when to ride in the drops?
 

are you supposed to ride in the drops all the time? just when you are descending? when? thanks.

matt

When you want to ride at a fast pace by yourself or with a group for a certain distance or a certain period of time, also when your going downhill and want to go at speed. So realisticly you wouldn't ride at the drops all the time because you would end up with a sore back. Which is not appealing. So most people would alternate from the hood to the top of the bar to the drops depending on the speed you want to maintain for a given time or distance.

...when you wanna go FAST!

I would also add going to the drops when fighting a head wind.

opinions vary on this subject and I am sure that some of the "know it alls" in the forum will give you their professional opinion.
You will get a lot of advise, some right, some wrong, but take your replies to this thread and see what the most common answer is and use that advise to your advantage.
I am no professional, nor do I claim to know it all, But here is what I do, right or wrong in others opinions: I personally am always changing positions, I ride in the drops when drafting, descending or when I need to be in an aerodynamic position, like when working on a better average speed or sprints.
I stay on the hoods most of the time because its whats comfortable to me, I also am contiuosly changing my hand positions more for comfort.
All the advise I can give is: just ride, get some technique on when to ride in the drops or when to ride on the hoods, find whats comfortable to you, we all have our own and different riding styles, including you.
Good luck and ride safe

Up until 2 years ago, I would only use the drop position for a period of 5 minutes or less at a time. The pain was immediate and constant, not from the back, but from the crotch. Both saddles on both bikes were the same, it felt like some sort of torture.
After experimenting with different saddles, and extending total reach (top bar length +stem length) I am much more comfortable with it, and now use in over 50% of the time. It is good to have 3 usable positions, and I find I can hold the drop position for one half hour at a time now. It seems more natural, and more stable at speed, and high cadence. Just my two cents!

it depends on the rider and the ride. i prefer to ride in the drops on my road bike when i'm grinding into headwind, sprinting, descending, and just trying to go fast. i ride in the hoods most of the rest of the time. i'll ride in the tops for long climbs.

on my cyclo-cross bike, i ride in the drops about 80 per cent of the time.

Proper bike sizing and tweeking component variables makes a big difference in the usability of the drops. I can't see a reason why it can't be comfortable for the long flat run as well as descending, and speedwork. The back shouldn't have to be bent at such an angle that it is painful to use the drop position, and if the bars are not set too low in relation to the seat, you should be able to keep a good bend in the arms, and not to overstrain the neck. It takes some work to get it right, but after you find it, it is like climbing INTO your bike rather than riding on top of it. Tinkering pays off. It also helps to get rid of the beer belly since that slapping sound may be the thighs hitting the stomach with every rotation. Alterntively, you could get smaller cranks. This may not be your situation, but last spring before dropping some weight, it sure was mine.

...anytime over 50 mph (heh,heh).

Whatever works for you.

It's a multi-use position. A lot of people are on the drops even when climbing.

I prefer to keep the bars high but I always ride from the drops. I find a better wrist position and much more stability, especially in a cross wind or especially with both kids in tow.

I sometimes ride on the tops (never on the hoods) during a slow climb, for example.

So unless you are racing, do what you like best.

You are supposed to ride in the drops when it feels most comfortable to you :)

riding in the drops also brings yur butt muscles into play as well to help with the work.

If you can't ride in the drops for long periods of time, your bike does not fit. If riding in the drops is painful, your bike does not fit.
If you can't ride without pain or numbness from your saddle, your bike does not fit.
You can't "experiment". Go see a fitter and get it sorted out. It's lots cheaper and most riders do not fully understand the implications of a small change on other areas of your riding position.
Really...
FWIW..I'll ride in the drops most of the time. To stretch out a bit, I'll go to the brake hoods.
Generally, if the drops are not comfortable, it's due to too much variation between the seat and the bars...if the stem's the right size, it can usually be fixed with flipping the stem over. Not lowering the seat, assuming that the leg extension was already correct.
And I can tell you stories about riders who flat refuse to have the stem up for "looks" but then ride sitting up most of the time...or how many bikes I've sold to folks who spend most of the time on their old bike riding on the tops of the bars with their hands next to the stem. Because their bike does not fit.
Get your bike to fit.
Really....it's a lot more fun.

It took awhile to get used to riding comfortably in the drops....I use it mostly for head winds, descents, change of position to relax other areas of my body and most of all to leave everyone in my wake as I kill them in the sprint to the finish.....

fit is crucial...I changed my stem to a 130mm and that did the trick for me! (although I still think I should have gotten a 61 or 62 cm frame instead of a 59cm....(im 6'3)

I am 6'2" and a 34" inseam, and ride a 60cm frame...but I was fitted for the entire bike.

FWIW

I mostly ride on the hoods - it feels a bit more relaxed than the drops. Today I felt really strong riding home and I was keeping up with the traffic (a 40 mph road but congested) pretty easily; suddenly, the congestion cleared and the traffic started to accelerate. I needed more pace but I was already roasting along; my legs didn't have any answers; I didn't know what to do - luckily my bike did. It whispered, "Get in the drops". Awesome. It just felt right.

To summarise: make sure that your bike is properly set up, then just ride where you feel you should be riding.

Hope y'all have as much fun as I did today.

I have another problem: In the drops would be the most comfortable position for me if I didn't need to see where I am going. Constant lifting the head to see the road and bending my neck make my neck soar after a while. No problems with the back etc., just the neck. Hence, I have to go back to the hoods...

I usually get on the tops of the bars for speeds over 50 mph...

No stead and fast rule for when to get in the drops. If I'm going into the wind, hammering, etc. then I'll get in the drops. I occasionally climb in the drops when I want to really get my ass, lower back and hamstrings into an out of the saddle climb.

I pretty much use the tops of the bars or the hoods most of the time, but the drops are there for fun stuff. I've known guys that ride almost solely in their drops, though, so it really is a matter of preference.

i don't mean to sound like a broken record, but if you have a visor on your helmet, take it off. helmet visors are for comfort bikes and mtbs.

Thats BS. If a visor works,use it. The mtb jerseys work for me on my road bike so thats what i use. Change stems with more rise if you have to like your head up that much or spacers maybe.