.
Much better adjustability.
I do have that 3T bar on my winter and turbo, I like it.
I've always found angling the hoods up to be the most comfortable, for reasons explained in this video. The downside, for me, is when I reach for the brakes while in the drops, only my index finger is grabbing just at the very bottom of the brake lever. Forget about getting two fingers on the lever (index and middle) for more controlled braking. That would require bending my wrists in an unnatural way. That's even after adjusting the screws to bring the levers closer to the drops.
That is exactly the issue that I encountered. My bike was set up in a very upright riding position when I got it. What I did was reverse the stem angle and roll the bars down slightly. This provided a lower and comfortable upright/hoods position for me but allowed me to also reach the levers while in the drops. This video was very insightful and also confirmed some of the changes I already made to improve my fit.
Essential knowledge. Thanks for sharing.
We're glad we can help!
-RCA Team
I'm about to adjust the hoods exactly the way Neil outlines for the exact reason he described. This video gives me confidence it's the right move.
good to know lolol
I set my cockpit like this all the time, and many people protested about how odd it looks 🤣 but it works, especially with horizontal forearm aero position 👍🏼
At least you'll be able to help them get off their bikes as the limp with neck pain into the coffee shop!
-RCA Team
informative vid. some time ago, i did what neil was suggesting here cus i was trying to find the best reach for my fit. angling the hoods up was comfortable, but it looked goofy. what i ended up doing was to get a drop bar with a shorter reach so i can still have that flat hood look. it's not completely flat, still a minimal upward angle, but it helps so much.
Slave to vanity!!! We all are to some extent…
Comfort is the key!
-RCA Team
thanks for the pointers! i have nearly all of the ergonomic problems with my self built bike. i will try to get my wrists in a more neutral position in the hoods!
We hope you find your ideal comfort soon!
-RCA Team
100% guys!🤩 I like to see other #bikefit expert sharing this point of vue on Hood and Handle bars position!
We're glad you got value of this video!
-RCA Team
The topics you choose always come at just the right time.
Replying to my own comment- I adjusted my bar angle up just those few degrees and finally had good weather to go ride. Was surprised how much of a difference it made. Really made for an enjoyable day on the bike.
We're glad you have a lot more comfort on the bike now!
-RCA Team
I have been wondering why everyone is riding with prone hand position for a decade. Thank you for this video. I always have to changeg hood hand position after a bike fit. Finally I feel like I'm not missing something major.😊
Best advice going!
Well this was actually really helpful. Thanks!
We're glad this helped Jan!
-RCA Team
Great info. Thanks.
Yep..had my handlebars up to high. Followed this video and it certainly made a more comforting difference.
We're glad you got some great value out of this video!
-RCA Team
Great video and content - with the trap pain I get on a long ride, I think I'll be resetting the position of my hydraulic hoods ASAP and see how it goes.
Thanks for your comment!
We're sure this will definitely help with your comfort!
-RCA Team
On my fixed gear road bike, Winter bike (two brakes) I was using old SR bars that were on borrowed time, check your bars for corrosion! and Tektro RL340 with the bars rotated downwards to get comfy in the aero part of the drops but I struggled reaching the lever with the winter gloves I wear. I upgraded to ITM Marathon bars and couldn't do this but I used Tektro RL341 women's levers with the hoods rotated up. This fits my wrists perfect. The shorter reach lever was now the same distance in the drops as my old SR bars but I had to adjust my drop riding position to the one proper road riders use, I'd been taking it easy.
We would recommend looking to see if your levers have a reach adjustment to bring them closer to the bars!
-RCA Team
,,,extremly GOOD ADVICE!!!!
Thanks for the lovely comment!
We're glad you enjoy it!
-RCA Team
Love your videos. They helped me a lot with my bike fit. I don't own any fancy carbon bike, but Triban RC 520 from Decatlon, and love it. It has disk brakes that are mechanical/ hydraulic hybrid and Shimano 105 groupset.
Thanks for the great comment!
A bike is just a tool to use to get what you need done with it! no need for the flashiest equipment!
-RCA Team
ON my Rc500 i got around 28.000km and im Love this Bike 👉
Great video !
Thanks for the lovely comment!
-RCA Team
Great vid, makes a lot of sense. I'm off to change my hood angle.
Comfort awaits!
-RCA Team
Thank you so much for these! Saints of Cycling here.
We're glad you got some great value out of the content!
-RCA Team
Mind blown 🤯 You know when you know something is wrong but you can’t put your finger on it… Cheers for the content guys 👍👏🏼 That’s my job for today.
Thanks for the lovely comment Lee!
We're glad we can help.
-RCA Team
dang, just as I retaped the bars with...FLAT hood positioning :-) tanx!!
We hope you can fix that up soon!
-RCA Team
excellent video. thanks
Hey Alain,
thanks for the comment! we're glad you are enjoying the content.
-RCA Team
Nice one Neill. Long live the 2012 bike.
Thanks for the comment Mark!
His bike is still going strong!
-RCA Team
This is really interesting. I have always moved my hoods down towards flat, in part to get lower, but mostly because it reduces the reach to the brakes when I'm on the drops. It wasn't that long ago that you couldn't get reach adjustable levers, I was always having to reach up and forward to grab the brakes from the drops. Putting them further down the bar reduced the distance from bar (in the bend) to the lever. Now that I have reach adjustable levers I may well try adjusting them up as recommended, in part because what you said about shoulders lifting towards the ears resonates with me, I often find myself consciously forcing my shoulders down.
You might also want to try lowering the handlebar. Too high of a front end can also bring you shoulders up. There is a Neill video on that as well.
@@SherazChoudhary thanks, but I don't think it's possible to get it any lower - bespoke bike from a while back, so if anything, given I'm getting older it's probably now a bit lower than is comfortable!
Using the reach adjustment on the hoods allows you to have the best of both worlds!
-RCA Team
This guy really knows his stuff
Great video. I read the new SRAM AXS Rival hydraulic brakes feel smaller in the hand, as compared to the Red and Force brake hoods and levers.
As a young mechanic I was taught, and would get yelled at if I didn't do this, to set the hoods level, in line with the bar.
Awesome video!
When my girlfriend got a new bike we wondered for quite some time while she always felt that it was way too long, until i measured the reach not to the handlebar but to the levers - the 105 7000 hydro ones are around 15mm longer than the rim brake ones, coupled with a rather oldschool handlebar it made the bike more like a 53 instead of a 49. i bought her a much more compact handlebar end a shorter stem which took care of that problem.
Actually a big reason for me to go Di2 on my hydro disc bikes was to get the smaller levers, the mechanical ones are also just way to big for small hands to operate the brakes nicely.
Wow. I wish I would have seen this last year!
Better late than never! Comfort awaits!
-RCA Team
I've just done 150 miles over 2 days. My legs were fine. Wrists and hands however, ouch! Thanks for this.
Great vid
Thanks for the lovely comment!
-RCA Team
I have really small hands. I'm a 5'4" woman. Right now, I have to put a lot of weight on my hands, and shift my hands somewhat off the hood to grip the brakes. Even then, I can't get the stopping power I want. I have to slow down way before I should. I wear gloves with extra padding in the palms, but most of the pressure is on the joint of my index fingers where they connect to my palms. I have to rub the ache from my hands every time I stop. The right hood is angled in slightly. I have to simultaneously squeeze and pull my hands outward so that I don't accidentally shift gears while trying to brake.
I have a 2016 FUJI Sportif. This road bike is my car, so I have to make it work until I can afford another car. I like this bike. My only issue with it is braking.
sorry, english is not my first language, from what i gathered you are currently having difficulty for squeezing the brake lever for stopping, isn't that correct? if so you can try adjusting the brake lever reach to be closer (you can look it up on youtube for the tutorial, you simply just need an allen/hex key) but it comes at a downside, your brake pad/shoes will also be closer to the rim/disc so you need to give the cables some slack so that the pads don't rub, also because the brake lever is closer to you there is a little less time for the brake to "bite" the moment you squeeze the lever, be careful at the moment you need to stop because the brake will be a little bit snappier. Of course give it a time and you will developed your own way to "feather" the brakes.
great video, thank you, going to check my hoods ....i know one bike is slightly less comfortable than the other and this might be the reason..
Get comfy!
-RCA Team
Very interesting.
Thanks to both for these videos...really interesting. #savetherimbrake
We are glad you like them!
-RCA Team
As you mentioned about people with smallnor medium hands, we tend to position the shifter for reach in the drops.
My hands are medium and my bar reach is short so I found the shifter is somewhere in between.
Adjusting the shifter 'reach' is something most people don't take advantage of but could be crucial to setting up your levers properly!
-RCA Team
This may prove helpful- I've been struggling to set up a new bike, and had been trying to get the hoods level- my other bike has old campy hoods, which are much smaller, and which I now realize I hold so differently that comparing them is a bit pointless.
My issue has been that I really won't rotate my shoulders, and I think I may have been ridding with my wrists at a less than ideal angle, which might be contributing to some hand numbness, though I'm also struggling with saddle position from one bike to the next.
Funnily enough..I do bike fits and the single most thing I do,with almost everyone is to untape the top of the bars,rotate the bars down and pull the hoods up. Often folk think they need a shorter stem,whereas in fact the position of hoods is the critical aspect...
We couldn't agree more that this is one of the most critical aspects!
-RCA Team
I have those 3T bars on all my road bikes (got rid of the super duper aero integrated ones), narrow 36/38cm, and hoods as described - you'll never want anything else.
We're glad you have a great setup!
-RCA Team
I love those kind of short but informative videos on this channel - always a worthwhile watch
We're glad you get great value out of them!
Be sure to check out our instagram page as we posts even shorter video style content there!
-RCA Team
If you are a bit OCD (like me) and your drop bars have some form of horizontal indication on the front, place a spirit level next to stem on top of bar (90 degs to bar) and measure to halfway down the bars diameter. Move sprit level underneath bar and measure to halfway up bars diameter. The two points should coincide with the horizontal indication on the front of the bar.
Agree. My hoods have gravitated toward an upward angle.
It's the way of comfort!
-RCA Team
i'm from sao paulo - brazil and subscrib after this video. I watching many outher and love you job bro.
Thanks for the support.
Great video as always! May I request a possible topic for next video to be the proper angle of the handlebars for people that stay in the drops?
Cheers mate. That is a very specific topic, but I'll suggest it to Neill and see what we can do. Cam
And how it might be translated to a track bike that doesn’t have to accommodate hoods etc
Awesome content !!! I noticed this a while back, and always have to pull hoods closer on "new bikes".
I had issue though with a carbon Vision handlebar, as I ran out of grippy section for the clamp. Should I just use carbon paste and set the hood clamp higher, or do you recken a new bar is needed as it won't be reinforced in the higher location ?
A drawback you did not mention of placing the hoods higher, is that it can make reaching the brake levers from the drops a bit difficult for those of us with small hands.
Using the reach function on hoods gives you the ability to have the best of both worlds!
-RCA Team
Is this the best video on the internet? Probably not.
But it's very close and helpful as $*%& right now.
I keep my hood fairly high and roll my bars back a bit. I have some neck issues and this eases the discomfort. Very rarely ride in the drops.
Very interesting, having built many bikes over recent years I can admit, when no definitive position is required, placing the levers as horizontal as possible has always been an aesthetic decision. This is despite my personal bike fit being exactly as Neil suggests.
Yep, I'm pretty certain that's mainly why they are built that way - it looks cooler. - Neill
also experienced riders don't bend their wrists like that when they're in an aero position with horizontal forearms, they usually just hook their little finger under the brake lever and hold the hood right at the top/end with their ring, middle, and index finger around the front of the lever (their hand is almost in a fist). This allows for a straighter wrist and essentially extends the reach so they can get in a more stretched out position, and as their hands are so far forward on the shifters they can rest their forearms and wrists on the handlebars.
@@albr4 That's a fair point, but even experienced riders can only sustain that position for part of the race or ride. I put GRX levers on my road bike so I can get the benefit of different hand and arm positions, though I don't position them flat anymore.
With flared bars for gravel being all the rage please make a video discussing their impact on bike fit/ergo. My fear is with the hoods and shifters angled that they are doing harm or not optimizing performance or both. I personally am almost always riding in the hoods.
This sounds like a great advice, but not all levers have adjustable lever reach. So far I had to roll entire bar up and back to get a decent position and be able to use brakes in the drops. But this makes riding in the drops noticeably worse
Wow! All the muscular issues Neil pointed out is me to a tee. Will be adjusting levers to see what difference it makes.
We're glad you got great benefit from this video!
-RCA Team
Great Video! What are your thoughts on pointing the hoods inwards, which also rotates the wrist? In your experience, does this also help the posture to be more relaxed?
Good question - it sometimes helps, particularly if the rider's bars are too wide, or they naturally cock their elbows out to the side and hence their forearms attack the front end on an inwards angle. Following the angle of the forearms inwards with the hood often feels more comfortable under these circumstances. - Neill
I think it's ugly as hell, and I would never do that.
But, then again, I'm some rando on the internet who came up riding in the 80's.
@@endcensorship874 That's a strange comment. Lol! Does t affect the look at all. But if it did, who cares. It's about form and fit.
@@joerenner8334 I realize it is about form, fit, and maximizing aero efficiency. I'm saying I'm too old school (too old? maybe...) to do it.
@@endcensorship874 You can't be much older than me! Always learning at 57.
Still stuck in the old age n then proceeds to look directly at his disc bike 😂
Great video, explains why my elbows are locked 90% of the time and I have to consciously bend them. Going from 44cm bars to 38cm and was after information about hood angle, cheers
Great 👍
Thanks Zika!
-RCA Team