Would Lowering my Handlebars Help my Performance? I ride now with pretty decent comfort, I have no real back/neck/shoulder pain. As I ride now I feel decent, but I feel as though I might be in too much of an upright position on the bike to get the best performance.



I have been considering lowering my handlebars in hopes that it might tweak my position a little and help give me a little extra power on the pedals. 

I first was going to try moving a spacer or two,(5cm) to see if that might help.

Then I considered flipping my stem, but the angle at which my stem sits might be a little to extreme.



Basically I'm just wondering if adjusting my handlebars would help me performance-wise or if it would really just be a waste of time/effort? If it would help, which way should I go about adjusting it?
If you are looking for pedalling performance, adjusting the seatpost (up and down) and the seat (back and front) is the answer. There are literature about adjusting seatpost so you can look them up on the internet; youtube also have many video demonstration.

Adjusting handlebar height is more about efficiency. In general:


the less up-right position, the better the efficiency. This helps a lot when you are riding at high speed (noticeably at speed 20 mph+ or 35 kmph+), or against the wind. However, there is always a compensation for riding aggressively: you tire out quickly
the smaller the handle bar, the better the efficiency. The best efficiency is when the arms are shoulder length apart, just similar to the riding position on aero bar.
arms at some angle also lower your riding position and improves efficiency.


Your bike looks like a hybrid, which gives out that you mostly ride in urban area. Adjusting handlebar height is thus beneficial because you are likely to hit 20 mph+.