Climbing in the drops?

[Matthew_T]

I climb on the drops but only when I am going up a very steep hill or I want to accelerate a bit.

There was a thread before about sprinting in the drops. Both are perfectly fine to do and I have never heard anything about restrictions to breathing.

 

[BSRU]

I may have to start using the drops more often after my little experiment at lunchtime, didn't realise the increased speed benefits would be so noticeable.
Only normally use the drops if battling a strong headwind.

 

[Rob3rt]

I climb on the drops but only when I am going up a very steep hill or I want to accelerate a bit.

There was a thread before about sprinting in the drops. Both are perfectly fine to do and I have never heard anything about restrictions to breathing.

You should always sprint in the drops.

When people say, restricting your breathing, this is not a sudden inability to breath properly.

 

[Sittingduck]

Yeah, but only on short punchy little climbs when I'm carrying a lot of momentum to the crest.

 

[VamP]

Yeah, but only on short punchy little climbs when I'm carrying a lot of momentum to the crest.

Are there any other kind?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Are there any other kind?

Richmond Park has thousands of ft worth apparently

 

[Banjo]

Are there any other kind?

That will be the kind we call mountains

 

[HLaB]

Did almost the whole of a TT in the drops last night, cant quite remember what I did on the climbs (nothing major) but I don't think it was any disbenefit if I did

 

[cinelli]

Hoods and Tops. Never on the drops. Doesn't it just make things harder when you are crunched up like that? I feel on the hoods and tops I can breathe easier.

 

[ianrauk]

Hoods and Tops. Never on the drops. Doesn't it just make things harder when you are crunched up like that? I feel on the hoods and tops I can breathe easier.

Yup, on the tops open's your chest and lungs.

 

[Sittingduck]

I use the drops a lot, compared to many folk I ride with. Much better braking and aero. Always on downhill bits and lots of situations when you're moving relatively quickly or into a headwind. It will feel weird at first but you soon get used to it!

 

[Dan B]

We will all ultimately ride in the position we choose.

I don't

 

[HLaB]

Hoods and Tops. Never on the drops. Doesn't it just make things harder when you are crunched up like that? I feel on the hoods and tops I can breathe easier.

Depends a lot on the individual and the bike fit, for some people it will make it harder, for others it wont and they'll benefit (I fit into that latter category)

 

[PhunkyPhil]

I have just started using my drops more to up my average a bit and am starting to add sprinting up shorter hills using the drops to get more speed. Not sure if I would want to grind out a big hill on the drops though as its more relaxing to me to use the hoods.

I guess different people are able to maintain different positions and ultimately there isn't a correct way to do anything. I can happily go along at 20+ on the hoods when others need the drops to get that speed, this is why I never really started using the drops till very recently.

 

[photonergy]

It was by accident by now i'm usually climbing in the drops, especially when the pace gets hard.

My saddle-stem drop is about 12cm, and I've not had a problem climbing in the hoods/top until I've switched to my current bar, Pro Vibe 7s traditional drop. The hood area near the top is flat unlike the real traditional bar, where it drops down, so now i'm about 2cm at the hood compared to before. This setup have been a problem for me during climbing and i usually find myself unable to generate the power i did before. One day, out of frustration and determine to try any other position before re-installing my previous bar, i dropped down to the drops, and it was night and day. Couldn't believe the difference it made and how much easier it is to generate/maintain power.

I think there isn't a "right" position, it's whatever you find most effective.