Bars, hoods or drops???

[Easytigers]

Hi there,
Posting this in beginners (although I've been cycling a while now) as I still feel like a newbie when it comes to road cycling. It feels that most of the riders I see are on the drops (and very comfortable there).
After a couple of months of owning a road bike though, I still feel really uncomfortable on the drops. I spend most of my time on the bars and switch to the hoods when I feel like I need to brake.
Is my bike completely the wrong size??? Or is it ok to be on the bars for much of the ride?
Where do you spend most of your time when riding?
p.s. 54cm Triban 3...I'm 5'8" with an inside leg of 30" and have swapped the stem to 9cm

 

[Sittingduck]

You are going to get virtually everybody tell you that they spend 95% of the time, on the hoods.

Personally I do use the drops a whole lot more than I used to, but that has only happened in the past year. Use which ever part of the bars feels right, at the time. Tops are great for climbing and drops for descending or going into a headwind. Hoods are good for most things. Don't worry about it... just ride!

If you feel stretched too much going for the hoods, then perhaps consider switching to a slightly shorter stem?

 

[Easytigers]

Thanks Sittingduck. The stem I've put on is slightly shorter (borrowed one from a friend at work). Bit worried about going any shorter just in case it gets a bit twitchy...I guess it's more a problem of knees knocking on stomach (gut to most!!!) and not being able to reach the brakes easily...I know...I need to lose gut (it is coming on though)...

 

[cyberknight]

I would start from scratch with your bike fit and work from your saddle height/ set back then get your position right at front.
You could also try flipping your stem which will raise it up and a bit closer.
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html
http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm
I am 5 foot 7" and ride bikes with a 54 cm top tube , reach from saddle tip to hoods is about 63 cm , with a drop of about 3" , i know everyones different but i found that is a good ball park for me.
I ride most of the times on the hoods or tops and use the drops when giving it the beans .

 

[Sittingduck]

Coincidentally, I never used to go on the drops until my (not inconsiderable) midriff had reduced in size
Increased flexibility and less of a derby in the way, makes it much easier. I like riding on the drops, particularly when I'm going fast. Better aero, of course and better braking too (IMHO).

Valid point about the stem but I used to run a 90mm one and never found it to be particularly twitchy. Try one out and see which you prefer.

 

[TVC]

It took me a long time until I felt comfortable on the drops, I still mostly ride on the hoods, mainly because I don't feel I have so much control when on the drops. (Nothing to do with my fat knees slapping against my moobs).

 

[derrick]

It can take some people a bit of time to get used to the drops, i'am on the hoods most of the time, just keep practicing on the drops you will soon get the hang of it.

 

[Oldspice]

I have a 31 inside leg and ride a 53 cube Depends on torso and arm length as well. Can you post a side pic of you on the bike.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I ride mostly on the hoods, but I have no problem with the drops and use them freely when I feel the need..........................the need for speed

TBH I used to very rarely use the drops, but the more you ride and the more you use them the better they feel IME.

They'll never be my primary position as that's not their purpose IMO, but as long as the bike fit and set up is correct then you'll get used to them in time

 

[Widge]

I've been thinking about this recently too, and as a newcomer to road-biking, a part of me feels I can't be 'doing it properly' if I'm not in the drops!...BUT......I've looked very carefully at all the pictures of hardened 'roadies' in all the cycling magazines.....and at all the grim-faced riders that overtake or nod to me from the other side of the road (if only they knew) ....and can honestly assert that MOST of them are riding the hoods.

I'm really glad that entry level Shimano sti has that little up-shift trigger right on top of the hoods!

On the other hand.....

The Tour of Britain came past our house a month or two back...and only about 70 percent were on the hoods?

I try to hunker down on fast(ish) descents but it'll be some time before I feel comfortable down there.

My MTB has a flat bar and ergo Bar Ends which feel great to me AND I was always intrigued by 'butterfly' bars, although never ridden a bike that had them.

At least modern road/race bikes have shallower, more ergonomic drops than the monster Mercian tourer I had years ago. I guess you get used to it all in the end?

w

PS - Russ...are you in fact Me?? (We have the same size bike, same make, same inside leg, same height, same length stem, same wife,,whoops-sorry-made that bit up-..........................!!.........spooooky.......)

 

[Steve H]

It very much depends on the terrain for me...

On the flat, I'm generally on the hoods, and stay there for gentle climbs.
On steeper climbs, I'm on the bar as this lets me sit up straighter and fill the lungs better with air.
Descents are always on the drops. Partly for aero, but partly because the brakes are much stronger when pulled from the drops rather than the hoods.

The one exception is into a headwind when going on the drops helps avoid the wind on the flat and gentle climbs.

 

[Norry1]

Drops 90%
Bars on climbs
drops on descents or sprinting

 

[Deleted member 20519]

85% hoods. 10% flats. 5% drops on downhills.

 

[HLaB]

At a guess I think I'm spending more time on the drops because its always bl00dy windy down here but its still only 5% of the time or less Like said most of my riding will be on the hoods also (circa 90%) with maybe 5-7% on the flats and 3-5% on the drops.

 

[Norry1]

In fact, thinking about it, it feels a bit weird riding distance on my Langster Steel Fixed as it only has centre cyclocross style brakes and hence no hoods - so I am either on the bars (mainly) or the drops.