Road bike owners, how often do you utilise the different hand positions

[Anonymous1502]

I mostly ride the hoods. If I am descending in a closed off area I will ride on the drops. I never use the tops hand position, I don't think it gives good control of the bike.

 

[Teamfixed]

I often use the top of the bars for climbing... sitting back on the saddle.

 

[PaulSB]

I'm not sure what a closed off area is but anyway. I ride the drops when descending, backside pushed back on the seat and my body dropped to lower my centre of gravity, improve stability and full braking potential. I'll use the drops on the flat in a very tough headwind or to chase back on to a group.

Ride the hoods or bars as and when I feel like it. Riding on the bars is very relaxing and improves hill climbing. Sit back, sit up a little and spin at a consistent pace. Job done.

 

[vickster]

Tops for braking, as I have crosslever brakes on all my roadbikes and/or to be more upright in traffic, rest of time pretty much the hoods, or with palms resting on corners. I barely ever use the drops

 

[Archie_tect]

For the first time in my cycling life I managed to lift the front wheel off the ground while climbing a short steep section ... so I leant forward with hands on the vertical of the drops to get a good pull! The weight loss has been effective since March... I can lift my own weight off the ground!

 

[youngoldbloke]

Hoods, tops, drops - use all of them, but mostly hoods as I cover the brakes at that position.

 

[DCBassman]

I don't have drops on my road bike!

 

[Once a Wheeler]

From: https://bikeraceinfo.com/riderhistories/climbers/greatest-climbers-5-1.html
Two classic climbing styles: Jean Robic honking on the hoods, Fausto Coppi twiddling on the tops:

I have the impression that Robic is hanging on and Fausto is in control; and the positions match my own preferences in these situations.

 

[Johnsco]

Drops ... pretty-much all of the time, except when dawdling in traffic.

 

[figbat]

90% hoods, although even there I will make small variations to grip and position. Tops for slow climbing, hoods for descending. I’ll sometimes grip just the top of the hoods in an aero-style for a change of position on a long slog. I’ve never managed to rest my forearms on the tops though - the pro’s make this look so easy and relaxing.

 

[Ridgeway]

Just mix it all up as so to change positions and be more comfortable for longer periods, even those 3 main positions mentioned above have variations:

Hoods, classic and also hands over the front
Drops, you can move your hands up towards the shifters or way back towards the bar ends, quite a different feeling
And then forearms on the tops with hands out front (as if on tri-bars)

Probably many more as well.....

 

[faster]

Drops 99% of the time. A few pedal strokes on the hoods when setting off from a standstill and occasionally on a steep climb.

I've never even been tempted to ride on the tops, so much so, my light is mounted right in the middle of one side of them.

So much more control on the brakes from the drops.

 

[Venod]

Hoods most of the time, drops into a headwind sometimes, tops when spinning up a long hill.

 

[Joffey]

Tops 35%, Hoods 60%, Drops 3%, No hands 2%

 

[C R]

About half hoods half drops, with very short periods on the tops, though increasing those periods as of late. I find the drops more comfortable than the hoods for my lower back, but my neck is the opposite.