Most noticeable cockpit adjustment

tkdbboy

tkdbboy

Likes Dirt
Hey guys,

Been recently messing around with my cockpit as I've had some wrist pain and looks like I've alleviated it. Ended up rotating my bars forward a little and dipping brake levers a smidge.

Just wondering what cockpit adjustment (even if its just a minor adjustment or a whole part swap) was most noticeable to you and its effect? Can be positive or negative.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
And overall feel. Twice I’ve set up a bike with my usual spec, felt really disappointed with the overall feel, changed to a set of familiar old grips, and it’s transformed how I feel about the bike.
Wasn’t related to wrist pain or anything, so not necessarily relevant to your question, but just an observation I’ve made about something I used to think little about.
 
Jim Junkie

Jim Junkie

Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
2 main things:
1: Bars. I don't know what it was about the previous ones, but the switch over to Renthal Fatbars was a huge improvement. I also went wider at the time (690 up to 740 I think?), but have since gone wider again (790 now) sticking with the fatbars and the change was less dramatic. Sorted out back & shoulder issues on long rides.

2: Stem: Moving from 90mm down to 50mm. Much better, although I think I need a bigger bike. Yeah.., new bike, that should fix it.

Small adjustments turning it forward a bit & dropping the handles helped with ergonomics, but usually just a progression over a few rides after putting it all together.

Grips was good, moving from lock-ons to silicon grips, definitely upped the comfort.
 
Z

Zaf

Guest
tkdbboy said:
Just wondering what cockpit adjustment (even if its just a minor adjustment or a whole part swap) was most noticeable to you and its effect? Can be positive or negative.
Click to expand...
I think the most noticeable adjustment you can make to any rider's setup is seat angle; you can feel a degree or two immediately.

Over the past few years I've noticed my cockpit rise, brake levers go the way of the French and my saddle dropping a little (old achilles issue, encourages me to drop my ankles a bit more, even during pedalling). A mate went over to Canada mid last year, and the tip he was given for combating arm pump was to go to larger diameter grips, and soon switched all his bikes over to Chromag XL squareweave grips. I followed suit before going to NZ and didn't suffer any hand/wrist/arm complaints, quite like the larger grips as well. Not exactly double blind testing and I rarely suffer arm pump, but anecdotally it passed the test.
 
P

Paulie_AU

Likes Dirt
I was really surprised how much of a handling difference rolling my bars foward made. Admittedly I had just changed them but the bike was a pig in corners. Rolled them foward all fixed. In my haste I had set the angle while it was in the stand.

After riding my hardtail again over last couple of days I am def putting esi's on my dually. Way nicer than my lockons.
 
M

mallion

Squid
The first time I change the stem length I was amazed how much of difference it made. I did not like the change but it encourage me to keep trying different lengths until I found something which suited.
 
tkdbboy

tkdbboy

Likes Dirt
Zaf said:
A mate went over to Canada mid last year, and the tip he was given for combating arm pump was to go to larger diameter grips, and soon switched all his bikes over to Chromag XL squareweave grips.
Click to expand...
Ah awesome. Agreed, I went to OURY slip-ons and never looked back
 
bear the bear

bear the bear

Is a real bear
Bar width, new bike had 800mm bars as standard. Very stabile for downhill and rode them for a couple of weeks and all was good till narrow gaps between trees and fences. Have gone back to 740's. My bar width preference has grown from 680's three years ago to now 740 for the added stability.
 
stirk

stirk

Burner
Changing the bar sweep completely removed the wrist pain that I'd put up with for ages. After some research based on my height and monkey like arms and preferring a 740mm wide bar I went from 5 to 9 degree sweep and have not experienced the same pain. ever again.

Hold your arms out in front of you with the wrists nice and naturally straight and then move your arms out, the wider you move your arms the more sweep your wrists need. You can get a feel for sweep by pretending to grab your bar just above it where you hold the grips and see if your wrists are nice and straight where they line up to the bar.
 
M

mas2

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Another one for changing grips. ESI chunky's to be specific. Haven't found an equivalent alternative yet.
 
MARKL

MARKL

Eats Squid
Having the same set up across multiple bikes, same width and sweep of bar, same lever set up. Just get on the bike and it feels like home
 
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