Did you change from Hybrid to Drop Bar Bike

[John the Monkey]

Night Train, there are drops designed specifically for off roading (they have wide, flared drops to allow more steering movement from the drops). I'm fairly sure On-One sell them.

Some info;

http://www.63xc.com/mattc/midge.htm

 

[LLB]

Had a roadie, just swapped to a hybrid with flat bars, and am just beginning to get it set up to suit me. I'm not the greatest fan of riding with a lot of weight on my hands as it puts a lot of strain on the lower back (also felt a bit of a fraud as I'm never going to do the TDF). I also ride a sports motorcycle which has this prone position, but the difference with the motorcycle is that the wind force lifts your bodyweight off the bars above 40mph and makes it very comfortable on your hands and lower back - which you just don't achieve in the real world on a cycle. My osteopath mate says he sees loads of roadies in the course of his work with lower back problems and as I've got a history of it, I don't really want to aggravate it any more than neccessary.

 

[snapper_37]

Had a scott sporster hybrid and then bought a drop bar Trek. Lasted 6 months and just couldn't get on with the drops, especially in traffic. Changed it for a Bianchi with flat bar.

 

[Rezillo]

I started cycling three years ago and chose flatbars, both because I have a minor neck problem and because I prefer the view it gives me on my rural rides. However, I wish I'd bought these http://www.ergon-bike.com/en/grips/gp1.html three years ago rather than the other week!

With the 'wing' angled slightly downwards, it takes some of the direct pressure from the forearm and stops any tendency for the wrist to fold in on itself. So much more comfortable!

John

 

[Oddjob62]

Uber-n00bie here, just got a new Hybrid (so that answers your question) after not riding for over 5 years.
Definitely plan on getting a proper road bike once my fitness has improved (currently 20st), in fact would like to get a fixie, at least that's if i am able to get up the nasty hill to get to my house without the option of the lower gears.

 

[Keith Oates]

My father bought me a secondhand drop handlebar bike when I was 16 and they have been my love ever since, although I do have others that I use for commuting etc.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[snapper_37]

My osteopath mate says he sees loads of roadies in the course of his work with lower back problems and as I've got a history of it, I don't really want to aggravate it any more than neccessary.

Yes, I have that problem too. Got a weak lower back and also a bit of arthritis creeping into my neck. I find flat bars with those things on the ends (just had a brain fart and can't think of the word) a lot better. Put it this way - I've had no back pain since flogging the drops.

 

[shimano]

I've got a nice old Triumph racer in the garage with drop bars on it but I seem to have a little difficulty 'assuming the position.' Perhaps after a few (lots) more miles on my road-going MTB with flat bars and bull horns will see enough of my 'love handles' (who said beer-gut!) disappear so I can use it again.

 

[Sapper]

No quit fited in

My bike is a quality road bike, a trek 1400.

However it came with flat handlebars!!

Adrian

 

[twowheelsgood]

Thing is you are usually not comparing like with like. Cheap flat-bar hybrids are clunky and horrible, whereas an entry level road bike is usually pretty good at the £400 price range.

I have 2 drop bar bikes, one flat bar hybrid and a mountain bike.

Each have their own virtues but I still prefer the flats for commuting in traffic, better control, braking (v-brakes) and 28c tyres. I tend to use a longer, lower roadie like stem and not the usual upright one with the flats.

Another thing to bear in mind is road bike gearing isn't really ideal for urban commuting - it is really too tall. I find a roadie cassette with touring/hybrid chainrings 48-38-28 ideal.

I think the point is regardless of bars you need to tune your bike to suit.

 

[Young Un]

i used to ride my dads rigid flat bar mountain bike here, and at my holiday home i ride a 4X bmx.

but this saturday i picked up my first drop bar road bike - 2007 Giant SCR4

 

[peloquin]

Way to go YoungUn - hope u have loads of fun!

I just recently changed my handlebars to 'Amoeba Race' flatbars, but I would definately consider switching to dropbars some time in the future (not on my current bike tho ~ it would look far too hideous!)

 

[doyler78]

Well now have my own drop bar 2 weeks now. My hands were really sore up until today, which is the first day I haven't really had much of a problem so hopefully it is just me getting used to the different riding position. My right shoulder gets a little tired also though that again is something that will hopefully disappear with time.

Really like the new riding position though, so much so that I haven't been on my flat bar since I got this bike and was only intending to use it at weekends and not for my commute

Anyway seems to be the way a lot of people go. They start on flat bars and then end up on drop bar bikes though it seems a lot still keep their flat bars. So all in all it seems like we all just starting accumulating more and more bikes

 

[bigjim]

Night Train. I have a spare set of drops you can try. On the back thing surely the drop position is better than upright. Upright you are compressing all the spinal discs downward which is unatural as we are realy designed to be almost on all fours like most primates where the discs hang from the spine with no pressure. This is the position you will achieve on correctly set up drops. Most upright cruiser motorcyclists suffer back problems on long journeys due to the upright position. Drops are deigned so roadshock is spread over the strong leg and arm muscles and not transmitted to the spine. Rather a sore thigh than back anyday.

Jim.

 

[wafflycat]

I used to ride flat bars only until I was well into my forties. Then I was bought a bike (tourer) and it had drops. It took me about a month to feel confident and now I would not go back to flat bars out of choice. Why? Drops just give a greater range of positions where you can rest your hands, so they are much more comfortable. This is a great advantage, particularly on a longer ride. Some folk seem to think that if you've got drop bars on a bike, you ride on the drops all the time and you don't. But you do have a greater range of potential hand holds and that is entirely positive.

Of course, for pure comfort, one has one's mobile deck chair where the steering is so light, one can control the thing with one finger of one hand... my IceT recumbent trike!