Whats wrong?

[mr messy]

Had my first road bike for 2 weeks now but still can't work the drops!

Whenever i try them it feels kind of cramped and i don't seem able to pedal the same.

For example, on same stretch of road can get up to 36mph on the hoods but struggle to 30mph on drops.

1) Is it just me getting used to something new or,
2) There's technique to using drops or,
3) A sizing/fit issue, though not had any pain in back or knees, or,
4) Something else?

Frame size is 53cm
Saddle and bars set flattish
I'm 5'7" tall
Started riding at beginning of year using old hardtail mtb.
Bike used for commuting

Anyone have any ideas?

Cheers

Messy

 

[biggs682]

36 mph wow thats some going .

check your speedo

i normally ride on hoods it just feels right .

 

[Hip Priest]

I'm the same. If I go on the drops it feels very unnatural and strange. I think it'll just take getting used to.

 

[edindave]

I reckon it's mostly the 'getting used to something new', for me anyway - I'm on my first drop bar bike.
The more I use them the better it feels, but I don't use them a lot - usually only if I'm in a headwind.

 

[mr messy]

36mph is pedalling pretty hard on slight downhill for very short time. lol. Just trying to emphasise the difference. Think speedo okayish based on commute time and distance and traffic speed.

 

[vickster]

I was told drops for downhill bits, tops for going up hills and hoods for the flat bits and wherever else it feels comfy. I have been too scared to go on the drops on hills, stick to the hoods where I am now used to braking!

Also, I think my abdomen would get in the way if I tried to use the drops much

 

[Norm]

The position on the drops changes the muscles which you use.

On flat bars and on the tops, you mostly use the leg muscles to power the bike. Now, I know that seems a bit "well, yeah..." but when you are on the drops, the more compact position, with arched back and a greater angle between the spine and the legs means that you are using your "core" muscles to drive the legs.

So, if you are used to riding with flat bars, the move onto the drops will slow you up as you haven't yet developed the required muscles to push the pedals as hard as you can from the more upright position.

It'll come, though.

 

[steve52]

for me , it was a mass problem, ie down on the drops meant folding my 36 inch waist ,that mass has to go somewhere so it pushed the stuff up an squashes the lungs, the first thing i did was get areo bars i could get down without folding my stomach, yippeee i could breath!! so now i can ride faster and diet to loss the mass, all smiles i was 16,5 stone two years ago now im 13.5 and love going down on the drops, but still have my areo bars, ps i have never had any kind of incident useing then weather with a group or on my own ,i never have a problem reaching the breaks either, though id metion this because when i turned up for a club ride some misrable buggers welcome greeting to a newbie ie me, was " you cant use those" mmmm well it seams i can, and i pay club fees to another club , (i think i have issues about this lol but there mine and im keeping em!)

 

[mr messy]

Cheers guys!

Norm what you say ties in with my 12years of inactivity before taking up cycling and makes perfect sense. Since changing to road bike knocked nearly 4 minutes off my 7 mile commute though still blowin out me arse at the end.

 

[Norm]

When I'm out for a while, I use an alternative hand position which I haven't seen much talk about, nor pictures, but which works very well for me as a lard-ass on a road bike.

The standard 4 positions are tops, bends, hoods and drops. Visually, from Sheldon's site, they are:

My alternative, and a lot of searching hasn't brought up a good image but the guy just right of centre in the image below almost has it, is to hold the top of the hoods in the palm of the hand. It's similar to position three above, but the hands are about an 2cm higher, about 5cm further forward and the forearm is at a slightly more natural angle. Like this:

It's not much but I do find that does allow me to get as low as the drops, but I'm more stretched out as my hands are higher, and I'm just as far out of the wind as being on the drops.

I've no idea why no-one else has adopted the "Norm" position but give it a try. It might help, it might not.

 

[mr messy]

Been trying all the position variations including the "Norm" and find all the hood ones comfortable. Im bit wary of using the tops much as the old mtb with flatbar was killing my wrists, no problem so far with roadie.

 

[Tyke]

My alternative, and a lot of searching hasn't brought up a good image but the guy just right of centre in the image below almost has it, is to hold the top of the hoods in the palm of the hand. It's similar to position three above, but the hands are about an 2cm higher, about 5cm further forward and the forearm is at a slightly more natural angle. Like this:

It's not much but I do find that does allow me to get as low as the drops, but I'm more stretched out as my hands are higher, and I'm just as far out of the wind as being on the drops.

I've no idea why no-one else has adopted the "Norm" position but give it a try. It might help, it might not.

I ride like that but everyone including LBS say my bars are wrong because levers are high.

It works for me.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

You might want to experiment with different handlebar heights.

I did read (sorry can't find it now) that having the bars too high, relative to your saddle, will "close-up" your chest and bring your knees into it, preventing the full range of motion.

You say your bars and saddle are flattish: assuming the saddle is at the correct height, try dropping the bars and see if that helps.

 

[mumbo jumbo]

It's mainly hoods, bends and tops for me. But I do the Norm a fair bit and the drops occasionally (rather more often recently since I've lost some weight!)

 

[Norm]

But I do the Norm a fair bit ...

Excellent, I'm glad that I'm not alone and slightly at seeing the name repeated, but I haven't seen / heard it called anything else.