mrfreezesdefy3

I've gotten to really like riding in my drops ,and wanted to see what the consensus was ,being a Clyde n not a clyde

cale

I'm mostly on the top but I move to the drops on occasion. I've got relatively long arms so it isn't a question of reaching them comfortably, I just don't like putting that much weight on my wrists for any extended period of time. The exception is descending; I like being in the drops then.

dr_lha

I agree, when descending I go into the drops, it improves the flight characteristics of my aero-belly.

Sometimes when sprinting.

Often I go in on long rides just to mix it up.

Jarrett2

I find I'm faster in the drops for the same output. So when I want to be faster/more efficient, I go there.

I do not feel more confident in the drops on descents. My road bike gets a little more twitchy there.

I did notice on my new AWOL that with the flared out drops, I feel much more confident in them. Wondering if I need wider bars or maybe some with flared drops like that on my road bike.

cale

Agreed! I didn't realize that model was so popular.

dr_lha

Aero-bellys require much momentum to get up the next roller, so drop down has hard as you can!

cyccommute 

About the only time I ride in the drops is on downhills. There are a couple of reasons ride drops on downhills. The first (and probably least important) is aerodynamics. If I really want to gain speed, I put my hands next to the stem, feet parallel (and butt lifted off the saddle slightly) and head on my hands. That position will gain you a couple of MPH over just going onto the drops.

The second...and more important...reason for using the drops on a downhill is that it drops your center of gravity and makes your braking more effective. That can be very important when you are edging up towards 50 mph. Pulling down on the drops and braking can almost double your deceleration capacity. In a "normal" position, a bike generates about 0.5 g of deceleration (half the deceleration due to gravity, not grams). Moving the CG of the rider down (and back) as in the drops, increases the deceleration to 0.9 g.

That's far more important than any gain you get in aerodynamics.

kc0bbq

Mainly, you lower the size of the hole you punch through the air, which is a big deal at higher speeds because the effect wind resistance has is exponential with speed. With drop bars in a somewhat aggressive position, at 15mph you probably won't feel much of a difference on flat ground. At 25mph you would really notice it.

If you're looking to be fast then it's good to work on for reasons other than speed, you need more core strength and flexibility to stay in a more aggressive position. Even in the drops your core should be carrying almost all of your weight, not your hands and wrists. That strength carries over to less fatigue on the hoods and less upper body fatigue on really steep climbs.

Being lower and somewhat more stretched out can also make it easier to get big, deep breaths in.

LGHT

I love riding the in drops personally. I have a somewhat bad back and for whatever reason I feel just as comfortable if not more when in the drops. Plus it's great if there is a good wind as your more aero and efficient. On downhills I almost always stay in the drops. Often up to 10 minutes at a time. When riding in a group I have passed many riders by just getting in a good tuck as they continue to peddle. When the descent is over I'm fresh and ready to peddle hard and I often end up in the front of the train.

I even feel comfortable in the position below. I had one guy tell me I'm crazy for riding downhill like that as I don't have as much control, but I actual feel more firm and stable in that position.

cale

No &*. But even 20% on my wrists is 46 lbs of bouncing shock waves traveling up my wrists. Also, due to age, I have lots of "experience" scars from earlier rides/crashes. One in particular, that put me over the bars, was particularly hard on the tendons in my hands.

In general I agree with you but haven't spent a day in the drops for a very long time.

Black wallnut 

The drops may or may not make you more aero. Riding the hoods with your elbows bent at 90° might get you just as aero. I have noticed that I naturally have a higher cadence when in the drops. I spend a fair amount of time in the drops these days, just 2 years ago it was an almost never thing. Shrinking belly and improved flexibility have made it more comfortable.

dr_lha

If you can ride in that position, then I say kudos to you sir. Kudos!

cale

If I tried to ride in this position, I'd pull a wheelie.

79pmooney

When I raced a lomg toi,e ago, the vets in my club gave me an excellent reason for riding the drops no one has mentined here. If you hit something you didn't see, say a rock or pothole, you have the best possible grip on the bars with your thumb fully over the bar. And if your hand does slide forward, it's still on the bar.

These are most likely to happen when you are drafting someone or when you are tired. One of the statistics no one gathers is what hand positions were being used when crashes happen. I'll bet a lot of routine collarbone fractures might not have happened if that rider was in the drops.

My bikes all have long mile comfort in the drops and when I am setting up a bike, that's the first thing I work to get right on the cockpit setup.

Ben

RR3

I wonder if they make Clyde stems? You know ones that can handle our loads perched out like that...?

Beachgrad05

I have aero boobs to help make my aero belly more efficient when in the drops.

Serious now I actually ride in the drops often to change positions, get out of the wind and descending. I find I feel more in control when in drops...especially descending.

kc0bbq

I barely use my drops. I hope you didn't take that post as a jab at your post, it wasn't meant to be.

It's interesting learning this stuff for me, I didn't really start riding seriously until I was just about to turn 40. I've been a fan of racing since I was a kid, and trying the different skills out and feeling how they actually do work is fascinating. When I could finally hold a wheel last year on a city limits sign sprint it was all "this is like cheating!"

rumrunn6

when I wanna hit it, I git down in there, open my lungs and stretch the legs, then it's spiderman time

cale

I didn't. Never say never. Especially on those sprints!

mrfreezesdefy3

It just seems to me when in fixing to hit a slight incline ,that I can drop down and don't struggle as much as if I was on the hoods . I just drop 1 gear n spin more ,where as if I was on the hoods I'd drop 2or 3 n spin like the Dickens ,
On another note I always drop down on descents but since I'm loosing a lot of belly it just feels better to me .
Plus ...when I get shelled by another rider their always in the drops

jsigone

better power position to the bike geo

easier to hide from the wind or while drafting @ speeds

better braking modulation and cover

better cornering at high speed or sharper angles

bit more aero position w/o putting pressure on my bad shoulder

less use of core muscles vs over the hood since my arms are straighter and taking more of the load

more leverage on the bars when sprinting 40+

because it's comfy


~this is how I set my bike up, you result may vary~

BradH

I probably spend 3/4 or more of my time in the drops. Aerodynamics is what puts me there.