noob question- what percent of time to you ride in the drops

[cuda]

back riding after a 20 year hiatus and working on dialing in my bike. and logging miles

just curious on training rides what percent of time you spend riding the drops?

I move my hands about a fair amount( pretty much 4-5 positions tops at stem, flats, hoods and forward and back on the drops)
Honestly kind of like the drop position for downhills (duh) but find myself more and more going there for flat and rolling terrain it just feels like im more connected. Normal? personal preference sort of thing?

2nd question, except when sprinting is riding on the drops more efficient?

[reggiebaseball]

It is a personal sort of thing,

The better your core, the better your condition, and the better your flexibility the more you end up in the drops IMO.

IMO handling and aerodynamics are better in the drops, and I would be there all the time aside from climbs or when I wanted a change of hand position for comfort.

As you note, going downhill is easier in the position, and most importantly for me, no matter how jarring the terrain your hands will never get bumped out of holding the drops, but I have had my hands bounced off the tops when I was riding there.

When I am in good shape I ride the drops or hooks 85% of the time.

[shovelhd]

Racing crits or on hammerfest rides I'm in them 100% of the time once the pace picks up. You have to train for it though, as discussed in one of the Splash epic threads. JRA I move around a lot.

[Mzilliox]

increasing every day. I am getting to the point where i prefer the drops to the tops any time but climbing.

[Tickdoc]

Fiddy Fiddy.

Half the time in drops and half the time on hoods/bar.

Depends on things like length of ride, amount of hills, am I in a group?

Feeling snarky I'll go all Marco and stay in drops while out of the saddle.

When I'm solo or out front in a headwind I lay my forearms on top bar and get all aero.

And if you don't think about it, you will find yourself in the exact portion you need to be.

[superbowlpats]

1%/99% drops / hoods. just more comfortable on the hoods and I'm pretty flexible so i can drop really low while keeping hands on the hoods.

[bobswire]

Modern frame geo,ergo hood/shifter design has lessened the need for having to use drops beyond competitive use and even then any advantage is iffy beyond looking like a old world pro. IMO

Compare the geo and drops in modern pro "race" bikes compared to Eddy's below.

http://i63.tinypic.com/1585s0w.jpg

Here's Sagan's set up and below that is Valverde's bike. Just riding the hoods on their bikes puts them in a more arrow position than Eddy's on the drops.

http://i66.tinypic.com/nohx08.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/21msu36.jpg

[kramnnim]

1%

[Polyglot]

As Bob correctly points out, not all drops are the same. In the groups that I ride with, I invariably have the greatest drop between saddle and bars, hence my hoods are in line with many if not most other riders' drops. When I ride in the drops, the top of my thighs touch my chest, so I generally use the drops only for descents or really strong headwinds.

[carpediemracing]

When I'm not really heavy I ride on the drops most of the time (if I'm too heavy then I knee myself in the gut and therefore the drops is not comfortable for reasons other than back/arms/shoulders/etc). Hoods when climbing out of the saddle. Tops when cruising around.

I actually find the drops to be the most comfortable position, kneeing myself in the gut notwithstanding. On long rides I'll revert to being in the drops most of the time, like all the time except when standing on climbs.

[thwart]

And if you don't think about it, you will find yourself in the exact portion you need to be.

Ding! We have a winner.

I'm very thankful I can ride in the drops after my accident/broken neck/neck fusion surgery last year. At my last postop visit with the neurosurgeon (a cyclist himself) in May, I asked him if riding the drops would prematurely wear the non-fused joints in my neck. His answer: "don't think it would, as long as it feels comfortable to you...".

:banana:

[bobswire]

Ding! We have a winner.

I'm very thankful I can ride in the drops after my accident/broken neck/neck fusion surgery last year. At my last postop visit with the neurosurgeon (a cyclist himself) in May, I asked him if riding the drops would prematurely wear the non-fused joints in my neck. His answer: "don't think it would, as long as it feels comfortable to you...".

:banana:

This is exactly why my stem has risen and seldom use the drops the older I get(from a construction accident). Otherwise I'm in great condition.

[jlwdm]

Pro riders ride with a lot of drop so the drops are not as important as they used to be. I remember one of the Italian bar companies talking about how the first requests for compact bars were from the pro peloton because riders did not need a big drop anymore.

In watching the tour you will see that on many of the big chases by the peloton the riders at the front are on the hoods. It is a mix of drops and hoods but most of the day they are riding on the hoods.

When Froome attacked the descent he rode the drops a lot.

When Sagan and Froome and their teammates did their 4 man time trial there was lots of riding on the hoods, including a lot by Sagan.

Picture Cancellara riding away from everyone to win the Tour of Flanders. Most of his riding was with his forearms resting on the top of the bars.

Top riders can basically be as aero on the hoods as on the drops. Talking about how much you ride in the drops is so 1980s. Crits are a different story.

Jeff

[oldpotatoe]

back riding after a 20 year hiatus and working on dialing in my bike. and logging miles

just curious on training rides what percent of time you spend riding the drops?

I move my hands about a fair amount( pretty much 4-5 positions tops at stem, flats, hoods and forward and back on the drops)
Honestly kind of like the drop position for downhills (duh) but find myself more and more going there for flat and rolling terrain it just feels like im more connected. Normal? personal preference sort of thing?

2nd question, except when sprinting is riding on the drops more efficient?

Whatever you prefer...put your hands where they are comfy..no rules BUT..welcome back!!:D

[regularguy412]

1/4 to 1/3 of the time, for me. i find that i feel like i have a bit more power when i'm on the hoods (pinky and ring fingers under the lever and top of the hood in my palm). I do prefer to be in the drops, for sure, when descending and when cornering -- so i'm moving around a lot, depending on the course and speed.

Mike in AR:beer:

[biker72]

1%

Maybe 1%. Seldom in the drops.

[Kingfisher]

0% since I stopped racing 20 years ago

[CPP]

I've fiddled with my on bike position so that on most all downhills, I ride in the drops.

I've lowered my brifters so that touching the brakes in the drops is totally natural. I raised the bars themselves a little for more comfort when descending.

Now, I go down hill with much more confidence.

[MarkC]

Hooks for downhill and racing. Other than that, hoods or tops.

[FlashUNC]

60/40 tops/hoods vs drops. Drops really are where its at especially going downhill.

[CampyorBust]

Drops only when I'm droppin', the hammer that is or whats the word oh yes brapping, is that even applicable to road biking? Otherwise just chillin' in the hoods or spinnin' in the tops.

[sandyrs]

20/20/60 drops/tops/hoods. I live in a fairly flat area but always descend in the drops. I also spend most of my time on off-road rides on my cross bike in the drops. Handling is best from the drops on that bike.