How To Hold Your Handlebars Like A Pro | GCN Pro Tips

What's your preferred hand position on the bars?

Tops in seated, grindy climbs; hoods in speedier/more aggressive seated or standing climbs; hoods on average; drops for the position change of it, or aggressive sprints, or to get out of the wind for an extended period. Ends up being about 85% hoods, 10% drops, 5% tops.

Okay thanks. Gimmi that bike mate 🤣🤣

Thanks for all the effort the Team has put in this year can’t wait till 2025 keep up the good work Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all

I appreciate you explaining the differences between riding as a pro on closed roads and someone like me riding on open roads. Very helpful to keep in mind and focus on safety.

“How to hold your handlebars like a Pro” - first disclaimer: do not hold it like a pro 😁

OMFG . . really? How to grip your bars.....? After 120k . . I'll grip my bars however the hell I please....

NOT LIKE THAT with your thumbs over the handlebars!!

Im new so what is the best stater bike for a new biker

How do you record videos on a bike?

Are you being followed by a tractor? Chug chug chug

This is literally “how to grip your handlebars like a new, safe cyclist”. He is basically just saying “don’t hold your bars like the pros” in the beginning…

Don't lock your arms in a straight position...create a slight bend at the elbow.

How about a video on how to pee while riding?

Very helpful ty

So advice on how to hold your handlebars like "a pro". Which says do not hold your handlebars like "a pro". 🙄 Can we forget about "the pros" most folks are nowhere near pro level. Just tell folk how to get handlebar height right so they can then actually hold the handlebars in the correct manner. And tell them how to hold the handlebars which you actually tell them in this video. Hurrah! 😂 However they will not be comfortable unless handle bar height and orientation are right and brake hoods are positioned correctly.

So how do you reach the bars when you have your hands on the straight section of the top bars, or even the drops? Your fingers seemed quite far away from the brakes on the drops. That's why I like my MTB bars. I can always wrap my fingers around the grips and still reach the brakes. Also what stops your hands sliding up those 45 degree slopey bits?

On my 50 year old bike, I still find the center-pull brakes, with my hands positioned above the Drops, the most comfortable with INSTANT access to the brakes. Quick maneuvers are too difficult, when riding on the Tops. (P.S. I'm an urban rider with the need to perform evasive/emergency maneuvers instantly.)

Just bought my 1st toad bike today. Wow, was not expecting to feep that different to a straght bar, anyways I hope I adapt

This guys cycling is on another planet. I can’t tell if he’s quick or not.

the Drops and the hoods are the BEST grips and it was common use for roadbikes

"Me using flat handle bar" wow really useful

I don't even use that kind of bike I use a beach cruiser which surprisingly works very well and I usually can keep up with cyclist on road bikes, So beach cruisers can do it too.

Thank you. I was trying to brake from the drops like an old man (as I am). I didn't know about the hood and braking. Nice to learn something new.

What is he wearing over his ears? I need that!

For a safe riide I always ride my bikes whit my hands on the brakes

Dangling your hands over the bars get a pillow and take a nice lie down have a snooze and before you know it you’ll be there

I'm a beginner, beginning to learn here.

What the cranket zide

I've owned my gravel bike for a year and a half already. I realized only recently holding onto to the top tips of the hoods is the best for me (not the whole hood). I can pedal the fastest, most aero, and most comfortable at that position!

I've recently started riding with my hands on the tops, very close to the stem, elbows tucked in and getting the feeling that I'm almost at the bottom position of a diamond pushup. This feels very similar to a TT position, but with the hands tucked in under the chest instead of being out in front. I'm curious as to why I can't find any examples of this anywhere online, or a name for it at least (maybe its just a tucked in aero version of riding on the tops). I would be really interested to see the aerodynamic effect of moving the hands in, i.e. from being out on the hoods to being on the tops close to the stem, when you're already in a tucked aero position. Apart from the obvious loss of control (hands far away from the breaks) I don't see any reason why I haven't seen this position more often.

Man you have long arms, what if your arms are short?

Can you please tell me what make/model of handlebar Conor is using? They look perfect - shallow drop - and just what I am looking for

His voice sounds just like Jamie Oliver ✨

On the hoods you can't get a proper grip and it's hard to apply the brakes properly, the drops seem way safer overall

Respect for the camera man

I ride in tt position when i broke way and I wanna maintain my break

Tall man, ugly bike

i climb on the drops when seated and climb on the hoods when standing
it's so much more comfortable.
i sprint on the drops, decend covering the brakes.

Thumb and forefinger is probably the most most important tip ever. Saved me a few times.

I ride flatbars, since often I need all my power to keep my arms straight during breaking. It seems you cannot do that breaking from the hoods with all your bodyweight moving forward, causing you to loose grip. Do you guys don't have to break so hard? I do like dropbars, but have to have my brakelevers on top so I can keep a grip stopping on the front wheel. The importance of this was also thought during my motorcycle classes- keep you arms bend but stiff during breaking. The hoods seem to provide only a small surface to hold on to..

Ride a few hundred miles per week for a few decades and you’ll use every combination of hand positions possible.

📌 Here’s how to hold your handlebars like the pros.

Then precedes to show PROS while saying what not to do! 😂😂😂smh.

All this time I thought that was a foot rest. Thanks GCN. Where do my feet go now?

With hands on the hoods, I would like to see a discussion on where to put the other three fingers. It looks like Conor literally grips the hood, but I have seen others wrap one or two fingers around the bars at the same time. Is this just personal preference, or is there a reason for one or the other style? Also, 1 finger on the brakes or 2?

What bike is this? Such a long headtube and so high top tube compared to regular Dogmas or any road bike in general?

Well done.