Poll: Hand position, Bar drop or bar tops?
 

This is for those commuters using road bikes with drop style handbars: What percentage of your ride time will you spend using the lower "drops" section of your handlebars?

Even more time in the drops since I went to FSA wing pro shallow drop bars, Man are they comfy! My new favorite bars ever.

It usually depends. If I am commuting with my wife, I am not on the drops for any section of the ride. That is because my wife is a slow rider, and I stay behind her all the time so I dont need to go aerodynamic. If I am alone, I try to hammer, and thats when I stay on the drops.

Seeing as I got my road bike with drop bars just this weekend, this should be easy. I figure I spent most of the time on the hoods, but maybe a quarter or third in the drops. I bought the bike specifically to allow me to cut low out of the wind more than on my flat bar.

I went for less that 25% because I only use the drops for nasty headwinds, especially since installing a pair of cyclocross style brake levers on the tops.... I don't know how I ever managed without them.

0% No need to be there on my commute, unless I have a strong head wind. About 5% on the tops, the rest of the time I am on the hoods.

Now that I'm using bar-end shifters, I keep my hands at the ends of my drops a little over half of my ride. It's not that bad though since the top of the bar is about 1-1.5" over the top of my seat and the bars have a pretty shallow drop.

On my other bikes I almost never use the drops since the bars are much lower.

95% or more in the drops.

I have my bikes setup to facilitate this, though my bar tops are still considerably lower than my seat. I would have to lower my bars at least two inches for my wrists to be comfortable in the hoods... all to get the same comfort and worse shifting and braking. I'd only consider this if I got the bug to build another campy bike (I can't shift campy worth a darn from the drops).

The multiple hand position argument is entirely lost on me, as I'd rather have one good position than three marginal ones.

The missing 5%? Sitting at a stoplight, coasting through a parking lot, or I'll occasionally maintain a cruising speed with my hands at the corners behind the drops. My back stays at the same angle though, with my arms bent.

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Oddly enough... if I'm riding on a trainer I spend about 50% of the time in the hoods. I have no idea why it's tolerable inside, but not out on the road.

about 75% for me. My opinion is that if you find the drops uncomfortable, then your bike doesn't fit properly. drops aren't just for racing, they're there as one of the many hand positions on your bars. On my commuter, they're set up fairly high to be comfy but low enough to get my weight forward and onto the pedals. Basically, anytime on the bike path that I'm not climbing a hill. I use the hoods whenever I need to climb, stand up (very rare), need to sit up to get a good view in traffic, or anytime I'm not putting my weight into my pedals. basically, the default for me is the drops, the hoods are the alternative, second-best hand position for any condition that isn't ideal.

most road bikes now seem to be set up for racers with the drops soo low that they're useless for the majority of riders. I've even heard of people saying "yeah, it's unconfortable in the drops, but you'll spend your time on the hoods...." a complete waste, you're better off with flat bars and bar ends if that's the case. anyway enough rant, but if you find the drops uncomfortable, see if there's a way to get your bars up and back and see if you like them then.

Allan Pollock

I'd say that is a bit of a generalization. I ride primarily on the hoods, and find the drops uncomfortable simply because @ 52 years young my back isn't what it used to be when I was younger.

-R

On a commute? Not much.

On an open road ride? Most of the time.

Once I get a new stem I will be in the drops about 95% of the time. I just find it more comfortable. Currently I probably ride in the drops 50-60% of the time with the rest on the sides of the bar where it curves. I almost never ride on the hoods, unless I'm standing and sprinting and a lot of time that is in the drops anyway.

I'm a commuter not a racer, so very little time in the drops. Mostly on the tops and the hoods. Every so often a good song comes on the ipod and I'm in the mood to hammer home. This usually happens on Fridays.

:)

Since I am having to save up for my commuter rebuild so I am commuting on my fixie. I am in the drops anytime I have to climb out of the saddle and in heavier traffic since it gives me the best access to my brake. About 40% ish

After riding road bikes for almost 20 years, and racing for a few of those, my drops have become purely decorative. On my commuter, the bar tops are a couple of inches below my saddle, and on my road bike that distance grows to 4". I'm pretty aero most of the time, but when I need to cheat the wind a little bit more... I just lean over a couple of inches.

I'd say around 15 to 20%. My commute is 25% open road.

No, you find the drops uncomfortable because of the height you have chosen to place your bar.

In my mind, this poll should center entirely around which hand position people prefer. In reality, most people haven't accepted that their bar height can change more than a couple CM and still believe that flats/hoods are supposed to be more comfortable and drops are for racing and pain.

In my mind, all the people (currently 49) who rarely, if ever, ride in the drops... you've got the wrong handlebars on your bike.

In the day time, I'll use the drops a lot more. At night, I want to create a bigger silhouette so I'm on the hoods.

If you get a chance, I'd love to see a review with some pics. I read a great review in Cycling Plus and was considering these as a Christmas idea.

I can brake just as well from the hoods, I ride mostly on the tops or the hoods, or the bend in between the tops and the hoods. I see the drops as sort of a *Bonus!* position, for when it's a long downhill or a nasty headwind.

look here: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...0Compact%20Bar

and here: http://www.bicycling.com/gear/detail...-629-0,00.html

I'll be honest -- when commuting on my road bike, most of the ride is on the Hudson Greenway so I can have my hands on the tops w/o worrying about brakes (haha especially with the chillier weather -- fewer joggers, dog walkers etc). It's more comfy than then drops or even the brake hoods when I'm riding with a backpack. OTOH when I'm riding for fun or don't need the backpack, I ride mostly on the hoods, with climbs on the tops, and big pulls on the front of a group (or when tryingto stay on the wheel of someone much stronger than I) in the drops.

70% hoods. 25% drops. 5% tops. The hoods are just more natural feeling for me. I hit the drops in the wind and on those sections where I can crank it up. The tops are ok. I just don't like the added wind resistence. I've got in-line brakes and I think I've used them less than 4-5 times ever.

Maybe [just maybe], we like the tops and hoods because we like the tops and hoods... :rolleyes:

My main commuter has moustache bars so for me this question only applies when I ride my "other" bike. When I'm riding with drops I spend most of my time on the hoods and the ramps (flat-ish section right behind the brake-hoods). I'm only in the drops if I'm riding into a stiff headwind or if I'm pretending I'm fast. I voted less than 25%.