How much or how often are you riding on the drops ?

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Coggy

Well-Known Member
Me ?

Hardly ever. Actually don't find it particularly comfortable. Ride almost all the time on the hoods.

Is there a particular advantage on the drops ? If so when ?
 

Saluki

World class procrastinator
I rarely use the drops, unless I am going downhill and in a hurry. I am in shape, because round is a shape, so don't really do aero but it makes me feel faster. Riding on the drops in not comfortable but riding on tribars is.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
There is an advantage, when you are battling a headwind or you just want to get aero. It does make a big difference.
But... I do use the drops, for the reasons above, but not a lot.
 

w00hoo_kent

One of the 64K
Apparently drops tend to be better with headwinds and when 'cracking on'. I have found I ride about 10% on the drops because it 'feels wrong' but then I've not had a bike with drops again for very long (my teenage bike was a 'racer' as we called them back then). I do now have an old Raleigh which I've taken the suicide levers off of and has no hoods so you have to ride on the drops to access the breaks. Riding it at the London Freecycle for 20 odd miles meant that when I was on the Ride London the following day I was on the drops a lot more (maybe 25-30%) and it actually felt pretty good.
 

jagman.2003

Über Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Personally about 25% on the drops, mainly for down hill speed. But for any occasion I want to try & dodge the headwind.
 

dexter101

Well-Known Member
I find I ride most of the time on the hoods but like to use the drops if im going downhill. I also move to the drops if im cornering as I find it makes me more confident and better balanced through the corners especially as I have more control over the brakes beforehand.
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
The amount of time you spend on the drops is fairly irrelevant - the type of riding you do, the terrain you're in, the conditions you ride under, the amount of tight cornering you have to do all have big influences on the amount of time spend on the drops. What's much more important is how comfortable you are on the drops which is more important. If you feel comfortable on the drops when cruising along at no effort level then you need to lower your handle bars, a lot. If you can't get onto the drops even when absolutely hammering it on the flat or as a sprint then they're too low.
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
Headwinds and downhill as above, and for speed. Also particularly on twisty roads at speed because you're in better control on the drops. On long-distance rides it's another change of position - quite important if you're in the saddle all day.
 

Herzog

Swinglish Mountain Goat
Probably 60:40 drops/hoods. On the flat, I'm exclusively in the drops, when climbing I'm on the hoods or bars (and yes, I probably spend 40% of my time going up^_^).
 

Profpointy

Legendary Member
I'm only really a commuter rider these days, but I reckon I'm 70-80% on the drops - there's a long flat section subject to headwinds, and a few uphills where I find drops much better. In busy traffic I'm on the hoods
 
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