Hi guys,
I've discovered that whenever I hit a flat stretch on my MTB I much prefer riding with my hands on the bar ends rather than on the bar itself, but I can't determine whether this is mainly because of change in orientation or mainly because of change in reach.
Not having a longer stem available for experimental purposes I wonder if someone in this illustrious group has any insights and/or experiences to offer, is my preference for the bar end position actually a sign that I should be looking for a longer stem, or (perish the thought!) a bigger frame, should I maybe scoot my saddle back, or should I simply accept this as part of my riding style and habits?
The change in position isn't that big, best as I can tell an imaginary center line through the wrist moves about 2 inches forward when I'm on the ends as compared to the bar.
Why am I asking? I'm trying to determine where to put the bar on what's going to be my winter commuter bike. Maybe if I get the bar positioned just right I won't have to bother about nasty, bare-metal bar ends on the winter bike at all...
For the intended usage the advantage of different hand positions isn't a high priority.