Originally Posted by
Spoonrobot
Here's a great example of what can happen riding in the hoods (@2:35). This is an experienced rider who got knocked off the hoods due to a embedded rock in the gravel road. His tumbling bike took out another rider as well. I was in front of this crash but even so I now distance myself from riders on the hoods during descents and cornering. It's not as safe a position, even with my 5XL hands I know that the drops are safer and more effective for what's important - staying in control of the bike.
https://youtu.be/7JbJRtszY9g?t=2m30s
Duuuude! Sigh....
I suppose your opinions are the kind which rise out of not seeing or understanding the bigger picture or understanding the basics of posture.
I'm on my phone so briefly: that wasn't a hand position issue. That was a locked upper body and poor riding posture issue.
I wonder about your riding ability in general, because you put WAY TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON HANDS! After you get basics right (ie. Hold onto the bars but don't death grip) the hands or their position should be a complete non issue as they simply are not important. Yes, I said it, hands aren't important.
What is important is balance meaning that in any given situation there is so little weight on your hands that they don't matter. In descending or riding rough terrain most of the riders weight (80 % maybe?) Should be supported by the feet. Especially in descending there should be minimal weight on your hands and butt to a point where you actually steer with your hips. If you've never done proper descents you won't know what that means.
All this panic about hands can even be detrimental to safety as inexperienced riders believe the doomsayers and start putting extra thought and emphasis on their hands, unconsiously shifting their balance forward away from the feet.
If you ride with locked elbows and leaning on the bars like they're a mobility stroller, you're going to have a bad time no matter where you keep your hands. If you balance on your feet, keep the whole upper body relaxed elbows bent, when you hit a bump you won't have an issue.
By the same logic you've shown, people should not use saddles because if they sit on the saddle like a sack of potatoes and hit a pothole, they're going to be launched off said saddle like the saturn V rocket.
I wonder how's your balance on the bike...