# I am baffled by drop handlebars.



## Brand X (15 Oct 2016)

I've tried riding road bikes once or twice in the past, but apart from the difficulty of adjusting to crouching forward which seems to require either the flexibility of a gymnast or the body of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I cannot for the life of me understand how you use the brakes or even hold the handlebars comfortably; my wrists are contorted to a weird angle and half my bodyweight is bearing down on my hands, and there's no way to reach the brake levers. I've got average sized hands but I can only reach the top part of the brake levers with two fingers and it requires a stupid amount of effort to squeeze the brake levers. There's no way I can ride safely. 

I've read several guides on the internet and watched a couple of YouTube tutorials but they're not very helpful because the riders don't seem to have these problems at all.


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## S-Express (15 Oct 2016)

Sounds like drop bars are not for you. Either that, or you are riding a bike which simply does not fit.


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## screenman (15 Oct 2016)

Is it possible what with all the people who have no problem that indeed the problem is you.


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## vickster (15 Oct 2016)

As above sounds like the wrong bike for you, or at least with wrong components, bars the wrong width, stem not flipped, wrong frame geometry 

What have you tried riding?

I can't brake so well on shimano hoods (105 and below), just the wrong shape. I've got around this with the slimmer hoods of SRAM (prior shimano tiagra bike had crosslevers, another solution)

If you prefer flat bars, there's nothing wrong with that ultimately unless you plan to join the pro peloton


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## Kajjal (15 Oct 2016)

Sounds like you need hydraulic disc brakes and a bike properly setup for you.


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## vickster (15 Oct 2016)

Kajjal said:


> Sounds like you need hydraulic disc brakes.


Except the hoods are even fatter, so wouldn't work for me!


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## Pro Tour Punditry (15 Oct 2016)

As above, if properly set up you should have no problem at all with comfort or reaching the brakes. Many people seem to set their bikes up to be comfortable on the hoods/tops rather than the drops, which I cannot understand; riding on drops is far more comfortable and offers much better control.


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## Brand X (15 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> As above sounds like the wrong bike for you, or at least with wrong components, bars the wrong width, stem not flipped, wrong frame geometry
> 
> What have you tried riding?
> 
> ...



I can't remember what the first one I tried was, I think it was a 1980's Peugeot of some description, then I bought a secondhand Thorn Club Tour, but I quickly gave up in exasperation, I got rid of it a couple of weeks later. I don't know for sure that the bike was the right size (I forget what size it was) but I think it was; the former owner was taller than me but I usually fit a large size frame rather than medium.

All the real cyclists seem to love drop handlebars so there must be a right way of doing it, but I find road bikes downright dangerous, in fact I think bicycle shops should warn newbie riders of the risks before they sell them to people; I was very careful and I've been riding bicycles since I was 5, but twice I almost crashed into the gutter trying to change gear or brake. It's something I might try again next year if I see a cheap touring bicycle for sale, but I don't hold out much hope of success.


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## Kajjal (15 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> Except the hoods are even fatter, so wouldn't work for me!



You need bigger hands


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## vickster (15 Oct 2016)

Brand X said:


> I can't remember what the first one I tried was, I think it was a 1980's Peugeot of some description, then I bought a secondhand Thorn Club Tour, but I quickly gave up in exasperation, I got rid of it a couple of weeks later. I don't know for sure that the bike was the right size (I forget what size it was) but I think it was; the former owner was taller than me but I usually fit a large size frame rather than medium.
> 
> All the real cyclists seem to love drop handlebars so there must be a right way of doing it, but I find road bikes downright dangerous, in fact I think bicycle shops should warn newbie riders of the risks before they sell them to people; I was very careful and I've been riding bicycles since I was 5, but twice I almost crashed into the gutter trying to change gear or brake. It's something I might try again next year if I see a cheap touring bicycle for sale, but I don't hold out much hope of success.


I've never had a problem, but these are modern bikes with combined brakes and gear shifters. Were you trying a bike with downtube ones?

Maybe try a modern road bike. Evans offer essentially time unlimited test rides on a dry day

Plenty tour on flat bars, so you could just go that way


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## Kajjal (15 Oct 2016)

Brand X said:


> I can't remember what the first one I tried was, I think it was a 1980's Peugeot of some description, then I bought a secondhand Thorn Club Tour, but I quickly gave up in exasperation, I got rid of it a couple of weeks later. I don't know for sure that the bike was the right size (I forget what size it was) but I think it was; the former owner was taller than me but I usually fit a large size frame rather than medium.
> 
> All the real cyclists seem to love drop handlebars so there must be a right way of doing it, but I find road bikes downright dangerous, in fact I think bicycle shops should warn newbie riders of the risks before they sell them to people; I was very careful and I've been riding bicycles since I was 5, but twice I almost crashed into the gutter trying to change gear or brake. It's something I might try again next year if I see a cheap touring bicycle for sale, but I don't hold out much hope of success.



Try test riding a bike like a specialized diverge. They are more stable due to being able to go on or off road, have a higher front end and short reach / drop handlebars. Old school road bikes have a very uncomfortable stretched out riding position and are very unstable in my experience.


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## S-Express (15 Oct 2016)

Kajjal said:


> Old school road bikes have a very uncomfortable stretched out riding position and are very unstable in my experience.



Any bike will feel uncomfortable and stretched out if it doesn't fit properly. It's not unusual for some riders to confuse sharp handling with instability, IME.


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## Kajjal (15 Oct 2016)

S-Express said:


> Any bike will feel uncomfortable and stretched out if it doesn't fit properly. It's not unusual for some riders to confuse sharp handling with instability, IME.



You are right and many struggle on ill fitting bikes.


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## Wolfie4560 (15 Oct 2016)

I usually need to adjust the position of dropped bars or levers when I get a new bike. I tend to set up my bars with the ends of the drops pointing at the rear axle if that makes sense. If the levers are too low then you will suffer from painful wrists and/or hands. It's a personal preference on position and any guides are just that, a guide. There is nothing wrong with straight bars if they suit you more  Don't ride on drops just because it's 'expected' Riding comfortably is much more important


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## CanucksTraveller (15 Oct 2016)

Just to try a simple quick fix before you bin drop bars altogether, rotate the handlebar down so the hoods move forward and down slightly. Some people are set up with the hoods set really quite high without ever knowing why. 
The brake levers should come much more into your reach after this. It'll cost you nothing but the turn of an Allen key to find out.


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## Sharky (15 Oct 2016)

Do you still have your flat bar bike?
Start by comparing positions, using a metre stick and plumb lines. Saddle needs to be in exactly the same on both bikes, relative to the bottom bracket. Then the handle bars, relative to the saddle should be roughly the same to the part of the bars that you plan to hold for most of your riding. If there are some large variances then I would look to see where changes are needed. For the majority of riders, the most comfortable position is holding on the "tops" usually the brake hoods.

To master the new position and brakes & gear levers etc, investment in a basic turbo trainer could be the solution, I usually experiment with minor changes on my turbo and also following an accident which left me a bit nervous on the open road for a while.


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## steveindenmark (16 Oct 2016)

Its all a matter of time and practice.


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## cyberknight (16 Oct 2016)

Weight to far forward?this photo shows hnds on hoods with more weight over legs.


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## mjr (16 Oct 2016)

Brand X said:


> my wrists are contorted to a weird angle


Handlebar rotation or hood position probably wrong.


> and half my bodyweight is bearing down on my hands,


Saddle probably too far back.


> and there's no way to reach the brake levers. I've got average sized hands but I can only reach the top part of the brake levers with two fingers and it requires a stupid amount of effort to squeeze the brake levers.


Again, sounds like lever position or lever reach is wrong.

I prefer my Dutch bike for most things, but road bikes are rideable.


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## Brand X (16 Oct 2016)

Sharky said:


> Do you still have your flat bar bike?
> Start by comparing positions, using a metre stick and plumb lines. Saddle needs to be in exactly the same on both bikes, relative to the bottom bracket. Then the handle bars, relative to the saddle should be roughly the same to the part of the bars that you plan to hold for most of your riding. If there are some large variances then I would look to see where changes are needed. For the majority of riders, the most comfortable position is holding on the "tops" usually the brake hoods.
> 
> To master the new position and brakes & gear levers etc, investment in a basic turbo trainer could be the solution, I usually experiment with minor changes on my turbo and also following an accident which left me a bit nervous on the open road for a while.



I don't have a road bike yet, it's just that I got to thinking about it while I was browsing in a bike shop on Saturday. I won't buy another bike until next Summer (I now have 6 bikes crammed into the shed since I bought a Raleigh Twenty yesterday) but you've got me curious; maybe you and MJR and Cyberknight right, maybe I just had the bike set up all wrong and my posture/position was wrong. I'll have to try riding a road bike again to find out. 

Thankyou all.


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## cyberknight (16 Oct 2016)

mjr said:


> Handlebar rotation or hood position probably wrong.
> 
> Saddle probably too far back.
> 
> ...


I would say its hard to say without seeing the OP on the bike but normally to much weight on hands is the saddle is to far forward pushing the weight over the hands or to longer stem .


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## raleighnut (16 Oct 2016)

I've never got on with the modern set-up of a too small frame and hanging onto the brake lever 'hoods' as a riding position, I'd much rather hold the handlebars.
My preferred hold is on the bend of 'drops' with my thumbs pointing forward and the brake levers a lot further down the curve than is fashionable now, OK you need to change hand position in order to brake but I suppose I got used to that over 40yrs ago.
You can see by the 'wear' on these where I usually hold em,







(note to self- I must get round to re-taping those handlebars)


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## mjr (16 Oct 2016)

cyberknight said:


> I would say its hard to say without seeing the OP on the bike but normally to much weight on hands is the saddle is to far forward pushing the weight over the hands or to longer stem .


Could be either - depends how far wrong it was - but position was unbalanced anyway.


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## cyberknight (16 Oct 2016)

raleighnut said:


> I've never got on with the modern set-up of a too small frame and hanging onto the brake lever 'hoods' as a riding position, I'd much rather hold the handlebars.
> My preferred hold is on the bend of 'drops' with my thumbs pointing forward and the brake levers a lot further down the curve than is fashionable now, OK you need to change hand position in order to brake but I suppose I got used to that over 40yrs ago.
> You can see by the 'wear' on these where I usually hold em,
> 
> ...


http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/changing-positions.html


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## Brand X (16 Oct 2016)

@cyberknight. Bookmarked! That's an interesting blog post.


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## cyberknight (16 Oct 2016)

My bike set up is 3-4 cm of drop but i tend to ride like this most of the time


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## MichaelW2 (17 Oct 2016)

There is no rule that demands drop bars be used in a low, stretched out position. I prefer the bars about 1" below my saddle, some people like 3 or even 6" lower and some even prefer them set higher than the saddle.
You can get drop bars with different width, drop radius and drop profile. Smaller radius bars with elliptical curves are very comfortable.
You can set the brake levers on the bars in various position up and down, and in rotation. 
People with very small hands sometimes have issues reaching the brakes, esp if their bar setup is wrong.


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## MarquisMatsugae (17 Oct 2016)

Mountain Bike.
It's the only solution


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## vickster (17 Oct 2016)

MarquisMatsugae said:


> Mountain Bike.
> It's the only solution


For touring?


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## shouldbeinbed (17 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> For touring?


Off piste mountain touring maybe 

I think you made a good observation before that has been rather overlooked. 

Cross Top levers (along with a bike that fits) may well be a good idea for someone unsure of drops and gives a comfort zone option while getting into the swing of riding in the drops or on the hoods too. 

@Brand X, if you need a little more room for a drop bar bike, I've always fancied a Raleigh 20


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## T4tomo (17 Oct 2016)

Sounds like the bike the OP tried was far too big. my son tried tried to have a go on my 57cm Bianchi and was in a similar situation and didn't even leave the garage! I think his bike is 51cm, which he had no trouble at all with.


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## GuyBoden (17 Oct 2016)

cyberknight said:


> http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/changing-positions.html


Thanks, good info, I remember reading that a while back. I find the height difference between the saddle and handle bars on most modern road bikes is set too high for my old bones. My perineum would be very sore if I spent a long time on the drops in that position.

Quote:
(a "recreational" rider might even want their bars a little higher still (although we could be defining "recreational" differently) -- maybe within an inch of the top of the saddle.)

I find this setup more comfy:


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## MarquisMatsugae (17 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> For touring?



I was joking of course (you're very serious sometimes vickster),but now that you mention it,I'm sure plenty of people tour on MTB frames.


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## bonsaibilly (17 Oct 2016)

Far too many possible answers without more detail. How tall are you? What bikes specifically have you tried? What size were they? Were they old style or new style drop handlebar bikes? Were you riding "on the hoods" or "on the drops"?

My immediate reaction on first reading your post was "they're riding on the drops as a default position" because that seemed to link in with your note about your wrists being tortured.

bb


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## MontyVeda (17 Oct 2016)

MarquisMatsugae said:


> I was joking of course (you're very serious sometimes vickster),but now that you mention it,I'm sure plenty of people tour on MTB frames.


That's my plan. It's fully rigid so shouldn't be too bad... it's the 2.35 tyres that'll hold me back more than anything, those and the hills of course.


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## mjr (17 Oct 2016)

bonsaibilly said:


> My immediate reaction on first reading your post was "they're riding on the drops as a default position" because that seemed to link in with your note about your wrists being tortured.


Riding on the drops shouldn't torture wrists if the bike's set up right. Main reason I don't use the drops more is that I can't see shoot behind me as easily and I've got used to that from my other bikes!


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## MarquisMatsugae (18 Oct 2016)

MontyVeda said:


> That's my plan. It's fully rigid so shouldn't be too bad... it's the 2.35 tyres that'll hold me back more than anything, those and the hills of course.



What size tyre are you thinking of ?
1.9 seems a happy medium ,as that is what I had on my old (and sold ) rigid.
I went with Conti Touring Plus Reflex last time.Seemed pretty fast rolling and grippy for a semi slick


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## snorri (18 Oct 2016)

Brand X said:


> All the real cyclists seem to love drop handlebars .


Really?


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## Blue Hills (18 Oct 2016)

Marmion said:


> Many people seem to set their bikes up to be comfortable on the hoods/tops rather than the drops, which I cannot understand



mm , interesting comment - so it's a question of being comfortable on one or the other? Too much to hope that both positions might be comfortable?


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## screenman (18 Oct 2016)

mjr said:


> Riding on the drops shouldn't torture wrists if the bike's set up right. Main reason I don't use the drops more is that I can't see shoot behind me as easily and I've got used to that from my other bikes!



I am a bit different there, I tend to look back under my arm so the drops work better than my straights. Of course though whatever works for you, as long as you look back when needed.


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## T4tomo (18 Oct 2016)

Blue Hills said:


> mm , interesting comment - so it's a question of being comfortable on one or the other? Too much to hope that both positions might be comfortable?


Mine is / are fine hoods or drops. My best bike has quite shallow drops which probably helps. The beauty of drops is that there are a variety of hand and hence body positions which helps with comfort on long rides. 
And make sure you have a bend in the elbows at all times. Stiff arms will just transfer every vibration to your back / neck / shoulders. Your arms should act a natural shock absorbers


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## EnPassant (18 Oct 2016)

Much prefer dropped hoods to straights. If i put my hands out in front of me they just naturally assume that sort of position, hands vertical with thumbs towards the inside and fingers outside, nowhere near the palms facing downwards used for straights, I assume this may be why people like the bar ends, but I'm no expert.

Braking and changing gear is easy, natural and causes no stress anywhere. I actually find the drops a bit of pain because both braking and gear change require a stretch, but I'll use them occasionally, and the tops, just for a change of position. Having cx brake repeaters helps with the tops position. But mostly it's just hoods the whole time, comfortable with that. Perhaps that's just me though.


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## Blue Hills (18 Oct 2016)

EnPassant said:


> Much prefer dropped hoods to straights. If i put my hands out in front of me they just naturally assume that sort of position, hands vertical with thumbs towards the inside and fingers outside, nowhere near the palms facing downwards used for straights, I assume this may be why people like the bar ends, but I'm no expert.



Yes. True. Can't speak for others but that's one of the reasons I like bar ends - no twisted wrist. Spend much of my casual riding time on the bar ends. And often the less casual time when climbing.


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## johnnyb47 (19 Oct 2016)

I much prefer my road bike with drops compared to my mountain bike. Holding the bars on any bike in the same position for a prolonged amount of time becomes uncomfortable and a bike with straight bars only gives you two positions if its fitted with bar ends. With drops you can adopt three positions and goes along way in transferring any pressure points in your hands on a long ride. If I'm heading into a headwind or climbing I usually get right down on the drops but when my back starts to feel it I will adopt a more upright position. I've tried all sorts of adjustments on my mountain bike but I still end up with pins and needles in my hands but on my road bike I can ride for miles and feel comfortable.


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## Blue Hills (20 Oct 2016)

johnnyb47 said:


> Ia bike with straight bars only gives you two positions if its fitted with bar ends. .


With some longer bar ends you effectively have three hand positions - enough for me. If some folk prefer drops, fine of course.


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## mjr (20 Oct 2016)

Blue Hills said:


> With some longer bar ends you effectively have three hand positions - enough for me. If some folk prefer drops, fine of course.


Similarly, swept bars give you four positions (ends, grips, bends, tops). Conventional wisdom is drops offer five (ends, drops, hoods, ramps, tops). Either are enough for me. Single-position straights on my folding bike aren't so good.


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## T4tomo (20 Oct 2016)

mjr said:


> Similarly, swept bars give you four positions (ends, grips, bends, tops). Conventional wisdom is drops offer five (ends, drops, hoods, ramps, tops). Either are enough for me. Single-position straights on my folding bike aren't so good.


I have micro bar ends on the Brompton for that reason. Can't get away with anything bigger without effecting the fold!


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## shouldbeinbed (20 Oct 2016)

mjr said:


> Riding on the drops shouldn't torture wrists if the bike's set up right. Main reason I don't use the drops more is that I can't see shoot behind me as easily and I've got used to that from my other bikes!



https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/sprintech-racing-road-mirrors-black/

They're very good


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