Originally Posted by
Fiery
What mileage would that be, and how many miles in a typical ride?
And what does "set up properly" mean? If you had a drop bar, maybe you could set it up to be even more efficient, at the cost of having to change your hand position from time to time. Of course, you probably don't need to be more efficient, but that's why there are all the different handlebar designs.
Over 3000 miles a year with most of that coming from my work commute at 45-55 minutes at a time. “Properly set up” for me means bars about even with the saddle height regardless of type, and the stem length chosen for a comfortable reach. I rode drop bars exclusively in the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s, and even after fiddling with the height, angle and stem lengths I found nothing magical about them. I always had mild hand pain and the need to shake out my hands every so often.
Then I bought my first hybrid in 93 which gave me indexed shifters at my fingertips without leaving the bars/brakes. This made it quite easy for me to say goodbye to drop bars and down tube shifters even though I still sometimes had mild hand pain just about as often. Installing Ergon grips helped and sealed the deal.
For my personal needs and riding style, drop bar works best, and I don't ride a road bike. I simply prefer the palms inward position over the palms down one, and the ability to get down in the drops is just a bonus.
Right. What I don’t understand is how so many can assume that what works best for them
must also be best for everyone else. And it almost always seems to be the drop bar fanatics doing the preaching.