Drops or the Hoods when descending ?

[peanut]

Do you use the drops or the hoods when decending on your road bike ?
I thought this might be an interesting poll . I have a very strong preference for using the hoods in fact I use the hoods 100% of the time I'm on the bike.
I decend at 38mph + every weekend on one of my loops without batting an eye but I'd be terrified to do that on the drops.

I tend to let the bike steer itself with only minimal guidence from my fingertips.I find the self correcting nature of the frame and fork geometry does a better job of keeping the bike stable than I could ever do.

Tell me what you use and why

 

[Panter]

I'm very much a newbie to this cycling lark

But, I descend quite happily on both. If it's a really fast descent (and I've hit 50mph before) then I always do it on the hoods purely for the extra breaking power I get (and the aero tuck position )

Stability wise, I can't say I really notice a difference? mind you mine is an SCR3 so has a fairly relaxed geometry.

 

[Will1985]

For me it depends on the speed, the quality of the surface and the gradient. I find on the very fast descents it is safer in the drops, but if it is just a short descent I'm happy to use the hoods.

With the last poll option, are you suggesting people ride down no-handed?

 

[gratts]

Drops.
They make everything a little bit more exciting.

 

[Crackle]

Hoods, drops get my neck a lot now, I need to improve my flexibility. Also I need some shims to bring my brakes closer as I can't reach 'em so well on the drops, small paws you see.

 

[numbnuts]

hoods all the time for me

 

[Chris James]

If the road is gentle downhill then I use either.

But for any sort of speed / technicality / scareyness I always use the drops.

I feel I have better control of the bike and better braking.

Also I go faster!

 

[Greenbank]

Drops on the geared bike if it's a long descent as braking from the hoods is tiring on the hands.

And for this very reason I had cross-top brake levers fitted to my fixed. These are much more comfy for long spells of braking to keep my legs from spinning off on long descents.

 

[yello]

Hoods because I can see the road ahead better. I'm not a speed demon, it's never interested me per se, so I'm quite happy to forego the pleasures of bombing down a hill (and, I admit, there are pleasures!) for a bit of extra visibility. I can brake better from the hoods too, it's too much of a reach for my little hands when on the drops!

 

[Chris James]

I can brake better from the hoods too, it's too much of a reach for my little hands when on the drops!

This is not aimed at you or Crackle, who both have small hands, but I reckon that one of the reasons why hoods are quite popular is the current fashion for tilting up the bars results in brakes that can be almost impossible to operate from the drops.

 

[HLaB]

With me I think it depends on the forward visibility. I prefer to use the drops but if I cant see round a bend I tend to be on the hoods.

Hoods because I can see the road ahead better.

I think I can actually see the road better when I'm in the drops its just having the courage to get down there I struggle with .

 

[Kirstie]

On my tourer i can do hoods or drops but on my road bike I can't reach the levers from the drops because I have stupidly short fingers and small hands anyway. Does anyone know a way to adjust campag centaur 10 speed levers so there is a shorter reach?

 

[bonj2]

put something in the top bit above the pivot preventing it from going all the way back?
obviously you'd want to fasten whatever it was on securely. but just experiment with it/have a look at it to see whether it would be feasible.
could be as simple as a little screw judiciously screwed in would serve as a permanent block preventing it from going all the way back. in other words, the brake lever is always permanently being pulled, but obviously you then adjust the cable tension so the brake isn't always on (well you could if you *really* want )
it wouldn't look normal 'cos you'd be able to see into the gubbins of it but i guess you care more about ergonomics. You could even make a custom hood.

 

[Young Un]

Use the drops most of the time for descending.

Also a thing to try if you want a strange feeling/scare yourself - descend with one hand on the hoods and one on the drops - if gives you a really wierd feeling.

 

[Rob S]

I haven't used the drops in any situation in more than a decade!