dougmon 

Hi:

With an entire four or five months of cycling (commuting/errands/fun rides) under my belt, I am of course now searching for that n+1.

One of the things about my current (and only) bike is that is good for a lot of things, but probably not fast group rides. Of course, that could be me too...after all, only four/five months on the bike doesn't really build the stamina and muscle you need to ride quickly. I'm fifty-nine years old, and I do have a sedentary desk job. I'm also working against over thirty years of inactivity, at least as far as exercise goes. I've always walked a lot, but that doesn't do much for cardiovascular health; at least not like biking does.

In any case, if I buy another bike, it has to be something that is different enough from what I have that I can justify the purchase to myself. So what I was thinking is: my current bike is an aluminum frame, flat bar, balloon-tire bike. Why not make my next one steel with thinner tires and drop bars?

When I started talking to the more experienced riders at work, they all cautioned against drop bars. They said that using drops would often place my neck and head in an unnatural position, and I would risk damage to my vertebrae. This last caution was from two people who raced bikes in the teens and twenties, and _did_ have subsequent problems with their necks.

So...I'm asking advice. To drop or not to drop?