Drops vs. Hoods

[mimitabby]

very interesting. Lisa, what about holding your head up?
how's the neck feel after 30 miles?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

very interesting. Lisa, what about holding your head up?
how's the neck feel after 30 miles?

Mimi, I am not having any neck problems- did 30, 40, and 50 mile rides this past week.
It's possible that part of that is because DH and I have Rivendell bikes which have a semi-touring geometry where the handlbars are basically at the same level as the seat. So we don't have as radical a racing position as most road bikes have. Here is a photo of DH and it shows pretty well how this arrangement results in a posture that is not giving us neck pain on long rides- in the photo he is riding with his hands on the hoods, but in the drops is really not radically different:
http://harmonias.com/riding.jpg
We purposely chose Rivendells for reasons such as this, because we are more interested in staying comfortable on long rides than we are in going really fast. Especially since we are not in our 20's anymore! So no, am not having neck pain. Actually I felt quite good after the 52 mile ride yesterday which took over 5 hours in the saddle. Mostly highway riding.

I found that if anything, the shoving back of the saddle helped me feel more comfortable all over! I know it doesn't seem to make sense, but that how it is. I'm more behind the pedals now instead of right on top of them. I feel like I have more power and can also relax more. Hard to describe well.

[madscot13]

I actually don't like riding on the hoods. i think it is realy uncomfortable for my hands and I guess i jsut don't like the way it makes me slope forward.


But I do like riding in the drops! I like the way it lets my bodyy just fall into it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for making the hoods more comfortable?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

But I do like riding in the drops! I like the way it lets my bodyy just fall into it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for making the hoods more comfortable?

Yes, that's how it feels to me now- like just falling/relaxing into to the drops- very comfy!

I was just thinking yesterday on how to make the hoods more comfortable on my hands. I decided they should make the top point more like a nice ball instead of a pointed end- that way we could hold it like a stick shift ball end instead of jamming our hand there between fingers and thumb.

I was sitting outside a store watching our bikes yesterday while DH was inside shopping. A man with a 5 year old passed by and the little girl poiunted at DH's bike and said "Daddy, look!- a bicycle with HORNS!"
Made me think....

[Kitsune06]

I find that not only does my neck hurt a little, but to lean so far forward and down, even using my core to curve my spine right, I find the seat mashing my tender bits. what gives?

[RoadRaven]

I find the seat mashing my tender bits. what gives?

Hooch back a bit on the seat a bit so your sit-bones are in a different place on the seat.

I don't just lean down to the drops, I alter my position on the saddle to...

Otherwise... hmmm? Arnica pillues?

[RoadRaven]

I have always preferred the drops.

As I have lowered my stem, my belly has become the problem... another incentive to keep shedding the weight.

It is much less work on the drops if you can get comfy there - you present less wind resistence, and therefore don't work as hard to get somewhere slightly quicker.

Sliding my seat back a fraction made my ride more comfy too - and I mean a fraction - I think it was about 1 - 1.5 cms!

[Triskeliongirl]

Lisa, which saddle were you riding before and which are you riding now, that has a 1.5" difference in saddle position. That is HUGE. While I love my Brooks Finesse saddle, I really struggle to get it far back enough. I solved it with a very laid back seatpost, but I am curious how it would feel to go back even further.

[DebW]

Moving the saddle back means that your legs and core can hold your upper body weight when you bend over. If your legs are directly under your saddle, then only your arms are holding you up. It's like if you are standing up and bend at the waist - your butt has to moves back or you'd fall on your face. Then it depends on the placement of the bars (height, drop, reach) as to whether your comfy spot is in the drops or the hoods or elsewhere. But you want to be comfortable enough on both to use the hoods on a climb and the drops on a descent.

[sarahkonamojo]

I have been attempting to ride in the drops for awhile with no luck. My arms are short. Reaching the brakes from the drops means my face too close to the handle bars. Bars are already pretty high because of short arms.

I'll have to try the seat slide back. Hmmm.

sarah

[li10up]

Moving the saddle back means that your legs and core can hold your upper body weight when you bend over. If your legs are directly under your saddle, then only your arms are holding you up. It's like if you are standing up and bend at the waist - your butt has to moves back or you'd fall on your face. Then it depends on the placement of the bars (height, drop, reach) as to whether your comfy spot is in the drops or the hoods or elsewhere. But you want to be comfortable enough on both to use the hoods on a climb and the drops on a descent.

That is EXACTLY what the bike fit guy said! I had always thought that moving the seat backwards would put more weight on your hands. But after he explained it (what you said) it made perfect sense.

I think I'm going to try moving my seat back. Maybe that will put me in a more comfortable position while in the drops.

Carbon seatpost and no torque wrench...I hate having to take my bike to the LBS for every little adjustmnet...but I'm scared to death that I'll over-tighten and break the seatpost. Guess it's time to invest in a torque wrench. I bought a Richey Torqkey that is preset for the handlebars but it won't work on the seatpost.

[Grog]

In the not-so-distant past, I could ride in the drops on downhills without a problem, but on the flats it was really not very pleasant. I could do it for an effort for a short time, but really I didn't like it.

I was fitted on my bike and it was confirmed that my cockpit (handlebars/stem) was just too big and too far. I now have new handlebars (38 instead of 41cm!!!) and they have a very short reach to the hoods and shallow drops. The drops are now a very comfy place to be in, I don't mind staying in there for as long as necessary.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, which saddle were you riding before and which are you riding now, that has a 1.5" difference in saddle position. That is HUGE. While I love my Brooks Finesse saddle, I really struggle to get it far back enough. I solved it with a very laid back seatpost, but I am curious how it would feel to go back even further.

Tri,
I talked about the two different saddles and their rail lengths in this thread:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12921
I had the "S" model which has shorter nose and shorter rails, "for women".
Now I have a non-women's Brooks, which has WAY longer rails (and longer nose).
Yes, I really DID get a 1 1/2" shove back amount- and I love it!

[Triskeliongirl]

Tri,
I talked about the two different saddles and their rail lengths in this thread:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12921
I had the "S" model which has shorter nose and shorter rails, "for women".
Now I have a non-women's Brooks, which has WAY longer rails (and longer nose).
Yes, I really DID get a 1 1/2" shove back amount- and I love it!

I read this thread w great interst. Can you take a picture of the B68. I am trying to understand how it might compare to my finesse since I also don't have a B17s to compare it to. Perhaps a close up of side view so we can see how far the rails go relative to where the saddle curves.

[velogirl]

remember, if you move your saddle back, you need to lower your seatpost as well. moving your saddle back will increase your leg extension (the distance from your hip to the pedal), so to counter that and still have the proper leg extension you'll need to drop your saddle as well.

did I just say the same thing in two different sentences? sorry!