Originally Posted by
Alaraine
Im new to this stuff, and i don't really understand the question, what does "Down in the Drops" mean... from what i know i gather that it has something to do with hand position on the handle bars?
Anyway going from that assumption, i don't stay in one position for long on my bike i switch back and forth. i live in portland oregon so it really depends where in portland i am, if there are a lot of stop lights and stop signs, mostly upright but still switch back and forth.
"In the drops" refers to having a handlebar and hand position as seen in any of the first few pictures in this Google Search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...=2560&bih=1537
Riding upright (or heck walking) naturally causes shoulder discomfort with a messenger bag, because ALL that load is hanging vertically off one side of your spinal column. Riding in the drops (or as close as a position as you can get), the load is perpendicular to your back like a book shelf (the straps therefore serve only to hold the load on top of you)-and therefore you're not giving yourself scoliosis. All this is why all those stupid students looking trendy walking around a campus with messenger bags loaded with books are being stupid-they're wrecking their backs.