Why Do My Hands Feel Heavy on the Bars?

When your pelvis tips too far forward into anterior rotation, your sit bones lose solid contact with the saddle, and instead your soft tissue and arms end up carrying the load. This happens because the trunk collapses forward without enough support from your core muscles (deep abdominals, low back, and glutes). A strong core holds the pelvis in a more neutral position, letting your sit bones bear weight properly and taking pressure off your hands and bars.

Here are some quick self-tests you can try in the studio or at home:

On-Bike Self-Tests

  1. Hands-Off Balance Test

    • While riding on a trainer, gently hover your hands an inch above the bars for 5–10 seconds.

    • Stable torso & steady wheel? Good core support.

    • Torso drops forward / wheel wobbles? Your hands are holding you up.

  2. Fingertip Test

    • Ride with just your fingertips resting lightly on the tops of the bars.

    • If you feel like you’re falling forward, your core isn’t supporting your upper body.

  3. Slide-Forward Check

    • Relax your hands and notice if you slide toward the nose of the saddle.

    • If so, your trunk is collapsing forward.

Off-Bike Core Checks

  1. Plank Test

    • Can you hold a straight plank for 20–30 seconds without your hips sagging?

  2. Dead Bug Test

    • Lying on your back, lower one leg at a time while keeping your low back pressed into the floor.

    • If your back pops up, your core isn’t fully engaging.

  3. Prone back extension

    • Lie face down, lift chest off the floor

    • this shows whether a rider can actively engage their spinal extensors and posterior chain to hold the trunk up against gravity. On the bike, if those same muscles (low back, glutes, deep core) aren’t doing their share, the torso collapses forward → more weight dumps into the hands and bars.

What This Means

  • If these tests are difficult → your core strength and posture may need work. This makes it harder to support your trunk on the bike.

  • If you pass the tests easily → the issue may be more about bike fit (saddle position, reach, and bar height).

Next Step

  • Off the bike: adding core stability work (planks, dead bugs, glute bridges) will make riding more comfortable and balanced.