Why don't people have their drops at a useable height?

[Deleted member 1258]

May as well get a decent hybrid and some Ergo grips with bar ends...bye bye back pain and hello to accessible brakes and gears.

I've looked at hybrids, but I'm on a pension and couldn't fund one, I've also looked at a flat bar conversion, on my geared bike its too expensive, going over to bull horns on my fixed , like on my last fixed, could be an option.

 

[slowmotion]

Di2 and hydraulic brakes will change all that. Gear shifts and heavy braking done with light finger tip control

I'm trying to keep my bike technology-free. Stuff goes wrong and I won't be able to fix it easily when it does.
I have to change the bar tape on one bike. I'll try altering the position of the hoods. I'm not that bothered about not using the drops except when the headwind is cruel. All my rides are pretty mild and speed really isn't a driving force.

 

[Gunk]

I can't really explain why, it's just a "feel" thing for me.

Me too, I’ve tried a Hybrid and it’s not a racing bike, just doesn’t feel special enough.

 

[Twilkes]

I'd suggest staying on the drops for a sustainable period is something one would train for. For example I have a friend who has taken TT very seriously this year. He can often be seen 50 metres off the back down on his TT bars - he is training his body to accept that position for long periods. Few of us chose to ride on the drops for long periods and I think it has more to do with the body being used to the position than useable height. Having the thought about this I can only imagine you feel if riders raised their bars they could spend more time on the drops. My question would be to what end and benefit? To be frank in terms of enjoyment I can't see any benefit in being on the drops - riding is about seeing what is around one which requires a more upright position. If it's simply about speed then that is a different approach altogether.

Okay, if you're saying being in the drops is like being in a 'top gear' position, and not everyone wants to go at top gear pace all the time, and some people hardly at all, then I can get that. This is the first 'fast' bike I've owned so I want to push it and myself (and my legs!) as much as I can, hence thinking about rider position - if there is a benefit to going down to the drops in a strong headwind, there's a benefit in normal air resistance too. Being on the hoods makes me feel like I'm on a bike, wheres wrapping my hands round the front of the drops makes me feel I'm part of the bike, so even if they were the same height there would be a difference in experience for me.

riding is about seeing what is around one

Riding is about different things for different people, I've done a lot of sit-up-touring, just now I'm looking to make progress (as speeding drivers call it).

 

[Mike_P]

In my case before my back got worse earlier this year I could use the drops OK, but the stem has been flipped and the bars are as high as they can go.

Stems with adjustable angles are available i.e. https://www.merlincycles.com/ritchey-adjustable-road-stem-137992.html

 

[PaulSB]

Okay, if you're saying being in the drops is like being in a 'top gear' position, and not everyone wants to go at top gear pace all the time, and some people hardly at all, then I can get that. This is the first 'fast' bike I've owned so I want to push it and myself (and my legs!) as much as I can, hence thinking about rider position - if there is a benefit to going down to the drops in a strong headwind, there's a benefit in normal air resistance too. Being on the hoods makes me feel like I'm on a bike, wheres wrapping my hands round the front of the drops makes me feel I'm part of the bike, so even if they were the same height there would be a difference in experience for me.



Riding is about different things for different people, I've done a lot of sit-up-touring, just now I'm looking to make progress (as speeding drivers call it).

So really this thread is about going faster and not whether people have their drops in a useable position or not.

That's fine, I have no problem with it but I'm still at a complete loss as to what is a useable position?

In all seriousness for road riding I don't think you'll see much difference whether on the drops or not. There are too many other variables.

When I'm out with the other pensioners, mainly 65+, we usually ride at 20/22mph, 16-17avg. We've time to chat, look around etc. I know younger riders who will be faster, 25/26mph,avg 19-20+, but none of them do long spells on the drops.

 

[Smudge]

The hoods on my road bike are level with my seat. I find this bike fairly comfortable to ride, but not as comfortable as my flat bar bikes. I never use the drops. Any bar position lower than seat level will cripple my back & neck.

 

[Blue Hills]

I've looked at hybrids, but I'm on a pension and couldn't fund one, I've also looked at a flat bar conversion, on my geared bike its too expensive, going over to bull horns on my fixed , like on my last fixed, could be an option.

You should be able to pick up a good steel hybrid second hand for about £50 and then add/swap bits. A fair chance it would end up being more comfortable than anything bought new.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My god l had forgotten that , with me and my mates it would have been "cow horn" bars and fixed wheel. We also used to have slow races over fixed distance in that position ....happy days !

Yeah I had cowhorns, but single speed rather than fixed. I raced a mate across a school playground , him running. I ran him over, oops.

 

[Profpointy]

For what it's worth, when I was commuting I reckon I was 50-60% on the drops, at least on the pedalling along rather than carefully filtering its. My bars are maybe an inch below saddle height.

I too wonder about the original question, and maybe people who don't use the drops suggests to me that their bars would be better higher, but who knows?

 

[Blue Hills]

Me too, I’ve tried a Hybrid and it’s not a racing bike, just doesn’t feel special enough.

There's hybrids and hybrids. What used to be called a fast city bike (maybe they still are) is essentially a type of hybrid.

 

[Twilkes]

There's hybrids and hybrids. What used to be called a fast city bike (maybe they still are) is essentially a type of hybrid.

Flat bar road bikes are a thing, not sure how widespread they are though.

 

[Twilkes]

So really this thread is about going faster and not whether people have their drops in a useable position or not.

It's both - presumably people ride road bikes because they're quicker than a flat bar/hybrid for which you can get a similar spec for a fraction of the price. If riding a road bike on the drops is 'just right' for a lot of people then that's fine, just seems odd to not be more able to utilise one of the unique positions on a dropbar bike, otherwise you're essentially riding bull bars.

That's fine, I have no problem with it but I'm still at a complete loss as to what is a useable position?

Again, if the drops are positioned such that a rider can't use them for more than a few minutes at a time then I wouldn't say they're in a useable position for that rider at that time.

In all seriousness for road riding I don't think you'll see much difference whether on the drops or not. There are too many other variables.

But I do, I've run tests on the same road back and forth and on the drops I can travel a gear or two bigger than on the hoods, because my position is lower and longer, and I can keep a bent arm for longer on the drops. Other people must see a difference if they use drops into a headwind, which has come up a few times.

There's no problem with any of this, I just wanted to understand it a bit more to see if I was missing something.

 

[PaulSB]

This article may help you.

https://www.bicycling.com/skills-tips/a22107504/aerodynamic-definition-in-cycling/

 

[gavroche]

The reason I hardly use the drops is because it hurts my neck after a bit as I have to raise my head higher so I never stay long on them when I do.