Fifty Plus (50+) - Flipped? Or unflipped?

For those of you whose bikes have drop bars:

Have you flipped the bar up a tad, so the brake hoods are closer to you, or not. Discuss.

Bonus question: how much do you go down into the drops? I've tried to do this when I'm trying to break 35 mph going downhill but it feels really sketchy and I chicken out.

I carry allen wrenches with me on long rides, Flipping bars up only for comfort. I'd estimate on an endurance ride (did 42 wed evening, 27 this evening)
BEST GUESS: I'm 60 % on the hoods (always in traffic, always climbing except below as noted, curvy downhills), 25% in the drops - (sprints, straight downhill runs & long steady stretches for endurance), 12.5 % on the top handlebars (between intervals, a break, or back needs stretching) , & ~2.5 % off - standing up i.e. taking a break, or showing off .:rolleyes:

Yes I ride a lot no hands. I'm blessed to be able to ride near on a road very good good curves with little or no traffic.

I like the STI's to be perpendicular to the ground. Its a long reach, but as said on long rides or recovery rides, I'll move them up till upper part of bar looking from side is parallel to ground.

One bike flipped and one bike unflipped. I had to flip one bike as I bought it used and the former owner had the fork cut a little too low for me. My saddle height was higher than his due to my longer legs.

Not flipped (but slightly up from pure flat). I'm completely on the hoods about 30% of the time. Just behind the hoods (about an inch behind with my hand touching the base of the hoods) on the flat ramp of my Noodle bars about 40%. On the tops about 20% - mostly on longer climbs. In the drops about 10% - fast downhills, into headwinds, leading pacelines etc.

Not flipped (but slightly up from pure flat). I'm completely on the hoods about 30% of the time. Just behind the hoods (about an inch behind with my hand touching the base of the hoods) on the flat ramp of my Noodle bars about 40%. On the tops about 20% - mostly on longer climbs. In the drops about 10% - fast downhills, into headwinds, leading pacelines etc.

definition confusion. I'm alwys in the hoods ala your second scenerio. I never have rode with my hands completely on the hoods. Can You Do That?????? (Is that allowed????:) )

definition confusion. I'm alwys in the hoods ala your second scenerio. I never have rode with my hands completely on the hoods. Can You Do That?????? (Is that allowed????:) )
Once again, pix would help! :)

ridding on the top of bars, flipped up

Years ago I ran the bars with the tops 3-4 inches below the saddle. Now I can't bend like that, so I have the tops 1 inch or so below the saddle. I'm long legged, so I use an uncut fork with an up-angled stem. I cruise the flats with my palms on the hoods, climb with my hands on the tops, and descend or fight the wind in the drops. I have hit 53 mph before.

Riding in the drops

Top of hoods (Floyd) and ridings as I ride in the hoods (cyclists to right)

definition confusion. I'm alwys in the hoods ala your second scenerio. I never have rode with my hands completely on the hoods. Can You Do That?????? (Is that allowed????:) )

I'm probably not being clear in my descriptions. To me, fully on the hoods means my hand is resting in the curve of the hoods so that I have access to the brakes (in the case of those demonic brifter contraptions most of you use, you would also have access to the shifters).
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/th_DSCF3834.jpg (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/DSCF3834.jpg)

My resting position is slightly behind that where my hands are not actually on the rubber hood but resting on the bar with the outer edge of the rubber hoods touching the front edge of my hands. To use the brakes I have to slide my hands forward.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/th_DSCF3835.jpg (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/DSCF3835.jpg)

I'm probably not being clear in my descriptions. To me, fully on the hoods means my hand is resting in the curve of the hoods so that I have access to the brakes (in the case of those demonic brifter contraptions most of you use, you would also have access to the shifters).
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/th_DSCF3834.jpg (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/DSCF3834.jpg)

My resting position is slightly behind that where my hands are not actually on the rubber hood but resting on the bar with the outer edge of the rubber hoods touching the front edge of my hands. To use the brakes I have to slide my hands forward.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/th_DSCF3835.jpg (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/DSCF3835.jpg)

I ride same as top picture, Don't ride bottom picture much at all
Thanks.

Thanks for the pics, they help.

I use all kinds of positions on my bike. I finally "get" what people were saying about the choices of hand position on a drop bar, compared to a flat bar, even with bar-ends. I have no idea what percentage, but I like being right on the hoods, probably followed by on the tops (the flat part, right?) and last and least in the drops (when dealing with a headwind, mostly).

Dazed and confused. I thought flipping was turning your stem so that the bars were lower or higher if that was your desire??

I ride same as top picture, Don't ride bottom picture much at all
Thanks.

Before the Noodle bars, I rarely used that position. But the flat ramp on those bars is so comfortable, it has become my favorite position.

I have twisted bars all over the place. On my present bike they are level and about an inch below the seat. I ride 98% of time somewhere on top of bar or hoods. When going down hills really fast I'd like to tuck down into the drops but the reach to the brakes gets scary.

Dazed and confused. I thought flipping was turning your stem so that the bars were lower or higher if that was your desire??
Make that two of us. I know what "flipped" bars means over here, obviously, it means something else than the definition I'm used to.

Dazed and confused. I thought flipping was turning your stem so that the bars were lower or higher if that was your desire??

That is what I would call flipping the stem. From the OP's question, I took what he meant to be rotating the bars upward toward the rider. I've never heard that called flipping before, but I think I understood what he was talking about.

Normally I would think "flipping" would involve either hitting the front brakes too hard or buying a junker bike, fixing it up and selling it for a profit.

"Flipped off" is what it suggests to me. Hard to flip a Nitto conventional stem. My Noodles are parallel to the ground and I leave them that way. My Campy brifters have the hoods turned very slightly up but not much-- I like a straight wrist and find it uncomfortable to look at some of the almost vertically erect brake hoods some people adopt. I spend serious time on my aero bars but, discounting them, about 60/40hoods /drops. With my bars 1.5 inches below the saddle, drops are comfortable for me.

My drops are parallel to the road. Like BluesDawg pictures I spend most of the time with my hands slightly behind the hoods or on the hoods. I use the drops for windy conditions and some hills. Most hills around here are rollers or short and steep so I normally end up standing if necessary for that last push to the top. Due to arthritis in the right thumb I use the left brake from the drops and seldom use the right brake unless it's a panic stop.

I started riding my Pilot 2.1 with the stem angle up and flipped it down a few weeks ago. I believe it was 7 degree angle up so flipping would make it 7 degrees down. I found after flipping that I can ride more on the hoods and less in the drops in windy conditions and when I do go to the drops my knees start hitting my belly a bit, someday I hope this is my chest:D

I have always been blessed with good flexability, even at 205lbs I was able to place my palms flat on the ground doing toe touches.

"Flipped Off" ? Boy am I thinking the wrong thing.

Flipped down.

I ride on the hoods mostly. On the drops only in a headwind or at what passes for me as speed. Bar tops, just to sit up and stretch for a few seconds.

I'm lost. How do you flip a stem? Is this a detail I don't really want to know?

I'm lost. How do you flip a stem? Is this a detail I don't really want to know?
If I show you how, you have to promise to do just the opposite of everything I do, unless you want parts all over the floor!

I'm lost. How do you flip a stem? Is this a detail I don't really want to know?
You take the stem off and turn it upside down. At that point the stem will be about horizontal, making you look more Lancish. Not something most 50+ year old backs appreciate.

Flip it!

http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/2002ArkNatHist/Projects/ArnoldL/Images/Armadillo_dead_a02.jpg

Did the Possom make it?

Did the Possom make it?

That's an armadillo, playing possum.

For those of you whose bikes have drop bars:

Have you flipped the bar up a tad, so the brake hoods are closer to you, or not. Discuss.

Bonus question: how much do you go down into the drops? I've tried to do this when I'm trying to break 35 mph going downhill but it feels really sketchy and I chicken out.

I haven't flipped a thing on the bike (although I've flipped off some very deserving individuals). I ride off the hoods mostly, and in my drops about 40% of the time. I get more power in that position, I go faster, and I have better control of the bike. It helps that I'm flexible, so I rarely experience back pain.

On long rides (>50 miles) I'll alternate hand positions frequently, to alleviate boredom and overuse discomfort.

That's an armadillo, playing possum.

Armadillo = Possum on the half-shell.

That's an armadillo, playing possum.

If possoms had shells, this is what they would look like.

I ride at least 70% in the drops as it seems to distribute my weight better. Probably 25% on the hoods and the rest just moving around the top of the bars a little. I have no problem shifting/braking from the drops, but if I am coming up on a corner or the bottom of a hill where I am going to stop really fast, I feel better braking from the hoods. My wife rides 95% on the hoods and the rest on top of her bars. I have never seen her in the drops.

You take the stem off and turn it upside down. At that point the stem will be about horizontal, making you look more Lancish. Not something most 50+ year old backs appreciate.

Back in the good old days, frames were sized so that the headsets were high enough that a stem at a reasonable height and parallel to the ground would put the bars at a comfortable position. Now that frames have evolved to mimic pro racing bikes, it is often impossible to get a comfortable position without a freakishly long steerer and lots of shims (on a threadless stem/fork) or a stem that angles up.

Traditional stems are angled about 17 degrees below a 90 degree L shape. This combined with a typical 73 degree head tube angle puts the top of the stem level with the ground. A 90 degree stem would angle up 17 degrees. Flipping a stem designed to be level will make it angle up about 34 degrees from level.

Then there are those of us with classic and vintage bikes scratching our heads wondering, "If I flip the stem, by turning it upside down, how do I attach it to the bike?"

Then there are those of us with classic and vintage bikes scratching our heads wondering, "If I flip the stem, by turning it upside down, how do I attach it to the bike?"

Yep ;)

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/th_DSCF0152.jpg (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/DSCF0152.jpg)

Then there are those of us with classic and vintage bikes scratching our heads wondering, "If I flip the stem, by turning it upside down, how do I attach it to the bike?"

Who said quills weren't hard to work with?........:D

Who said quills weren't hard to work with?........:D

But who needs to flip a quill stem? Just loosen one bolt, slide it up and tighten the bolt.

Believe it or not there is a ISO standard for the position of the brake lever on dropped bars: if you place a straightedge along the bottom of the bar end (drops) and allow it to extend forwards, the bottom of the lever should just touch the top of the straightedge. Got this from some Italian Modolo (sp?) brakes I bought some time ago. You can then flip from there!

But in answer to the OP's question, yes, I have tilted my bars up slightly so I can ride more comfortably on the hoods. I ride 60% on hoods, 20% on curve above hoods, 15% on tops and 5% on drops - all approx.