Stoeger

In the drops, on the hoods or on top? There is a reason I'm asking this question so bear with me

Turboem1

Mostly on the hoods. If I need to catch my breathe I will go on the tops and if I am really really tired I go all the way on the bottom of the bar below the drops and it supports all myweight.

BILLB58

All of the above, I constantly shift hand positions.....prevents numbness, even with good riding gloves.

HandsomeRyan

i'm not sure what "hoods" are but i usually ride with my hands on the bars just below the brakes. if i get tired my hands go to the top of the bars, and if i'm really tired and trying to hoof it up a hill i put my hands on the bottom of the bars. like the above poster i try to switch it up so my hands don't start hurting.

steve2k

Usually on the corner of my bar-ends, unless I need to be near the brakes.
When my trekking bars arrive, my hands will be all over the place.

funrover 

On my road bike....mostly on the hoods........mtn bike 2 fingers on the brakes and hand flat on the bar!

Tom Stormcrowe

Hoods, center, drops, it varies according to how I'm riding.

fat_bike_nut

The hoods always felt weird to me, so I usually end up riding the top curves (not the flats). I guess that's sort of like the "bar-ends" position on a "flatbar" bike, but it's pretty comfortable over a long distance. I end up switching to the drops for aerodynamic purposes/downhills/avoiding headwinds, and use the top flats whenever my hands get tired of riding the top curves.

Maybe I need to get re-sized. In any case, I'm still able to reach the brakes in a moment's notice, even during Panic Stops.

oopfoo

fat_bike_nut--

I do that, too. Generally, I ride with my hands lying across those curves though, not in the "bar ends" position that most ride. Otherwise, I'm on the hoods with my palm in the crook of the hood or with a pinky on the lever.

superslomo

Hoods, sometimes the drops if it's windy or I'm going downhill, top of the bar if I'm cracking a bit uphill, and when it's just relaxed I put them on the curves at the sides of the top (just above the hoods, if that helps explain it.)

Stoeger

Thanks for thre replies, now here's the reason I was asking: last night when I was getting fitted on the bike, everything was based off where I was while on the hoods. Now, on my old bike, I typically ride on the tops or the curves of the tops going down to the hoods. While I'm very comfortable riding on the hoods now, I am more upright & my bar/stem seems rather high. I'll post some pics tonite and you all can critique my bar & stem placement in relation to the seat and the rest of the bike.

bikingshearer 

Setting you up based on the hoods makes sense - it's as far out in front of you as your hands will get. If you make that position comfortable, odds are all of the bar positions will be reasonably comfortable, which will allow you to make better use of the multiple positions, which in turn promotes hand comfort.

Sounds to me like your shop got it right, or at least pretty close to it.

Stoeger

Oh yeah, I'm not knocking the LBS, it is a very comfortable fit, just not as "aero" as I have been in the past. The main thing is the stem seems really high and has a high angle up if that makes sense. Like I said, I'll post pics to show you what I mean.

funrover 

Well after my commute today I use the top a lot when cruzing or gentle uphill climbs...... When I want speed(wheather going up hill, flat or starting off) I have my hands on the hoods..... I rarely use the lower..

DieselDan

Most of time I'm on the hoods, but sometimes I find myself using the corners of the tops with my hands under the bar, kind of an old school comfort position.

fat_bike_nut

DieselDan, I think oopfoo and I were sort of describing the "comfort position" as well in our posts

It really is a comfortable position, all curvy like that.

oopfoo, I guess I didn't describe it right. I tend to hold onto the curvy part too. It's really comfortable on my hands.

latteubetcha

Most of the time on the hoods.

oopfoo

I know what you mean about the comfort position, but I'm generally just kinda flopping across the top of the bars and the hoods. Its a leftover from my racing days, as it was a good way to loosely steady the bars without really grabbing them on shake-n-bake roads. I do that comfort position, too, however. I also have the heel of the palm in the top of the hoods, light holds toward the stem, and lots of no-hands riding.

Wow. I guess I'm saying I switch up a lot.

DieselDan

Thumbs on top of the bars.

twobikes

I have been experimenting with bike fit. On one road bike it is very comfortable to be on the drops for most of a ride. On the other one the hoods are a bit more comfortable. I am experimenting to determine exactly why the difference when measurements I take are nearly identical on both bikes.

peterbarson

in the drops mostly, my WorldSport hoods don't lend themselves to comfort.

Archinutt

I am mostly on the hoods. As a mountian bike crossover I am have two things I am trying to get used to on the griping. The first is learning that I don't need absolute instant access to the breaks at all times. The second is when do you use the drops/lower positions? I am working getting used to the drop position and it is starting to feel more normal.

So when do you use the lower position?

Tom Stormcrowe

I use the drops for speed or power, or when I am riding against a headwind. Alternatively, I also in the drips when I'm going for speed on a downhill. I have the chin near the stem, elbows tucked in tight, knees tucked against the top tube, slid back in the saddle to get as flay and aero as I can. That way I can top 50mph on a downhill.

fat_bike_nut

On most road bikes, people generally use the drops for headwinds, downhills, and when they're feelin' the need for speed. At least, those are the three main times I use drop part. Otherwise, I'm topside (and yes, "topside" includes the brake hoods), and I imagine everyone else is too.

Yep, yep, I can do panic stops from the tops quite easily. It doesn't take much effort or time to slip down and grab the brakes.

On the other hand, on some of the wackier dropped handlebars, like the On-One Midge, you will end up using the drops the majority of the time if you set them up correctly.

ken cummings

On the hoods with some moves.