Where Should My Hands Go?
Lots of people don’t think about that. They must not care about speed on a bike. That’s okay, speed isn’t for everyone. But I always find it amusing how some of those same people will buy a million dollar carbon bike and train their butt off for months to gain fewer watts in power than they could save in aerodynamics.
Some people say, “I’m not fast enough for aerodynamics to matter!” They are wrong. At 10 mph air resistance accounts for 50% of what is slowing you down! At 18 mph it accounts for 80% and 25 mph 90%. So air resistance slows everyone down!
The faster I go the more I consider getting into an aerodynamic position. If the race is feeling hard I'll get low to make it feel easier. If I’m in a breakaway I’ll get low to gain time on the field behind. If I’m going fast in the peloton but the effort isn’t challenging for me I don’t worry about getting in an aerodynamic position. Getting aero usually requires much more effort from the core and triceps to get low and the shoulders (shrug) to get narrow. By the end of the race these areas can get sore or tired. So there could be a trade off here. Don’t burn your triceps, shoulders, and back out before the finish to get aero, espeically if you don’t need to be. This is why I like to practice the aero position on my training rides. I used to get very sore after spending time in that position but now I feel like I can ride in it all day! It’s a big advantage on race day to be able to have strength and lasting power in that position.
Another time I don’t think about aerodynamics as much is on a climb when the speed is way down. Usually the lower you go the less power you can produce. For me, my twenty minute power PRs are around 430 watts indoors and upright and 407 outdoors in the aerobars on my TT bike. Speed is always a trade off between power and aerodynamics. Sometimes speed requires more power and sometimes it requires a little more aerodynamics.
So where do you put your hands to be as aerodynamic as possible? Check this experiment out by Aerocoach. (They have amazing products too. Check out their store.) This picture shows you how many watts you’ll save in each position at 28 mph.
I want to point out the last two positions right away. The second position from right (39.6 watt savings) is not allowed in racing anymore, except for time trials. The picture all the way to the right (35.5 watt savings) isn’t worth it to me. The thing about both these positions is that they are a little more dangerous than the others. You’re not holding onto anything and it’s very easy for your arms to slip off the bars. The position all the way to the right is only 0.5 watts faster than the second from left position (35 watt savings). This position is safer because you’re holding onto your hoods. It’s less than five watts slower than the fastest “puppy paws” position. This is the position I use when I want to get aero. It’s very interesting to see that it is twenty one watts faster than holding onto the drops (the position in the middle picture)! That’s a significant difference. Twenty one watts saves about 2 seconds every kilometer at a fast race pace. In a race of forty kilometers this would save you eighty seconds. It doesn’t seem like much but that’s exactly how much time I won by this past weekend in a solo forty kilometer breakaway. It’s crazy to think that I might’ve been caught if I had decided to ride with my hands in the drops! Here is a blurry photo from the race.
Two more things to mention about hand position. When you’re sprinting and going fast you want to be low, back flat, and out of the saddle. To do this you need your hands on the drops (lowest part of the handlebars) to produce the most power. If you’re sprinting up a hill and going slow then you could have your hands on the hoods. Being out of the saddle and using your arms to pull on the bars will obviously give you more sprint power. I think I could be lower in this picture, but then again maybe I’m too tall!
Having your hands in the drops vs. the hoods is usually best for turning. Holding onto the drops gives you a firm grip for more control. A firm grip is also required when Legion try to bump you out of your spot :0). Remember safety first! If you crash that’s not good for you or anyone behind you. Remember these are the most ideal hand and body positions but only if you can do them without crashing.
