Things that should have been obvious, but I've recently discovered

That would still present lever positioning issues though (although it would likely be easier to find the sweet spot on shallow bars than deep ones). No one brakes from the drops, she's talking about braking from the hooks.

I brake from the drops.

How in the world do you reach the levers???

I can break from the drops. Compact bar.

I can brake from the drops on both bikes. Compact bar for sure on the Charge, and I'm about 85% that the Avail also has a compact bar. And I have shorter fingers.

ETA: Wait, are we debating a vocabulary question? Where are we talking when we say "drops?" The vertical part below the hoods, or the horizontal part where the plugs are?

I'm still not getting it. Do you at least have your thumbs up in the hooks? Or do your first two fingers actually cross your thumbs???

I mean, I just went back to my bike and tested to make sure I'm not crazy. I've got nice short-and-shallow Ritchey Biomax bars. R700 brifters with the shorter wedge in them. My hands aren't THAT small, I have no trouble with the throw shifting my triple FD from either the hoods or the hooks. From the hooks, I can get the levers comfortably, securely with three fingers and the fourth touching to add power as soon as I bring the lever in a little. From the drops, there's over an inch between the tip of my index finger and the tip of the lever. I am really not getting how you guys are doing it!!!

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Originally Posted by Owlie

ETA: Wait, are we debating a vocabulary question? Where are we talking when we say "drops?" The vertical part below the hoods, or the horizontal part where the plugs are?

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Heh. Either that, or you guys have insanely long and flexible fingers! As far as I know, the drops are the lowest part that points back at the rider, and the hooks are the part that parallels the levers.


But that brings me back to the original point. Depth and reach of the bar should not have any effect on the ability to brake from the HOOKS, except that it might make it harder to find a good position for the levers that makes them accessible from both the tops and the hooks, and except if the bar is in the way of your forearm when you move your hands from the drops to the hooks.....

I always considered this "in the drops."

Attachment 16445Attachment 16446

Then what do you call the flat part farther down the curve, the part that points back toward you, which is what I've always been told is the drops?

I guess I just considered "the drops" to be anything below the top of the bar or the hoods. I ride mostly where you're talking about, Oakleaf, but move my hands up to where the pic shows when breaking.

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Originally Posted by murielalex

I guess I just considered "the drops" to be anything below the top of the bar or the hoods.

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Me too.

So ...anyway... am I wrong in thinking that the depth and reach of the bars has nearly nothing to do with the ability to brake from the hooks, and that it has much more to do with the *shape* of the bars, particularly how sharp or how gradual the transition, as well as with where the levers are positioned on that transition?


(and another point of terminology that I don't know - what does one call the part of the bars between the tops and the hoods, the part that's basically nonexistent on short reach bars but can be very roomy longer and on old-fashioned bars?)

I also call all of it "the drops." I have the exact same set up as Oak on my Kuota, and I can pretty much squeeze the levers from almost anywhere on the drops, my bars are so short and shallow. I really think it's this that is the determining factor, although I do need the short reach brifters. Case in point, on my other bike, I have the newer version of the R700s. They are about 2mm longer in reach, which really pissed me off, but even more important, the fancy bars that my shop put on are not as short and shallow. I have to be deep in the hooks to brake from there. I keep saying I am going to get different bars, but I've been lazy. I like the feeling of being really close and almost scrunched to my bars on my other bike. I have smallish hands with long fingers, so I am not one with super tiny hands, but more, overall petite stature. I have to wear size medium women's gloves, for reference.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

So ...anyway... am I wrong in thinking that the depth and reach of the bars has nearly nothing to do with the ability to brake from the hooks, and that it has much more to do with the *shape* of the bars, particularly how sharp or how gradual the transition, as well as with where the levers are positioned on that transition?

(and another point of terminology that I don't know - what does one call the part of the bars between the tops and the hoods, the part that's basically nonexistent on short reach bars but can be very roomy longer and on old-fashioned bars?)

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I agree with your first part completely, and as to the second, I've heard them called "ramps". (Love my old-fashioned bars with big roomy ones -- Velo Orange Grand Cru Course.) I do call all of the lower part of the bar "the drops", though.

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Originally Posted by thekarens

3) Once you are hot and gross after making a pit stop the shorts will never go back on to where and how you had them settled when you put them on before the ride.

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This!