Drops vs. Hoods

[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.

[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!

[Derf]

This is really interesting as I don't really ride in the drops, but would like to.

[mimitabby]

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.

http://www.wallbike.com/b68.html

[mimitabby]

http://www.wallbike.com/B17.html

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Mimi, note that is the picture of the B17 NARROW, not the regular B17.
The link you posted does show the different types of B17's though.
Sorry, can't find pix of the undersides of the various Brooks.

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks, mimi, but what I am trying to see are the undersides, where the usable part of the rails end relative to the back of the saddle. Maybe its easier to just take that measurement. I checked all the brooks online stuff and they don't show the undersides. Don't worry Lisa, if its too much trouble I can ask the guys at wall bikes to measure it for me. I am just intrigued now about the B68, but it is soooo muuch heaver than my finesse so I want to know if it will really make a difference.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Caribe81 posted some pix of her B17 "S" saddle here:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...t=14586&page=3
There is one shot that shows the straight (useable) section of the under rails with the clamp on. Keep in mind that the NON-S B17 has much longer straight section of rail- the part you can slide back and forth to adjust.
The B68 non-S has the longer rails as well. The Brooks S models are shorter and their rails are shorter.

[SR500]

I'm trying to ride in the drops more often. Currently I rarely get in the drops -it's just not very comfortable. I've noticed that when I go from the hoods to the drops it seems harder to pedal...I'm staying in the same gear. When I went into my LBS the other day to get their opinion on rotating my handlebars forward to alleviate hand and arm numbness (which worked BTW) the bike fitter said he thinks I need to move my saddle back. I'm not having any knee issues so I'm a little leery of doing that. But, could moving my saddle back give me more power in the drops?

It seems you may need to find a new LBS and get a proper bike fit. Just moving things randomly won't solve the problem, but generally give you more. Bike fit is very important for comfort, power, and efficiency. Your saddle type may have something to do with it, but a fitter will look at you seat height, tilt, and fore/aft, reach, stem length and handlebar drop, as well as handlebar width, and even saddle width. Most fittings run around $150 and well worth it for anyone riding more then once a week.

[Kalidurga]

It seems you may need to find a new LBS and get a proper bike fit. Just moving things randomly won't solve the problem, but generally give you more. Bike fit is very important for comfort, power, and efficiency. Your saddle type may have something to do with it, but a fitter will look at you seat height, tilt, and fore/aft, reach, stem length and handlebar drop, as well as handlebar width, and even saddle width. Most fittings run around $150 and well worth it for anyone riding more then once a week.

I'll second that. I've posted a few times in the last couple of months, raving about the differences I've felt since my fitting. In my case, extending the steerer tube to raise the bars was what made the difference and allowed me to get comfortable in the drops. A good fitter will definitely think of options that you might not, and can watch you pedal to make sure that those changes are really appropriate for you. If you're concerned with power, a fitter that uses something like the Computrainer Pro will also be able to guage fluctuations in your watt output based on the changes made to your fit.

[anakiwa]

This whole thread is really interesting.

I'll second the comments about the importance of a fitting. On my first road bike I was really uncomfortable in the drops (neck pain from over reaching- and I was reaching too far to feel stable). At the fitting I had done a few years ago- they moved the seat forward and the bars back- it was amazing how much more comfortable the drops were when I could actually REACH them.