8ounce

I ve been monkeying around on some of the online speed to watts calculators and I have noticed that the speeds it gives me under certain conditions at a certain wattage when in my drops is usually the speed i should have when on my hoods. I have also noticed that the speed gains the calculators given when in the drops is usually about 3 to 4 km/hour higher then when on the hoods. Myself I usually notice an increase of about 1 1/2 km/hour increase. So i was wondering what others experience in speed gains by going into drops to see if my experience is normal. Or perhaps its a sign i really need to work on my position while in the drops to get more aerodynamic. I am thinking that the gains seen on the online calculators may be from very elite athletes that get extremely aggressive in their position which may not be possible for me at this time. So I was hoping to get other observations on this for comparison.

Thanks

jsutkeepspining

it depends. Honestly those online calculators are basically useless for everything besides figuring how fast u can go uphill (at a steady power output) using ur weight and its grade.

grolby

Trying to determine a consistent speed gain from using the drops vs. the hoods is a fool's game. Way too much variation. Just know that it lets you go faster for the same effort and leave it at that.

echotraveler

The position change promotes the use of the entire leg (thats how i like to be fit). Feels like fetal postion that promotes leg power. Less drag always helps.

Lexi01

Huh?

gregf83 

Without going into a wind tunnel or making very careful measurements with a powermeter it's very difficult to get a reasonable estimate of your CdA in the hoods and drops. Even on the hoods there is a large variation depending on how straight your arms are. If I'm on the hoods with my arms at a right angle (at the elbow) there isn't a big change in my body position if I move to the drops with straighter, but still bent arms.

StephenH

About 1-2 mph, one gear up for me.

bike56

1-3 for me,I feel more powerful muscles coming into play, plus the aerodynamics

benajah

About the same here. I have a long flat stretch of road that's quite boring on the approach to my house and sometimes I experiment to see the difference. If I go from bar tops to hoods I get about 1 mph, then I think about 1 more mph going into the drops. I don't have a power meter but I do use RPE and heart rate to estimate equal effort.
the speed you are going makes a big difference too. Aero effects are more the faster you are going. For me this test is usually around 18 mph or so, the end of my training ride coming back home.
must be said that bike fit is critical. If you don't fit we'll, you can lose power in the drops.

vfrjo

I don't know the details of the science behind it, but for me riding in the drops makes it easier to pedal, so you can knock up a gear, and gain a mph or two. I just have to get my phat self fit enough to ride in them a little more.

StanSeven

A couple things you want to look at is your position. Have a friend ride next and eyeball you. Are your arms bent at the elbow? How much? Is your back low?

Alternatively get on a trainer next to a mirror. Be honest with yourself and don't try to get intentionally aero until you mentally see what you are like.

A better alternative is be fitted by someone who's really an expert - ideally gets you with a setup that measures power

ColinL

It helps massively when going into the wind. It helps less so, but still significantly, if you are riding below 15mph and no significant wind.

If you aren't faster in the drops:

a) make sure your fit is right
b) make sure you're flexible enough and comfortable - best way to do this is light stretch before ride, ride in drops a lot, good stretch after ride
c) ride in the drops more.

danvuquoc

Exactly 2.

RChung

This.

Cookiemonsta

Hard to measure. When I go into the drops is usually when I decide to pick it up a notch. All I can say is that the position does seem to help me generate power and get more aero. I also move forward a little on the saddle which helps changing to a more powerful, but less smooth, pedal stroke. It is like having a more aggressive riding position available to you at all times. It should make some difference, but dont expect it to make you go 3-4 mph faster with equal effort.

thump55

I only ride in the drops to get some fresh air flowing into my buttcrack.

merlinextraligh

With a power meter, you can see the speed difference for a given wattage. At 20 mph for me, flat ground, little wind, I'd say the difference between hoods and drops is around .5 to 1 mph.

Kreuzotter puts the difference between on the tops and in the drops at around 2mph (for 170lb rider 160 watts, flat, no wind). My bet is the assumptions behind that assume a very upright position on the tops, and a pretty aero position in the drops. Hoods to drops would be less of a difference.

rangerdavid

definate increase of power for me in the drops, hence, increase in speed (usually, because I don't climb in the drops)

znomit

And yet we flip our stems.

palesaint

I think he was saying that his bike fit was optimized for being in the drops. If you've got your saddle and handlebars set up such that you can comfortably get into a nice smooth aero position then you will spend more time in that position. If you like an up-right fit, you will likely be unfortable in the drops, with probably a not very smooth pedal stroke.

Anyway, the only time I really notice an advantage to being in the drops if when I'm facing a headwind. I can get 2-4mph more speed with the same effort, which can significantly save time.

hhnngg1

One of the better comparisons. While not quite scientific, a lot of cyclists have confirmed their results.

https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/a...is-aero-19273/

Terex

Yes, mostly this. Most people (recreational riders) get fitted for optimum effort while on the hoods. My fitter told me to place my hands in a comfortable position on the bars - "Not on the hoods, you dummy, the drops!". As long as I'm in decent shape, and haven't put too much flab around the middle, I am far more comfortable in the drops than on the hoods. Power generation is much better, and the bike and I feel like a single entity.

531Aussie

For those who don't know, it's not just about holding the drops, you've also gotta get your head and upper body down. In this test, which I think is on an indoor velodrome, the rider dropped nearly 60 watts (!!!) of drag, just by getting low in the drops.

They first put Uwe Peschel on a 'normal' road bike

Required output (in watts) to sustain 45km/h (on a velodrome)

Stevens San Remo road bike with 32-spoke wheels and hands on hoods: 465 Watts
Same as above, but with hands down on the drops: 406 watts
Same as above, but with Easton Aeroforce aero bars: 369 Watts
Same as above, but with 'triathlon position' (bars lower + saddle forwards): 360 W
Same as above, with 2 carbon tri-spoke wheels: 345 Watts
Cervelo TT bike with two tri-spoke wheels: 328 Watts
Cervelo TT bike with tri-spoke front + disk rear wheel : 320w
Same as above, but with Giro aero helmet: 317w
Same as above, but with speed suit: 307w

It's in German:
https://www.dk-content.de/tour/pdf-ar...erial_0107.pdf

lazerzxr

If you talk about the drops in a power thread, people say they get more power in the drops because they "engage different muscles" but if you ask about the drops in a fit thread people tell you to raise your bars becasue you lose power when you get too low Most of these comments are from people who dont own power meters lol.

Back on subject, I have tried with my powertap to determine speed at a given wattage for the hoods and again at the same wattage for the drops but i get different answers every time I try. Mainly becasue of small variations in wind and terrain. I believe I go faster in the drops but even reading from my powertap it is difficult to work out how much faster, it is also difficult to hold a very steady wattage while changing positions. I can say that the difference is greater going into a headwind. As a very rough guide, I can usually expect an extra 1 kph for the same power at normal riding speeds.

lazerzxr

Thats interesting. Also a much better way to test than i have tried, ie. measure wattage change at a given speed rather than measure speed change at a given wattage.