Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 14,009
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 56 Post(s)
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A lot of people complain about their bikes because of things they may not understand . A proper bike fit from a professional fitter who does dynamic fits means you can get your position optimized for your bike and your riding. People make silly judgements about it because they assume it is only for racers and racing is blah blah blah but in the end they are missing out greatly and playing the silly games that people play either to claim that cycling is or isn't all about racing or something silly and create false dichotomies and such.
A drop bar bicycle is for anyone who wants multiple hand positions and maybe an over all more active fit. You can derive tons of different positions depending on a ton of different factors so it doesn't always have to be some maybe ridiculous flat back professional racing position nor does it have to be some maybe ridiculous super upright +35˚ stem on top of a riser with Surly Truck Stop bars. It could be either one of those but it could also be a ton of positions in between or it could be a different style of drop bar than what it came with or something else entirely.
Most of my drop bar bikes are decidedly more upright, not bolt upright because my back usually doesn't love it totally 90˚ on like a short stem Dutch cruiser thing but I don't love a more "aggressive" position however you and your fitter can help you find that sweet spot and they can make suggestions to make you more comfortable on your ride. When I did my Retül fit years ago and road my main road bike that evening I felt like a rocket ship, it was the same bike with some tweaks to my set up (including new insoles and some pedal extenders to get my Q factor out a touch) but because I was more comfortable I felt faster and enjoyed the bike a lot more and once I aligned other bikes to that similar position it was life changing. It really did help out a lot and I am probably due for a new fit as I have gotten a touch older and changed my riding habits a little but I was never quite right on my road bike not uncomfortable but I just hadn't unlocked the full potential that I had with it and now it is great.