...after years of riding flatbars, then after a few weeks of riding it, thought to themselves "I can't get used to this position" and gone back to flatbars again? Conversely, did anyone think "I should've done this years ago."? I have yet to own a road bike...
I moved from a Sirrus (flat-bar) to a Roubaix (roady), and the change wasn't too dramatic. Although I understand the Roubaix is more of a sportive design and doesn't have the agressive, over-the-bars stance of some road bikes.
I've done the other way around. Still find road bars give me the most variability in position. Flat bars tend to have me fidgeting after a bit, though bar ends help.
I went from a MTB to a Thorn touring bike, it took me a couple of hours to get use to it, now I love it
Yes, I have. I prefer flats now, although I did my first 20 years of cycling on "proper" bars. It's a function and form thing as well - to be honest, I don't spend hours on the bike nowadays, so I don't need the massive choice of positions to keep my hands comfortably any more - a couple of hours is fine on flat bars. If I was there all day it would robably be different. The long missed DaveJ from the old days before Bike Radar was always a stalwart defender of flat bars for everything.
I'm much more comfortable on drops, if I ride a bike with flats I find myself crouching forward, elbows bent trying to gain my familiar back position.
Good question Maz. I've generally always ridden flat bars, except for a couple of years in my youth when I rode a Peugot with drops. Tbh I don't recall a preference, or any difficulty getting used to them. Now I'm on flats with barends and uninclined to change since my beergut would prevent the use of drops anyway.
my old road bike had old fashioned gear changers. then i got a mountain bike, loved the fact that brakes and gears were together and said "never again" to road bikes, as only the pros had sti/ergos. then the price of bikes with sti/ergos came down, and now i'm a born again roadie.
Opposite way here - had a road bike then bought an MTB, although that's set up with an 'aggressive' position I did have to fit bar ends to get comfy ! I've had to get used to flat bars again for commuting. Road bikes take some time to get used to - your back will suffer at first. I started doing some miles again in December 2006, and for the first 3-4 months of getting back into it, my back would last about an hour before pain set in.... that's gone now and I can ride for hours in a race position !
First time on a tourer (long time ago now) I thought I would never get used to the head down position, the limited view, the hunched up sensation. And I was right! I still find the drop bar position strange after any time spent on my mountain bike.
/Raises hand. Bought a second hand steel framed ten speed for £50 and was hooked. I still ride my hybrid down the shops etc, but it feels so pedestrian by comparison...
I moved from atourer to a sportive type position when I bought my current steed. It felt so radical for the first few weeks, but I was reflecting on this morning's foray into the wilds just how natural the position now feels. Can't understand why I didn't buy a race bike years ago.
I have 2 flat bar bikes (Ridgeback velocity, commuter and a Spesh Sirrus) I also have a dropped bar bike. And whilst I prefer the flat bars in traffic, add wind and distance I definitely prefer the drops.
I rode road bikes for most of my youth, then went over to motorbikes, then bought my first MTB in 1988. I couldn't believe how comfortable it was and I will never forget those early sensations of riding over things I would never have thought possible. Then I bought a second-hand road bike for £150 and was amazed at how fast it seemed in comparison. It isn't as comfy as the MTB but I seldom ride it for more than a couple of hours anyway, whereas I can be on the MTB for 7 hours.
