Riding the drops
#26
I'm doing it wrong.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,875
Bikes: Rivendell Appaloosa, Rivendell Frank Jones Sr., Trek Fuel EX9, Kona Jake the Snake CR, Niner Sir9
Mentioned: 85 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9742 Post(s)
Liked 2,812 Times
in
1,664 Posts
You said your bars are not high, but my bet is they are. If your setup is even mildly aggressive you wouldn't want to be on the drops 80% of the time. As somebody already mentioned my hood position is lower than most people's drops. When I go to the drops.... I do it solely for the purpose of speed.... it is anything but "comfortable".
Last edited by RJM; 04-22-14 at 06:37 AM.
#27
I got 99 problems....
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Posts: 2,087
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Riding the drops is a lot like wearing a thong:
If you're comfortable with it, do it.
If you're comfortable with it, do it.
#28
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 124
Bikes: KOMobile
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You said your bars are not high, but my bet is they are. If your setup is even mildly aggressive you wouldn't want to be on the drops 80% of the time. As somebody already mentioned my hood position is lower than most people's drops. When I go to the drops.... I do it solely for the purpose of speed.... it is anything but "comfortable".
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 9,201
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1186 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
177 Posts
No, you asked what you were missing, i.e. why do you find it more comfortable to ride in the drops while 99+% of other riders spend most of their time on the tops or hoods when cruising on a MUP.
#30
Senior Member
For comfort reasons (bad back) I mainly ride in the drops, the second place I ride is the tops, the last place is the hoods. I do any normal standing climbing on the hoods, I do my seated climbing on the tops, but I spend a lot of time on the drops. If I don't I can't do things like take my shoes off comfortably or pull on a pair of jeans without leaning against the wall because my back is a bit jacked.
__________________
"...during the Lance years, being fit became the No. 1 thing. Totally the only thing. It’s a big part of what we do, but fitness is not the only thing. There’s skills, there’s tactics … there’s all kinds of stuff..." Tim Johnson
"...during the Lance years, being fit became the No. 1 thing. Totally the only thing. It’s a big part of what we do, but fitness is not the only thing. There’s skills, there’s tactics … there’s all kinds of stuff..." Tim Johnson
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 932
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#33
Senior Member
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Tulsa OK
Posts: 2,076
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#36
Other Worldly Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The old Northwest Coast.
Posts: 1,540
Bikes: 1973 Motobecane Grand Jubilee, 1981 Centurion Super LeMans, 2010 Gary Fisher Wahoo, 2003 Colnago Dream Lux, 2014 Giant Defy 1, 2015 Framed Bikes Minnesota 3.0, several older family Treks
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 194 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times
in
53 Posts
The evolution of the roadie; in the drops, on the bars, in the cups, incontinent.
__________________
Make ******* Grate Cheese Again
Make ******* Grate Cheese Again
#39
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: North Georgia Mountains
Posts: 19
Bikes: Trek 7.5 Hybrid, Specialized
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I ride in the drops about 90%. Don't know why it's just comfortable, and mentally, I am comfortable with the control and stability I get there.
D
D
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Chico, CA
Posts: 669
Bikes: Colnago C59 Italia, 1981 Bianchi Pista
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'm probably somewhere in the 50% hoods/40% tops/10% drops range. My bars have aero tops and are pretty comfy.
#45
I'm doing it wrong.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,875
Bikes: Rivendell Appaloosa, Rivendell Frank Jones Sr., Trek Fuel EX9, Kona Jake the Snake CR, Niner Sir9
Mentioned: 85 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9742 Post(s)
Liked 2,812 Times
in
1,664 Posts
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: SoCal
Posts: 6,517
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 276 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
3 Posts
If I'm riding MUP, I rarely get into the drops because I need to stay heads up to avoid runners with headphones, children and dogs on leashes from running into me. If I'm on stretches of road or bike only paths where I can hammer down and go, I will get into the drops on flat and downhills. And hoods and tops on climbs
#47
Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Delaware shore
Posts: 13,554
Bikes: Cervelo C5, Guru Photon, Waterford, Specialized CX
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1083 Post(s)
Liked 1,999 Times
in
1,365 Posts
#48
Fax Transport Specialist
what if he has long monkey-arms?
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 533
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
People are different. Just do what you like to do. Personally I spend most of my time in the hoods, some time on the flats (typically my arms turned inward grabbing it near the stem, it is just comfortable for whatever reason), and the least amount of time in the drops. Additionally, when I go to the drops it is usually for specific circumstances as I move up to the nose of my saddle when I do so.
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,416
Bikes: 2019 Supersix Evo, 2002 Trek 2000
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 273 Post(s)
Liked 45 Times
in
32 Posts
65% hoods / 20% tops / 15% drops
I switch to the tops when I'm just going for an alternate position and don't need to brake any time soon. The drops only see use when the wind kicks up and hunching down will be better than getting blown around or I'm descending something steep.
The percentages depend a lot on where I'm riding. If I'm 'in town' and around traffic, it's going to be 95% hoods for braking, heads-up, etc. If I'm out in the hills, the tops are gonna get used more while climbing and the drops are gonna get more while descending...
I switch to the tops when I'm just going for an alternate position and don't need to brake any time soon. The drops only see use when the wind kicks up and hunching down will be better than getting blown around or I'm descending something steep.
The percentages depend a lot on where I'm riding. If I'm 'in town' and around traffic, it's going to be 95% hoods for braking, heads-up, etc. If I'm out in the hills, the tops are gonna get used more while climbing and the drops are gonna get more while descending...