Switching to Drops... Scary

Vivica

BikeRadar,

I have already made a thread about my hunt for a new bike, which can be found here... http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14653563

I've basically settled myself on the Tricross, i've tried out a Sirrus and Allez, and think the Tricross would be awesome, its got brakes on the flats of the bars... Which i thought was an awesome idea.

The only problem is, my ride takes me from what i believe is around 110 meters above sea level to what is pretty much bang on sea level, and it does so via alot of hills... My dilemma is that i've never used drops much before, and i don't know if they'll prove to be uncomfortable doing 10 miles daily with so many hills.

Anybody able to give me some advice about what a switch to drops would be like, and/or if they'd recommend them for this sort of hilly ride.
Obviously other bike recommendations would also be welcome.

Cheers.

redddraggon

Vivica wrote:

My dilemma is that i've never used drops much before, and i don't know if they'll prove to be uncomfortable doing 10 miles daily with so many hills.

Drops are more comfortable than flat bars...full stop

Far more handpositions available on drops compared to flat bars

Vivica

Basically, this thread is all about convincing myself the Tricross is the right bike for me... It feels like it is, i really just need people's opinions to push me into splashing out the cash.

New bike = scary

fizz

I prefer drops I hate flat bars I dont get on with them and I dont find them comfortable.

It will feel weird for the first few rides on drops, but persevere with it and you'll soon quickly get used to it. Make sure when you get your new bike that you get the seat and handlebar position set for you that way you should quickly adapt to it and wont get any nasty twinges or muscle aches.

Where I live is not flat nowhere near and I regularly do 2 to 3hr rides on my roadie with drops and I never ache afterwards.

Mettan

Also, initially, proceed with caution when moving from the hoods to drops and vice versa throughout the ride, especially if the front end feels a bit twitchy.

cougie

With drops - you can ride on the tops anyway and its like having flat bars.
If racers can get round 3 weeks of racing in the tour and over the alps and the pyrenees - I think you can get round a 10 mile route with a few bumps in.

ut_och_cykla

I think your answer might be try before you buy. My husband went from MTB set up to a somewhat nervous racing bike and found the change over unnerving. I did the same but to a Trek 1100 with a very steady ride with no problems at all. Ii love drops now! as another poster writes get whatever you ride set up correctly for you so that it is not too extreme.

gkerr4

The tri-cross is a good commuter choice but unless you need the off-road capability I'd go for the allez and save a few quid.

your lbs will put interupter brake levers on if you want them on the tops of the bars by the way - they are a £15 part and just cut into the regular brake cable to allow you to work it from the top of the bar too.

the allez will be cheaper, slightly lighter and with the money you save you could buy aun upgrade on the wheels to help you up those hills even more.

maddog 2

redddraggon wrote:

Drops are more comfortable than flat bars...full stop

nothing like a subjective statement masquerading as truth

Hudster

Agree with gkerr4.

I went from riding mountain bikes to drops and it did take me a little while to get used to them. The main thing was that I struggled to find the brake levers quickly. It took a bit of altering angles, height etc., and now I'm a big fan. They give you loads more positions so using them for hours on end, day after day, over whatever gradient is what they excel at. 10 miles and any bars would be fine I'd have thought, especially drops.

SDP

i can't believe some things people post...

its like saying i can only drive a vauxhall 'coz i learnt in a vauxhall !

i had a MTB after years of road bikes ..took me about a nano second to work out the brakes had moved !

my wife who is not tech minded in the slightes had her 1st proper race bike a carbon TCR ...& after years of flat bars got usewd to STi's after 5 minutes...

its a bike ....not trying to learn to fly a space shuttle !

Hudster

SDP wrote:

its like saying i can only drive a vauxhall 'coz i learnt in a vauxhall !

No it's not. It's like saying I have driven right hand drive for 10 years and now when in a left hander I find it took a while to not look up to the left for the rear mirror. Which is quite normal.

SDP wrote:

my wife who is not tech minded in the slightes had her 1st proper race bike a carbon TCR ...& after years of flat bars got usewd to STi's after 5 minutes...

its a bike ....not trying to learn to fly a space shuttle !

It's not about technical expertise, it's about your body reacting in a certain way. If you are suddenly have to react, particularly with braking where things can be a bit of a panic, learning to move your hands in a different way takes time.

Going back to your car idea, most people are used to operating the clutch with their left foot. If you try and brake, it takes a bit of learning not to cause your passengers to lose their eyeballs! You'll get it fairly quickly however, but try and do it when you really need it and it will take you quite a while to learn to brake in a controlled way.

The point is that there is an adaptation period where you learn and adjust to make the most of them.

SDP

yeh right

acclimatisation....

did you have periods of acclimatisation on bikes when you were kids...& just rode your mates new bike for five mins...of course not ..you jumped on & pedalled away !

what about riders who get service bikes in races....

"cant ride this old chap its got campag shifters on & i only use dura ace" ..

b

Steve I

Go for the Tricross. I haven't got one but I do have a Kona Jake which is very similar. You can fit different tyres as your mood takes you, have a go at off road trails or fit mudguards and maybe a rack for a spot of touring. They're much more versatile than a pure road bike, but of course, don't expect it to be quite as quick or feel as good as a road/race bike on the road.

The drop bars are great on road, off road they don't give as good control as straight bars, good enough though as long as you don't want to throw the bike around like a mountain bike. If you decide on straight bars I'd imagine you'd have a great deal more choice as many hybrids are virtually the same thing only with straight bars, usually a bit cheaper too for the same spec. My brother has just bought a Dawes discovery 601, a lovely bike, it'll do everything my Kona will, only it has straight bars and v-brakes as opposed to drop bars and canti brakes.

Hudster

SDP wrote:

did you have periods of acclimatisation on bikes when you were kids...& just rode your mates new bike for five mins...of course not ..you jumped on & pedalled away !

Of course it took a while. Could never throw a bike around like my own because I had spent ages learning the limits of my own. Remember snapping my brothers frame off a jump because it didn't fly quite the same - oops. :roll:

acorn_user

Just make sure that the bars are set at a comfortable height. Since the Tricross features an Aheadset, insist that the shop NOT cut the fork low, but leave you some room to raise/drop it in the future. Nothing sucks on a road bike like having numb hands from low bars.

sbullett

SDP wrote:

i had a MTB after years of road bikes ..took me about a nano second to work out the brakes had moved ! !

I went the other way, MTB to roadie, first time down the road, holding on the tops of the bars and came to brake .......but you're right, it takes about a nano-second to work it out and I promise you only do it once!

Don't worry about it, drop bars and road bikes in general are fantatstic after you've been riding a heavy old MTB for years.....you'll fly!

Enjoy.

wildmoustache

maddog 2 wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

Drops are more comfortable than flat bars...full stop

nothing like a subjective statement masquerading as truth

not sure about your logic there maddog. so, is sitting on a bed of nails less comfortable than sitting in an armchair a subjective statement? define comfortable etc. etc.

most people who know how to use drops agree they are more comfortable.

they're certainly more aero!

SDP

wildmoustache wrote:

maddog 2 wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

Drops are more comfortable than flat bars...full stop

nothing like a subjective statement masquerading as truth

not sure about your logic there maddog. so, is sitting on a bed of nails less comfortable than sitting in an armchair a subjective statement? define comfortable etc. etc.

most people who know how to use drops agree they are more comfortable.

they're certainly more aero!

i am still perplexed ..

redddraggon

maddog 2 wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

Drops are more comfortable than flat bars...full stop

nothing like a subjective statement masquerading as truth

On flats you've got flats and that's it (unless you have bar ends).

Drops have got flats, hoods, drops and a large number of in between positions.

OK, it takes a bit of getting used to, but drops will be more comfortable (probably after an initial period of discomfort). Drops (tend to) look less comfortable because they tend to be in a quite a low racy position, but there's no reason why the bars can't go a bit higher if the steerer is long enough or you use a different angled stem.

I realise I didn't develop my first statement enough, so hopefully I've got it right this time.

redddraggon

SDP wrote:

wildmoustache wrote:

most people who know how to use drops agree they are more comfortable.

i am still perplexed ..

They just take a bit of getting used to, I found drop style rather uncomfortable for the first couple of weeks. Once you get quite familiar with the style you'll be able to move your hands around the bars for different situations and conditions e.g. going downhill or your hands have started to ache.

wildmoustache

SDP wrote:

wildmoustache wrote:

maddog 2 wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

Drops are more comfortable than flat bars...full stop

nothing like a subjective statement masquerading as truth

not sure about your logic there maddog. so, is sitting on a bed of nails less comfortable than sitting in an armchair a subjective statement? define comfortable etc. etc.

most people who know how to use drops agree they are more comfortable.

they're certainly more aero!

i am still perplexed ..

how to use drops?

when you are confident using them you:

feel comfortable cruising on the hoods, riding off the wheel of another rider, covering the brakes

feel comfortable and stable transitioning from drops to hoods

develop an aero position on the hoods for lone breakaways

have the flexibility and core strength to stay in the drops for long periods of time for lone breaks and long descents

more than anything else, if you don't use it, you don't have it. it requires you get comfortable using drops before you can reap the handling and aero benefit ...

keep centre of gravity low when cornering in a descent

SDP

no i am perplexed about "getting used to them"

its as easy as riding a bike...

Hudster

SDP wrote:

no i am perplexed about "getting used to them"

its as easy as riding a bike...

Yeah, but what's "riding a bike"? Some people ride for years but cannot even do something basic like wheelie. To a track racer, there is no point. To a mountain biker, it's a most basic skill that you require.

Which comes back to my point I was making before. You can ride the bike with drops, but it takes a good few times to properly get use to them and use them effectively.

maddog 2

good point. Wheelieing with drops is tricky.

Is that why roadies can't wheelie?

Bianchi Boy

I ride MTB and Road bikes, and have done for years. No problems using either flats or drops. Just use a bit of common sense if you're a beginer at either.

IMO Drops are far more comfortable for the reasons already mentioned.

Bianchi Boy

maddog 2 wrote:

good point. Wheelieing with drops is tricky.

Is that why roadies can't wheelie?

Why would a Roadie want to wheelie anyway?

maddog 2

oh I don't know.....

to enjoy life?

to impress the girl next door?

to save on tyre wear?

why would anyone wheelie? There is no logical reason for it captain Kirk.

aracer

maddog 2 wrote:

good point. Wheelieing with drops is tricky.

Is that why roadies can't wheelie?

You mean like Robbie McEwen?
http://www.bike-zone.com/tour04.php?id= ... VO12a-2878

maddog 2

ah but he's an ex-bmxer?

magibob

Newbie question.

I have flats now. I think my next bike will have drops. Where do you brake from? Do you sort of reach round from the hoods, or drop your hands onto the drop parts?

Andy