getting used to drops
 

any tips for excercises, stretches, etc. that I can do in addition to riding to help me get comfortable on the drops? i just picked up cycling again, and i'd like to be able to use my drops more than i feel comfortable to at the moment. the way i see it, less wind resistance and more power will definately make my commute a lot nicer. thanks.

When uo get lower on the drops you want to scoot ur butt back more. It changes the equation of where ur saddle is, etc. I found that i like to have a long stem with a lot of rise, i ended up with a nitto technomic. You aren't so much using your bones to support your upper body you are using your muscles to balance and u have to get ur fit right to get the balance. If your neck is hurting thats a sign u need a higher stem.

But I'm not super aero. I'm also not an expert by any stretch but those two things helped me.

yoga will help a lot.

Yeah, I do scoot my butt back a bit to take the weight off my arms. I was thinking about looking into yoga as well, as I'm not the most flexible guy.

If the bars are insanely ****ing low, raise them.

they're not that low to be honest. i should end up being a bit more comfortable when my new thomson elite 130mm x 5deg stem shows up next week. my original point was not that i'm terribly uncomfortable on them, but rather that i'm not used to them and i'd like to get used to them sooner rather than later.

if you try all these things and can't get comfortable on drops (like I can't) try bullhorns.

just try to use your drops all the time. you'll either learn to love them or give up and get bullhorns

it never hurts to do crunches and work on those abdominal muscles...

THAT is an exellent point; cyclists have nortoriously weak abs, so anything you can do to strengthen them will make you more comfortable.

I thought that your abs pulled your torso forward, and your hip flexors pulled it backwards. I would think that working the flexors would make drops more comfortable. That said, it's not easy to isolate the abs from the hip flexors while doing crunches.

It's all about stretching. Curl up into a ball ( 10 sec), and alternate with back bends. Pilates or yoga will lengthen your muscles, and give you great tendon strength. Do these pre-ride,
post-ride, and first thing in the morning.

If you are comfortable, just not used to them.... well the only thing that will get you used to them is using them. I was honestly never comfortable in drops until I was forced to use them for about 15 miles into a pretty bad headwind. Now I am fine. The important thing to point out is that your fit should have you balanced well enough that you are not resting your weight on the drops. You should be able to take your hands off the bars and be fine in that position.

hey delay.....i checked out your site....i happened to enjoy walk the line...and love the white stripes....its a good thing we like the same bikes

yeah, well thats a friend of mine talking about that. I have not seen walk the line, however my opinion on the lead actor and actress is quite similar to his. I suppose everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

...consider this thread officially hijacked...

hamstring and lower back stretching

I've been getting dropped for the past two years. Still not used to it. :rolleyes:

I was considering using bullhorns, and I'll probably still try it, but I want to get some serious time on drops so that I can make an informed decision. One advantage that drops have over bullhorns, in my opinion, is that drops offer more hand positions.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I like bullhorns, but I've come to the conclusion that I think I like drops better. I'll be going back in a few months when I get my new bike.

i like drops...i only want to try out bullhorns eventually here to see what everyone likes about 'em so much. they look like a compromise of aerodynamics and comfort...sort of like those ergo bars roadies use sometimes.