Oy--first big fall :(

[PinkPilot]

Well, since this is in the New Riders category and I have no access to group rides at the moment to learn these things, I feel compelled to ask a very stoooopid newbie question: what are the hoods and the drops?

Heal quickly, teawoman!!

[Torrilin]

On a drop (or racing or road) handlebar, the different parts of the bar have names. The flat part near the stem and headset is the "flats". The gently sloping part on top of the curve is the "hoods". And the curvy bit where you can reach the brakes easily is the "drops". Most bikes are set up so you can brake some from the hoods, but it's harder.

(to go with drop bars, you'll also see people talking about shifters. Brifters are shift levers stacked with brake levers. Bar end shifters are stuck in the holes at the bottom ends of drop bars. And stem or downtube shifters are little shift levers that aren't on the bars at all.)

And Teawoman, I'm glad you're mostly ok. The idea of falling on a hill really scares me, since that's the one time it's easy for a bike to go fast.

[PinkPilot]

Thanks, Torrilin!! That helps a lot and gives me a better picture of what took place.

[SouthernBelle]

Totally understand about the broken ribs, they are painful. When I crunched mine, I was back on the bike in a little less than a month.

Get better soon.

[Jo-n-NY]

I am sorry to hear of your spill. Do not beat yourself over the head about it. These things happen to the best of us sometimes. I also took a major spill two years ago and fractured my shoulder. I was off the bike a couple of months.

Give yourself time to heal. When you feel up to it, many of us put our bikes on trainers indoors to keep our legs in some kind of cycling shape in the off season.

~ JoAnn

[indigoiis]

Sending healing thoughts your way!