Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
Nope. Front ones provide feet rests for small passengers. Rear ones have red blinkies on them. 👍
Why don't people have their drops at a useable height?
- Thread starter Twilkes
- Start date
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Nope. Front ones provide feet rests for small passengers. Rear ones have red blinkies on them. 👍
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
No different to road bikes, then. I don't know where you get the idea that wider tyres are "More stable" than narrow ones.
Who says road bikes aren't comfortable? I wouldn't have been able to complete several centuries, centuries+, and a double century+ on a road bike that wasn't a comfortable ride. I wouldn't have travelled loaded to Bude and back on a bike that was comfortable. I can easily/instantly access my brakes and gears, unless I've fitted and am riding on my aero bars (which would have the same problem on a hybrid/mtb). I have no issues with stability on my 25mm tyres, and i actually prefer them to the 32mm tyres fitted on my winter bike (which is still a drop bar cx bike, but has discs).
In response to the OP, I go on my drops when I need to, IE in a strong headwind or a nice, sweeping descent. For most of my riding, the hoods are sufficient. If I really want to chill out, I sit on my tops. If i want to get aero, aero bars all the way. I like having the option of multiple hand positions.
Could bike size be an issue for many without realising it - for some reasons that I cannot figure out a lot of suppliers insist I need a road bike that is larger than the one I have. The makers size chart it clearly indicates either a M or L size, have the latter and in hindsight a M might have been better, albeit the L was reduced by close to 50%, as the seat post is only raised a couple of inches at most and it is impossible to fit a bike stand clamp to the bike without raising the seat above its required height. I dread to think how I would have got on with the XL that many suppliers promote as being suitable on their size charts.
SuperHans123
Formerly known as snertos999
Don't know, not me.
SuperHans123
Formerly known as snertos999
I know what I would rather ride on a wet day, down a hill with a bend in the road and it isn't a road bike with skinny slick tyres.
mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
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Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
That people seem to have to wear padded shorts, padded gloves and to avoid pins and needles they need to keep moving their hands around on the bars. All the discussions on saddles. Number of riders who get nerve damage in their hands or neck or back issues. The fact that there is a whole industry around bike fit for road bikes. All these things point to a road bike not being comfortable out of the box.
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
That's grip, not stability.
DCBassman
Guru
- Location
- The lumpy far South West
It has to be said, if you're bolt upright using a set of North Road style bars, you don't have the slightest need to change hand positions very much, as you'll not be leaning on them very much. That's possibly the next evolution for all my bikes, including the roadie!
Seriously, not trying to be contrary here. The more upright and comfortable I get, the more I like to ride. For me (let's face it, maybe ONLY me...), it's a no-brainer.
As @Drago says though, each to his own.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
I think he means that wider tyres at lower pressure aren't deflected so much, So if you are doing a fast descent on wider tyres and hit a hole in the road you are less likely to be deflected from your line or thrown from the bike, on wider tyres. Certainly on my mtn bike I never needed to ride round rough sections of the road but on road bike with narrower tyres you need to ride round such sections, lest you get thrown.
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
I've had scores of road bikes over the years, mainly those I've put together myself but a few shop bikes too. Ten minutes tinkering with the correct position and they've been as comfy as a comfy thing in Comfyland.
DCBassman
Guru
- Location
- The lumpy far South West
I hear you, but I'm the opposite, despite a spine made largely of cheese, particularly the Brie discs...
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Wider tyres are "more stable" on poor surfaces. My off-road Thorn tourer on 26" x 1-1/2 or whatever is much nicer on a farm track than my 25mm 700c tyred more road oriented bike. Apart from weight I'm not sure the Thorn concedes much on the road either. Both have drop bars since having flat bars would obviously be silly :-)
