Bike posture

When I was at the bike repair shop, James the repair man said he thought my handlebars were in the wrong position. He figured they were tilted a bit too much. He said that puts your wrists in the wrong position when you have your hands on top of the handlebars. But I tend not to! I tend to have them in the crook. And on top, but in the middle, away from the brakes, if I am climbing and don’t expect anything that needs braking for. But he said that the crook is for descent, and default position should be on top, at the extremities, above the brakes. 

What seems to be standard 

What I do

I tried it and wasn’t convinced. I didn't find it any more comfortable than in the crook! And I don't have much purchase on the brakes that way. You have a lot more leverage when you reach them from inside the crook.

When I saw Jenny, my Welsh tutor, who also travels most places on bicycle, I mentioned it to her. She said she agreed with me! She doesn't see the point of using the brakes from above either. She is a crook rider as well.

Just because I have nothing to lose I will probably give it another try. I am a creature of habit, and I have been riding like this since my teenage years, if I have dropped handlebars. I totally accept you sometimes do things just because you don't think of doing them any other way. But I think I will end up sticking with riding the way I ride! If it works for me, that's good enough. And me having good leverage on the brakes seems, to me, like a universally good thing…