There are three primary positions for your hands. The most comfortable is with your hands gripping the sides of the handlebar along the first bend in the handlebar (using the center of the handlebar as a starting point). The tips of your thumbs will just reach the middle of the brake hoods in this position. This is the best position for keeping your wrists straight to encourage blood flow to the hands. When you are in this position, it is worth noting that the handlebar just obscures your view of the front hub, assuming your bicycle is properly sized and fitted.
Next, you can grip the brake hoods. This puts you in a more aerodynamic postion and is also quite comfortable. This is also a powerful grip when climbing off saddle.
Finally, you can position your hands on the lowest, dropped portion of the handlebars. This, of course, is the most aerodynamic position. This position shouldn’t hurt your back, but it does put more weight on your hands.
I like to rotate through all three positions while touring to minimize fatigue. I also like to stand up occasionally, even on flat terrain. This rests my butt and raises my heart rate.
Good, efficient form also means that your pedal stroke applies power through a complete circle as the pedals rotate. You are using both sides of your legs for power. This is why bicycle shoes with cleats are absolutely crucial. Over time your hamstrings will become almost as powerful as your quads. Cleats also provide “pedal security” when you go off saddle. You don’t have to worry about your feet slipping off the pedals. This is especially important when riding in the rain.
Old fashioned toe clips are less effective than modern pedals and cleats. When toe clips are combined with cleats, the only way to release your shoe is to reach down and loosen the toe clip strap. With modern pedals and cleats, you simply twist your foot to release your shoe from the pedal. If you use toe clips without cleats, you will lose some degree of both efficiency and pedal security. In short, you need to upgrade!
Try to develop a smooth, relatively high cadence. Avoid bouncing up and down on the seat when pedaling fast. This is a sign of an inexperienced rider. To smooth out your stroke, extend your foot as it enters the most powerful part of your stroke. (Old timers like myself refer to this technique as “ankling”). This gives you extra power and smooths out your stroke. The pedal stroke of a top professional rider has been described as the smoothest motion in all of athletics.
No matter what position you are in, your elbows should not be locked. Always keep your elbows slightly bent. This will become easier as your core becomes stronger. A great, cycling specific core exercise is to take one hand off the handlebar and place the back of that hand over the small of your back while riding. Tighten your core muscles, focus on good form while spinning, and count fifty pedal strokes. Repeat while removing your other hand. Do three sets every time you ride.
Setting up your camping gear every evening and packing up every morning is also a great core exercise. A surprising amount of squatting, bending, twisting, and lifting with outstretched arms is involved. I motivate myself to complete these somewhat onerous tasks by thinking of them as beneficial core exercises.
I like to shift around on the seat. When I move forward on the seat I am directly over the pedals for maximum power. When I move back on the seat, I work my muscles at a slightly different angle, pushing away rather than down. Again, changing things up helps prevent fatigue. By moving around, changing my grip, and varying my cadence, it feels like my bicycle has many more gear ratios than just the fourteen provided by my front chain rings and freewheel.
I believe in self coaching. You are the only one receiving internal feedback as you try different techniques and training methods. This is invaluable. Learn new techniques, test them, pay close attention to your body’s feedback, and make adjustments. There should be a good reason for everything you do on a bicycle!