deacon mark

I ride in the drops or on the hoods, but never on the tops. I am the only person who does this? BTW I live in the flatlands so going up steep grades might make a difference.

cthenn

Can't answer your question re: "only" person who does this, but I ride on the tops on the flats when I want to just softpedal. Not so stretched out, more relaxing position. Also, I feel sorry for you, no hills...ugh where's the joy?

Jakedatc

Nope, I don't use the tops even when i'm sitting up cruising. I use my hoods to climb steep stuff so i can get the best leverage. cruising around i will back my hands up to where it curves near the tops once in a while.

Pirkaus

I ride the tops climbing and relaxed pace on the flat for a change of position
Pirk

Seattle Forrest

Rarely use the tops, except going uphill or occasionally to move around on a long ride. When I'm in the city, I like being able to access the brakes as quickly as possible.

rpenmanparker 

1/2 tops, 1/2 hoods. Almost never drops. All flat. And BTW there is plenty of joy on the flats. I can't stand hills. I would rather headwind. All what you get used to. Go figure.

Ghazmh

Drop, hoods or aero bars. When I replaced the bar grip I bunched it kind thick for added comfort. The grip ends at the curve to the top of my bars.

Slackerprince

Are you in Florida?


S

coasting 

nothing wrong with the tops.

rpenmanparker 

Nah, Houston, TX where, to paraphrase Archie Bell and the Drells, we bike most as good as we walk. Seriously, a good, long railroad overpass is the closest thing to a hill for about 50 miles. It can get pretty interesting on the way up to Austin, but that is nowhere near here.

Robert

Campag4life

I use all positions and as it turns out, bar position is really a compromise between all three...some positions maybe better than others for you.
For example I determine my saddle to handlebar drop by my body position in the hooks. This maybe more or less optimal for the hoods and/or tops.

Clipped_in

I ride the tops for climbing, sometimes just cruising, bumpy rough roads, and when I want a very aero TT position. For the latter I slide back on the saddle, bring the elbows in, grab the tops next to the stem and "dial it up to 400 watts"! For me, this is a really good aero position when just cranking it up on relatively flat roads. It's not unlike an aero tuck on a TT bike, just moved back and bunched up a bit.

Bob Dopolina 

I ride mostly on the tops, then the hoods with elbows dropped and pushed in with a flat back for extended speedy bits. The drops are for uber fast aggressive stuff.

Seated climbing is the tops. Climbing out of the saddle is for the hoods.

Winning solo is hands in the air blowing kisses (in case you were wondering).

Clipped_in

I have'nt used that position too much...

Looigi

How high and what's the reach to your bars? If they're high and close, the tops may not be that appropriate. If they're low and forward then the tops may become more useful. A typical performance oriented setup has the bars low and forward to lower the torso and decrease drag when on the hoods and even more so in the drops.

dmcdam

If I'm riding in the tops it means either I'm really puffing and looking for a rest, or my back is looking for a change of position on a long ride. Both happen fairly often.

coasting 

i m on tops more than half the time.

Campag4life

Your post as an experienced cyclist really underscores how we are different. I too have been riding a long time. Because our priorities are different...you only use your drops for extreme efforts and I ride in the drops 50% of time when cruising or hammering on the flats, we likely set up handlebar much different. No doubt mine is higher to make the drops more usable.
So OP the point is, you have to go with your preferences at the end of the day. On common link between Bob and I is we both like to cruise on the tops with elbows in...including fast flat riding. But....I no doubt use the hoods and drops a lot more based upon what Bob wrote. YMMV is the point.

TexMac

Me too Houston, tx but the wind sometimes is brutal like climbing.

TexMac

I"m trying to learn how to place my hands on my road bikes handlebar like e TT bike and always get afraid of crashing.

Campag4life

Key there is to set your bar height to agree with your flexibility. If you watch pros, they literally melt to the handlebar in that position. There isn't any tension and its a pretty secure position. If you lack flexibility and your bar is placed too low, this will be an awkward if not unsafe position.
Lack of flexibility creates too much tension if trying to ride in too low a position which affects not only power production but unsafe steering.
If you want to confirm this, raise your handlebar with a riser stem and then try the TT position.
Hope this makes sense.

rpenmanparker 

That's true, but you never have to worry about stopping on an upgrade and not being able to get started again before you fall over due to the slope. Heck, who am I kidding? I don't like the wind either!

TexMac

Makes a lot of sense.
My handle bar is low so thats an issue.
The other day I was at our gym and was on an ergonomic bike, found myself enjoying my hands on TT position so much that i ended up cycling for 2 hours till i was getting dizzy.