Riding Head Down, You Too?
 

I realize I've spent more saddle time this summer riding on my "fast" bikes, i.e. bars below saddle height and using the drops more. The result seems to be I'm focusing 20-30 feet in front of my bike, somewhat head down position. Someone drove by me and mentioned later they saw me out hammering my way across town, "head down".

This seems like a dangerous habit to get into. Is this simply an age thing? Are you finding you aren't looking around anymore but focusing directly ahead? If you are riding fully in the hoods or drops, are you really head up, looking around & in the distance?

Actually, I was wondering the same thing yesterday. On a thirty or forty mile ride, my head is up enough to look over the shoulder of the guy in front of me in the line or down the road if I'm in front or alone. At about mile sixty-five, because of neck fatigue I'm just peeking up to look down the road for maybe five out of twenty seconds, otherwise I'm focused twenty or thirty feet down the road.

Legs, back, arms, and lungs are fine, the only thing that gets me on longer rides is my neck.

Does anyone have recommendations for techniques on the bike and exercise off the bike to combat neck fatigue? By the way, my seat to bar drop is about 1 3/4 inches.

1. For most of us, the drops are reserved for when we want lowered wind resistance - descents or riding onto a headwind, and used maybe 10% of the time or thereabouts.

2. Don't tilt your head back. Tuck in your chin and move your neck back along with your head.

3. Consider raising your bars.

Before I got hurt recently, I got to where I was head down hammering away on long flats or low hills. Seems something in me wants to go fast on the flats and hammer the low hills, I can't explain it. But in that case I'm head down, not looking around or "otherwise" enjoying myself. But I still don't hammer the downhills or steep uphills either. Too old and too large to do that just yet. ;)

Have two road bikes- Boreas which has the bars 4" below the saddle and the TCR-C which did have the bars a bit higher. Not done much riding this year but I found that if the ride was around 60miles or more then the TCR is used. Both bikes ride the same but after 60 miles- the higher bars on the TCR were a bit more comfortable. So what has happened this year? Less miles and for comfort I have dropped the bars on the TCR down to 4" below the saddle.

Planning a Metric on sunday so I'll take Boreas- just to see how much core strength I have to build up---That and the fact that it hasn't been ridden since last service and the TCR needs cleaning.

I did the Big Dam Bridge ride this weekend. 55 miles of official ride and about 15 miles of riding to the start and riding home from the ride.

I took my recumbent. It's a little slower, but allowed me a great view. Others were head down, hammering up the hills and I was enjoying the view.

The most amazing sight of the whole ride? On one of the worst hills, one that had almost everyone walking, the fastest cyclist was a 60+ year old man on his recumbent. He flew up the hill. Neck strain doesn't make you faster.

I frequently ride in the drops or hoods with a forward lean and bent arms and have no problem looking ahead. My bikes are set up aggressively with significant saddle to bar drops. I recall a few years ago that I would become fatigued at times and tended to get a sore neck while trying to look ahead. Now days that is not an issue. I think being able to look ahead with your head raised is trainable. In my case it may be from doing core and resistance work in the off season, riding more miles or just having the need to look ahead and adapting.

I'm on the hoods more than anything, but in the drops a lot as well. It's like driving a car: you constantly scan. In a car, you aren't looking straight ahead, you are scanning your mirrors so you are aware of what's around you. On a bike, you are scanning further ahead; up close; to the sides; behind... staying attentive to any and all threats, and to sights you might enjoy enough to look a bit longer. Do I reduce the amount of time I spend looking further ahead if I'm 'hammering'. Maybe. But if I'm in the drops a whole lot, I'm probably in a group, and don't need to see quite as far ahead. Solo, I am going for the workout more than speed, and so there is less reason to be in the drops. I just do it enough when solo to make sure I'm not getting lazy about it.

I've lost some of my gut this summer and put new bars on bike #2. Now I ride in the drops (on both bikes) a lot more than before. I hold my head so that I can see at least a few hundred feet down the road with no problem.

If the truth were told stupid damn "drops" cause the rider to ride blind while straining the neck into an unnatural kink that will do harm in time.

Everybody has to be a racer boy wanna be. Bah! Humbug!

What is the point of riding at all when you don't/can't see where you're going or have been********************?

Stupid. Really stupid "drops" are..............

When I took my bike in for a fitting recently, I told my fitter that I spent about 90% of my ride in the drops. I am not a racer. He said that practice usually indicated the bike was improperly set-up. The other BSGs concurred.

He raised my saddle, shortened the stem and turned the bars out. It works much better for me now. I spend much more time in the hoods which translates to no neck strain and better visibility. Saturday I rode 78 miles and felt great at the end of it.

I tell you what, Nightshade. You keep being a wanna be in your endeavors, or, by the sound of your post and sig, someone who doesn't want to try anything hard, or heaven forbid, anything new. Me? I'll keep having fun being the real deal. In everything I do. :) :thumb:

I move from hoods to drops frequently and have no problem with vision in the drops, in fact, I'm very comfortable in the drops.

A couple weeks ago I recommended a Trek 7.5 fx to new rider. He wanted a bike for general riding and commuting in traffic.

A serious roadie, who thinks everyone should be a roadie, asked why I recommended a hybrid.
Comfort and visibility is the reason. This thread hits the the issue dead center.

Heads up.

I did the BDB 68. I hear that BIG hill is called Big Rock Hill, and it kicked my tail.

(sorry to the OP for the OT!)

DPN

Jeez, I didn't say anything about fitness, pain, bike fit, technique, etc. ( the usual BF favorite subjects.) What I was getting at the tendency to stop looking around and develop tunnel vision; focusing directly in front of you, dropping your head and just spinning mile after mile. Voluntarily.

Anyway, I think skilsaw gets my point. What do they call in cars...highway hypnosis? Anyway, I think I need more MTB and cruiser time.

Damn, "white line fever"...! That's the reference I was going for.

I ride for fitness, fun, transportation, and the scenery. I do not race or engage in hyper-competitive group-riding one-upmanship. Hundredths of a second in aero efficiency mean nothing to me. So the top of my bar is set at seat level, affording a great view of traffic on the tops and all-day comfort on the hoods. I go to the drops only in a headwind, maybe 5 or 10 per cent of the time. If you are just going to look down at the road or at the spandexed butt of the guy ahead of you, why bother riding a real bike at all. Just go to spin class.

I do have to fight against the tendency to keep my head down. I've looked up just in time to barely miss obstacles, other riders, my turn etc. more than a few times. I really like to keep a smooth line when I ride, so I frequently focus more on that than keeping my situational awareness up. thanks for the reminder.

Riding Head Down, You Too?

The title of this thread prompted me to read it because I have posted a few times about the mental benefits of riding with my head, and more specifically my eyes up.

You know... Neanderthals couldn't lift their heads either. :innocent:

My road bikes now have moustache bars, and I also ride a 'bent. IMHO, there's no real point to drops except in competition. If you like to 'feel' like you're in a race, and find that motivates you, that's cool.

Even when it is just my homeward commute, when I'm working against a 30+ MPH headwind, I find a definate point to riding in the drops.

That is the way I ride my bike. Never thought much of it. It feels good to me to be tucked in. Also, I ride the same way on my motorcycle, flat on the tank, feet on rearsets, elbows bent, my legs, stomach and lower back muscles support me. Not much on my wrist, my arms are all aways bent, bike and motorcycle. If you ask me everybody has their style. ;)

Yet another version of the universally off-target "I don't _______ because I don't race" line. :rolleyes: