Quote Originally Posted by Robyn Maislin View Post
Velo, I just spent a good deal of $ of a custom Kuota bike. I have 38 cm bars (flat on the top) and I don't know if I need anything smaller. I do try to ride in the drops for a little while on every ride; but I feel weird, like I am lying down almost. I can't explain it. I can barely take my hands off of the bar to drop down, it just plain scares me. I am comfortable when I get there and can easily change gears, but I feel a like my ability to really squeeze the brakes isn't as good. I can reach them, but it's not the same as in the other positions.

Robyn
Is your seat in the right position?
You can get little wedges that fit in the hoods, bringing the brake levers in some, so that shorter fingers can reach them better from the drops. I assume your bars are WSD bars? They usually have a shorter reach to the brakes from all positions. So if you don't, start with those first. Reach of the brakes from the drops doesn't have to do with the 38cm width of the bars but how the hoods are positions and the geometry of the drops. I got some 38 WSD bars put on yesterday (was riding in standard 42s that came on the bike--I could shift from the drops but not brake. It's the different geometry overall versus the narrowness that made the difference that way). If you've got women's bars, go with the wedges.

If you're too squished in and your seat is in the right position, then maybe you can flip your stem over to get the bars up higher so you aren't lying on your knees in the drops.