Bar height: how low can you go?

I see articles from time to time on bar height and while they are good material they often leave you with a couple take home points:

1. It depends on the rider

2. Go see a professional bike fitter

Both are correct but I want to go a step further here in the interest of helping riders learn more about how their body affects their position. Knowledge is power, or something like that.

This is mostly applicable to road and triathlon/TT folks as the bars tend to be much lower than on a mountain bike or hybrid. Lower bars have some definite benefit in regard to aerodynamics and power production...as long as the position suits your individual anatomy!

Here we are. We want to know where the bars go. First you should make sure you are happy with your seat position THEN mess with the bars. If you are unsure, take some time on Steve Hogg’s website, then set your seat where it is comfy and powerful...complicated, I know.

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/02/seat-height-how-hard-can-it-be/

From here, the three biggest limitations to riding lower bars I see are:

1. Hip flexion - How far your knee can rise up towards your chest

2. Neck extension - How far your head can tilt back (imagine the last sip of a canned drink)

3. Hamstring flexibility - How far you can bend over toward your toes

To test all this I would check each thing in order from bar tops, to hoods, then drops. Also worth checking is the aero hood position many riders use. Hands on the hoods then drop your elbows to where your forearms are level to the ground and you look more like you are on a tri bike. If any of these tests give you trouble in the lowest positions(drops or aerobars) you might have your bars too low. Conversely, if you have plenty of motion leftover, maybe you can try a bit lower! Slam that stem! Well, sometimes. Maybe. Let’s move on.

You can test all this on a trainer (in front of a mirror is great) or a safe, flat road free of traffic. For the leg tests, try left AND right.The idea here, is for a repetitive activity, don’t work to the absolute limits of your flexibility. Much like a savings account, a bit of a surplus is a good thing!

1. Hip Flexion - In your chosen bar position, stop with one knee at the top of the pedal stroke (cranks should be in line with seat tube) with foot unclipped but resting on top of the pedal. Slowly raise the foot off the pedal and the knee rising towards your chest. You should be able to do this without discomfort or difficulty. Also maintain the same back position...don’t curl up in a ball.

2. Neck extension - While riding and looking up the road as you normally would, tilt your head up without changing your torso or arm position like you wanted to see the sky. If you can’t do this...TOO LOW.

3. Hamstring flexibility - With one leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke (cranks should be in line with seat tube) and knee slightly bent try to lean your torso forward some more (starting from the bar top position and moving gradually lower). If the back of your leg tightens up right away, you might be close to too low.

After checking these, you will have a better idea of how YOUR anatomy affects YOUR bike position and will be better able to make decisions on your fit. An individualized approach helps us move beyond the answer “it depends”. For each of the tests, there are multiple factors at play, but the beauty of these is we don’t have to obsess over twenty different things!

If you have limitations, it is not bad news...it is simply how you are TODAY. That can change with some focused mobility and strength work over 3-4 weeks. Kit Laughlin’s YouTube site is my favorite one stop shop for improving flexibility. https://www.youtube.com/user/KitLaughlin

Whatever position you choose, you should feel relaxed and powerful while riding. If you make a position change, give it a couple rides before making a decision. 

Riding goals and duration are also factors. A dedicated criterium racer will likely ride lower than a new rider looking to knock out their first century. Looking pro is great but the real priority is being able to perform. Good luck and as usual, hit me with any questions.

Hip Flexion

Neck Extension

Hamstring Flexibility

Training for ENDURANCE events

I have told a couple people I would put together some tips on training for endurance off road events. Skyway Epic isn’t too far away but this information could probably be applied to any number of long distance gravel or mountain bike races.

I will break this down in bullet point format to make it easier to read and also be pretty general with advice. It is more important to understand the principles at play here than just follow a pre done plan. Success in bike racing is rarely an accident so get to work...just don’t forget to have fun with it.

• Track your nutrition. Write down how many calories, ounces fluid, and electrolytes you had per hour. Include what you ate pre ride AND during the ride. Document what worked and what didn’t. Try a variety of food or food type products. This is probably the biggest failure point for riders in long distance events.

• Terrain specificity is important. Do your long rides on similar terrain to your goal race. This includes surface type and elevation. Figure out how many feet of climbing there are per mile and get close to that. Get at least one ride a week off road, preferably two. Road or trainer is fine for intervals and what not. 

• Try to make about 80% of your training time easy/Endurance pace over a week. Use the other 20% for either Tempo, Threshold, or VO2 Max intervals. Or a hard group ride. As far as what type of intervals to do, change it up every 6-8 weeks. Move from the LEAST specific intensity to the MOST specific intensity as race time approaches. 

• Typically your long ride will be at a Zone 2 / Endurance pace but try to get one at race specific intensity every few weeks. For a race that will last 6 hours, try to build your long ride to 3.5-4 hours. For races of 9-12 hours, try to build to a 6 our long ride. Back to back 3-4 hour long rides can be very effective also. 

• Do some basic strength and mobility work 2 days a week. Squats, lunges, pushups...simple. 

• Are you an awful bike handler? Do you lose time on downhills? Do you crash and get badly hurt every year? Get a hold of Lon Cullen with Singletrack Skills and take some classes. Most riders need this. 

• Know the course, know how to read maps. Don’t depend on others to drag you around. 

• Know how to work on your bike! Take a class or have a friend teach you. Self sufficiency is a must for long events. Pack basic flat and bike repair tools and know how to use them. Similarly, keep your bike in good working order. This sounds obvious...but I have raced enough to know how much it gets missed.

• On race day, don’t try new things! Period. As far pacing goes, make a plan and stick to it. Pay attention to how hard you are breathing and be honest with yourself. Lots of “I don’t know where I went wrong” issues begin with the first hour of a 9 hour race ridden at threshold heart rate. Don’t do that. Be careful who you ride with. I don’t ride in groups with sketchy bike handlers or negative thinkers. This will bring the whole group down.

• Have race goals, but keep them process oriented. Meaning set a goal to pace correctly and eat 250 calories per hour NOT to finish top 10. 

• If you are really lost, get a coach that knows this stuff. I like Lynda Wallenfels and Jason Shearer. If you are local and want in person coaching, hit me up and I can help. I am not certified yet but have been in this a long time and know what to do. 

Nutritional CONSIDERATIONS for uLtra marathon training and racing

This is a quick synopsis of a major paper from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. It was published in late 2019 and I’d suggest reading it all yourself but I’ll run through some of their Evidence Statements here! 

🔹A primary focus is simply eating enough daily calories and a macronutrient breakdown of 60% carb, 15% protein, and 25% fat is suggested. 

🔹There is insufficient data to support the use of ketogenic diets. 

🔹Some fasted morning low intensity sessions may be beneficial. 

🔹Protein intakes can range from 1.6 g/kg/day up to 2.5 depending on training volume. 

🔹Drinking to thirst is fine for day to day hydration. 

🔹Weighing before and after training is good to determine fluid replacement needs. 

🔹150-400 calories per hour during racing is suggested. As race duration increases, more savory foods are often helpful. 

🔹Fluid intake during exercise can range from 16-28 oz per hour with 500-700 mg Sodium per liter. 

🔹Race nutrition should be practiced in training. Avoid having under 200 cal/ hour. 

🔹Caffeine improves performance due to its stimulant properties, especially in overnight races. 

🔹Don’t use Advil or other NSAIDS while racing. Period. 

🔹There is limited data to support the use of supplements such as ketones, MCT oil, or vitamins during racing.