Road Cycling - tops drops or hoods

I prefer the hoods, I can
brake and have good control (at least better
than the drops when on rollers).
I tend to spend least amount of time riding
the drops.

Marty

i spend the majority of my time mixing it up between the tops and the hoods. i like variety and it keeps my hands from hurting. i generally only goto the drops when i'm either A) cruisin down a good hill or B) caught my second wind and don't want to put the extra power to waste.

I spend most of my time in the hoods. I feel odd on the tops, and only go to the drops when I want to get really aerodynamic. Headwinds here have been horrible lately. Even when I turn around :confused:

I voted hoods because that is sort of my "home" position, but I try to move my hands around a lot.

I wanted to vote for HUH? but don't know if my handlebar has that feature. :D

I'm on the hoods most of the time. Shift to the tops when my hands get tired or numb :eek: or just tired of the position.

Drops about 60 % of the time and hoods the rest of the time. I almost never use the tops.

Tops 50%
Drops 10%
Hoods 40%

Aero bars when cruising, tops when climbing, and drops when descending a hill. I will go to the hoods when I start getting tired in the aero bars or if I get in to traffic.

You don't have an option for "aero bars" or for "multiple of above."

I spend most of my time some where on the tops but the sweet spot moves arround from hands close together to almost to the hoods, palms up and palms down, but I spend a fair amount of time on the hoods to especially when I think brakeing is shortly needed, verry little time on the drops maybe 2%, more time in the chest on the bar hands underneath areo downhill tuck, it't the only time I can be considdered fast!!!!
kev

Tops for long, but not too steep uphills. Hoods for out of the saddle climbing. Drops for downhill and anywhere around here where it's flat enough to get up some speed. When not on the drops, I tend to be on the tops--probably a 50-50 split on the two.

Rich

Depends on the bike; depends on the ride; depends on the terrain; depends on the weather.

Although I probably spend the most time on the hoods on my road bike, I like to ride thr drops on my 'cross bike on flat terrain... and I'll often climb on the tops if it's a long climb and I'm ticking a rhythm in the saddle.

Originally posted by RonH
I wanted to vote for HUH? but don't know if my handlebar has that feature.
The HUH? was a standard feature on Cannondales from '89 - '91.

Bellsports sold a screw on HUH? for a year or two in the early '90s but it never caught on.

They then tried to modify it and that's where the WHAT THE? originated. Unfortunately it also failed to match up to expectation and was scrapped by the middle of 1993.

The hoods win if you mix pulling up during climbing and resting on, braking on the flats.

Otherwise the tops might even out if you separate the two kinds of "hoods" usage. Of, course you need to be on a moderately hilly ride.....

:mad: my hoods, and the tape near them get stinky this time of year

Today's my second day riding my new road bike....and I would have to say my preferred position is the hoods with elbows bent all the way down (almost 90 degrees). But that gets tiring fast. I can only do that for a few miles before I get tired. But the aero. of that position is awesome compared to my hybrid.

Sorry to be off topic here...but I didn't want to start a new thread. Someone may have a simple answer for me. I noticed that my handlebar wasn't PERFECTLY in the middle. It was towards the left about 1mm more. Of course I had to fix that (even though my LBS told me NOT to touch the bike). He says "when you need something adjust it, bring it to me and I'll do it for you....don't play around with it, it's fitted perfectly for you".

Anyways, to make a long story short....I loosened up the 2 nuts (on the stem/headset???) that held the handlebar in place to move it to the correct position.....when the nuts loosened, the bars dropped down. Now I have no idea how to put the bars back on correctly. Is it supposed to be up high or low? Now I feel, when I'm riding on the hoods, my hands/arms are lower than the way it felt yesterday....but that may just be me! I'm not sure...how do I know if I need to rotate the bars higher? And how high is too high and how low is too low?

Is there an easy answer? Thanks for all your help! and BTW, I'm addicted to the speed!!!!!! WAAAAAAAHOOOOOO!! :beer:

The hoods are my default position, but I've made an effort to spend more time in the drops this year, especially on the flats.

I moved to the top of the bar for most of my seated climbing this year, and with good results. I'm virtually never on the top except for climbs.

I voted "Huh?"
Okay, now I can sound real stupid. I know what drops are (I think) but what are hoods and tops? :confused:
Hoods are bad guys or a place to put your head when it's cold, right? Tops are spinning toys ... yes? :)
I have an idea what they might be but I'm not sure what they are so if someone would be kind enough to tell me, I'll be hip with the lingo. :):beer:

OK

"Hoods" are, in addition to being bad people, the brake hoods. Some people wrap their hands around them in a loving embrace and others, in a fatherly fashion, rest their hands upon them.

"Tops" are the sections of bar nearest the stem, often the area just inside where barwrap either begins or ends depending upon your inclination and wrapping tendencies. This position is often used for climbing, a skill of no real use where I live.

:beer:

aaaaa

Originally posted by Walter
OK

"Hoods" are, in addition to being bad people, the brake hoods. Some people wrap their hands around them in a loving embrace and others, in a fatherly fashion, rest their hands upon them.

"Tops" are the sections of bar nearest the stem, often the area just inside where barwrap either begins or ends depending upon your inclination and wrapping tendencies. This position is often used for climbing, a skill of no real use where I live.

:beer:

Thank you for your kind response :) . I thought that was the answer but figured I'd ask anyway :D .
:beer:

i would be a hoods kind of guy, buy my stem's far too long. being in the hoods makes me lock out my arms, which is jarring after a while. thus, i ride the hoods until it hurts, then move up to the elbows (?just made that up?) or the drops. drops if i'm the one pulling. if you see me on the tops, it's cause i've (in the immortal words of Paul) cracked wide open!

I use the tops most of them time. It feels more powerful for climbs than anything else. If I feel the need for aero I go to the drops. I use the hoods least of all.

Originally posted by pgreene
i would be a hoods kind of guy, buy my stem's far too long. being in the hoods makes me lock out my arms, which is jarring after a while. thus, i ride the hoods until it hurts, then move up to the elbows (?just made that up?) or the drops. drops if i'm the one pulling. if you see me on the tops, it's cause i've (in the immortal words of Paul) cracked wide open!
Were you properly fitted? You should never lock your elbows while you're on the hoods. It's bad for your body to take all that punishment.

Combination of one hand on the top and the other on a hood. I like to alternate hands. Some drops for descents. Tops too. Heck, I'm all over the place.

cadd-
nope, not even close to properly fitted. i knew the frame size was close, and it was a great deal. figured i'd get it and swap out the stem, then left the city where i bought it for the summer. i'll swap out the four-foot stem on there now for something closer to the 100 mm range, which should take care of it.

Originally posted by pgreene
cadd-
nope, not even close to properly fitted. i knew the frame size was close, and it was a great deal. figured i'd get it and swap out the stem, then left the city where i bought it for the summer. i'll swap out the four-foot stem on there now for something closer to the 100 mm range, which should take care of it.
You should visit an LBS and get fitted properly. I think it's a $50 charge...and they'll do adjustments for you in the years to come for free.

I spend most of my time on the hoods. I have found though that when I am seaching for a new hand position (to rest them) that I am quite comfortable just slightly back on the bar from the hoods sometimes even to the bend. Then I go back to the hoods again. I don't get to ride in the drops very often as it seems that I am forever going up hill.

Whoa! I am surprised to find myself in a significant minority selecting the tops. Unless I am in a group, I always ride the tops until I am in a situation where I need to be near the brakes, then I slide up to the hoods. I also shift to the hoods or drops from time to time just to shift positions. In a group/paceline I shift between the hoods and drops. I am very comfortable on hoods or drops, but the tops are more comfortable for casual riding.
Regards,
Raymond

Originally posted by RainmanP
Whoa! I am surprised to find myself in a significant minority selecting the tops. Unless I am in a group, I always ride the tops until I am in a situation where I need to be near the brakes, then I slide up to the hoods. I also shift to the hoods or drops from time to time just to shift positions. In a group/paceline I shift between the hoods and drops. I am very comfortable on hoods or drops, but the tops are more comfortable for casual riding.
Regards,
Raymond
I would ride the tops more if there were less people around.

Hoods the majority of the time, especially in traffic.
Drops on downhills, and flats.
Tops for long gradual climbs.

I have noticed the Pro's can sprint in the drops, whenever I try this it feels like I'm going to loose control, I also feel crammed like the bike is too small.
Has anyone else tried this?

CHEERS

Mark

I'm usually on the hoods or the drops, unless puttering along socializing with someone.

When riding the hoods, I usually sort of rest the heel of my palm against the front of the hood, and let my fingers wrap around the front, rather than riding with the hood between my thumb and fingers.

If I'm going slow, that usually means I'm on the tops or the hoods. Medium paced usually means I'm still on the tops or the hoods. Pretty fast usually means I'm on the hoods. Really fast means I'm in the drops.

Sometimes my hands get tired from riding the hoods too long and I get numb. I think there's a pressure point diagonally down from your thumb, and you get a weird feeling if you're resting on the hoods on with your hands in that position.

Does anyone have the same problem?

Hey Cadd-

I do too, at times, like when I've been standing but not pedaling (??? I don't know why I do ???) for a bit too long, and there's too much pressure right where you're talking about. Kinda like the numb "Happy Jack" syndrome from a bike seat that just doesn't work you you, or bad shoes.

I was riding 70% hoods and 25% tops and the remaining 5% in the drops.

BUT, I started reading Rivendales BS and changed stem types and raised my handlebar dramatically and now ride 35% in the drops with the remaining 40% and 25% tops. wiered huh?