CFster

I'm 6'4", 300lbs.+ and am looking to get back into cycling for fitness, primarily on paved trails and the road. I'm ready to buy a Trek 7.3 or 7.4 or a Quick 4 as I like the more upright position afforded by the flat bars. However, I just keep coming across posts on this site where people are saying if you're cycling for fitness you should be riding a dropped bar. You're not getting as much of a workout with a hybrid...

Thoughts?

Flatbroke

It's the motor not the bike in my opinion. You will have to work harder on a hybrid vs a road bike so I'm not sure how you wouldn't be getting as much as a work out especially if your are trying to keep up with fast guys riding a road bike.

Flatbroke

As long as the bike you are riding is comfortable you will more likely ride it vs one that isn't.

Fly2High

I was 214lbs at 6'1". What was recommended to me on this was that flat bars do not offer many hand positions yet a drop bar has 3 - tops, hoods and drops. The varying positions does change the spine angle and the ability to move to different positions allows one to ride longer.

I ended up purchasing an endurance road bike also called a relaxed geometry road bike. Either way you look at it, the saddle is more apt to be even with the handlebar instead of above it. this puts you into a stance with less forward lean making for a more comfortable riding position but less aero.

Not all drop bar bikes are meant for racing.


In the end, whatever makes you love riding and gets you to use it will be great.

RISKDR1

when you are a big guy the hand pressure can get pretty high. I think you want as many hand positions as possible. Seem to me flat bars don't give enough hand positions to allow you to move your hands around. Drops provide more possibilities. I also like trekking bars and have a bike with them and like them very much.

Black wallnut 

What are your goals and ambitions? You can get enough exercise to improve your health and lose weight with a comfort or hybrid bike. If your ambitions are for rides longer than an hour you might want to look at drop bar bikes of a more relaxed geometry.

Wilfred Laurier

If you are comfortable with one bar style then there is no problem sticking with it.

Many people (myself included) find that drop bars are better for longer rides because of the multiple hand positions, but there are flat-bar based alternatives (bar-ends or butterfly bars for example) that will accomplish the same things.

As for 'not getting as much of a workout' - that is total BS. If you put X watts of power into your pedals for Y hours then you get the same workout regardless of what type of handlebars you have. If, however, your bars are limiting the length of time you can spend on your bike then your workout will be limited by the bars. However, no two people are the same, and there are people who ride 10km at a time on 'endurance road bikes' and people who ride 200 km at a time on hybrids. Ride with what gets you out riding and enjoying yourself, and don't worry about what people (myself included) say about how your bike 'should' be set up.

The only other advantage to drop bars is that they often can be used to get more aerodynamic, and sometimes (but definitely not always) get you into a position where you can generate a bit more power with your glutes. And going a bit faster can make the ride feel a bit more rewarding, which could result in riding for longer or more often.

LGHT

Good question. When I started out I thought I would be fine with a flat bar commuter. I thought I would like a more 1 because I also wanted a more upright position and 2 because I really wanted to be sure that I would actually ride the bike before getting anything new. However after a few weeks of riding I found I really enjoyed riding fast and hard. I started off by doing 2 miles and eventually ended up doing 20 and realized I had a lot more in me. As a result about 2 months later I picked up a dedicated road bike with drop bars as I knew I would need them eventually. At first I didn’t use the drops much, but as I got better, stronger and faster I slowly moved into the drops more and more as riding in the drops allows me to get a more aero and hide from the head winds.

masi61

Another advantage to drop bars is for increased balance & safety while descending at high speeds.

bassjones

I much prefer drop bars for distances greater than 20 miles, which if you're serious at all, you'll hit pretty quickly. The ability to change hand and body positions is invaluable the further you go. Hybrids are great for city riding, bike trails and that sort of thing, but for any sort of distance, drop bars are the way to go. Probably want to look at endurance geometry or more relaxed fit road bikes - Synapse, Domane, Roubaix, Surly Pacer, Salsa Collossal, etc...

WonderMonkey

As mentioned above whatever bike configuration you will get on is what will work. However I transitioned from one to the other so I'll tell you why, etc.

I rode more of a flatbar at first because....
- The bike I bought had the flatbar. I bought the bike because it was beefier
- I HAD to ride more upright because getting into the drops was very difficult because my belly was in the way. It would hinder my breathing.
- Off the shelf it had beefier rims
- I didn't know enough to know that I could have modified (handlebars, rims, etc) a road bike to do all that

I lost some weight and showed myself I was going to stick with it so I got a road style bike. Why?
- I liked doing between 30-40 miles and wanted to go faster. Sure it's "the engine" but when "the engine" is running a more efficient machine you go faster/further
- When I got the bike I still couldn't get in the drops comfortably though it was WAY better than when I started. I kept working and now I can ride in the drops
- My road style bike is lighter and I tended to not "mash" as much. I could work the entire spin and stop furthering an imbalance I was developing. I could have worked on that with my heavier bike but I suck so I didn't
- With my drops I have a few more hand positions to get into to keep the hands comfy for longer
- Being in the drops and generally bent over more takes a bit of pressure off my rump

MattFoley

This just doesn't make any sense, although there are people who seem to think this is true, or talk about it in such a way that might lead a new cyclist to think so. Really, you'll probably get more of a workout on a hybrid because they're typically less aerodynamic and weigh a bit more.

CFster

Is it possible to change from flat to dropped bars on a hybrid if I find I want more hand positions?

CFster

It it didn't to me either. It seems you can put more power to the pedals in a dropped bar position, but that's just to go faster, not for a better workout.

I find a dropped position uncomfortable because of my size.

obed7

Yes it is, but you will have to change your shifters and brake levers and cables, as flat bar style will not work on drop bars... so you will spend a few bucks.

WonderMonkey

Me too, initially. How about getting a bike with bars then as you ride and learn more about what you want down the road you get a bike with drops as a reward for sticking with it, losing enough weight to get into the drops, etc.

beakersbike

You're best bet if you want to do that would be to get Trekking bars. They're kind of a funky figure 8 look to them, but they're a much less costly way to go than changing to drop bars. You can still use your old shifters and brakes. Nashbar and XLC have them for around $20. In fact you can put them on yourself, probably the biggest hassle is getting the grips off your existing bars so you can move the shifters and levers over. They give you about 3 or 4 different hand positions. I had them on an old comfort bike and they were really the best option for that bike. Right now I'm building up a Surly Long Haul Trucker and going with the trekking bars on that as well.

Here's a pic - have no idea who this is from, just lifted it off an image search.

MRT2

Yes, but it can get expensive. Maybe more than makes financial sense.

MRT2

Which position? There are 5 different positions you can ride with drop bars. Only 2 of which would be less comfortable than flat bars.

CFster

Well I guess they're called the "hook" and the "drop" positions. I'm not sure why anyone would want dropped bars if they didn't want to use those positions?

MRT2

Because the hoods and the bends are way more comfortable than any flat bar (puts your hands and wrists in a natural position unlike flat bars), and the tops is the same as a flat bar. And even if not all that comfortable, the drops can be used for short periods of time riding into a headwind.

practical

Go with a flatbar. First, if you get a drop bar you'll spend 95% of your time on the drops or hoods which is the equivalent of riding a flatbar. For a large person, sitting more upright will put less stress on your breathing. I don't buy the the "hand fatigue" argument against flatbars at all. I have a flatbar and riding 50-plus miles is no problem. In fact, I used ride drops but found the bar too narrow and that hurt my hands. Back then I never even considered a flatbar, but once I tried one, I never wan ted to go back. Get ergon type grips. You can add bar ends if you want more hand positions, but you can alter your hand positions even without bar ends. Flatbars allow you to sit up and you'll have better visibility which is a very good thing. Have fun.

Van Goghs Ear

I will say my drop bars are always more comfortable on longer rides than my flats, I tend to feel more road vibe and pressure points on my flat bar bikes. That said, my road bike is the only one I've had a pro fit on, so it's not a straight comparison.

Drop bar lends more options in the long run as you get more fit, and is very comfortable on the hoods and tops.

Mandeville

You have to be happy with what you get and you should get what you want if it works. That said: You should consider your weight in combo with desire to ride the road and paved trails. You also want to get a workout. I'm not trying discount in the slightest your question about handle bars but since there are lots of other good posts about the issue consider your riding goals. Do you also want the ability to ride up hills or climb as we say? If so that adds another dimension to your weight. All things considered to do all that I mention you might want to get a mountain bike as opposed to a Urban Fitness bike if you go the flat handle bar route. If you want a drop handle bar configuration I would suggest a standard road bike. (I don't enough about cyclocross bike choices and configuration.) Remember you are really going to want some easy gearing choices for either a road bike or a urban fitness bike and most likely larger tires than stock tires PLUS you may want get stronger than the stock wheels.

So I would think about tires, gears, and wheels first then see what flat bar v drop bars meet those requirement. Good luck to you and have a great time on your new bike.

MRT2

Drop bars come in different widths. If yours were too narrow, you could just switch them out for a wider one.