Racer Drop Bars: do you actually use them?

cdaly_

smacl wrote: »

cdaly_ wrote: »

It's easy enough to change them over. You just pull the inners out of the levers. and feed them back through the other levers.

Sounds like a plan. Do you typically have to strip off and replace the bar tape for this type of operation? By comparison to the flat bars, the brakes on drops and hoods seem like a fair bit of messing.

No, you should just be able to pull the inners through. The big problem you'll likely meet is if the ends are frayed. Getting them to stay together for the feed back in is the problem then. I would just twirl the inner as I insert it to keep them together. If they're too badly frayed, just replace the inner with a new one (only a euro or two each).

doozerie

cdaly_ wrote:

No, you should just be able to pull the inners through.

The outer cables often need to be swapped between the levers too, which would require removing the bar tape. You might find that the first portions of outer cable for each brake are about the same length as each other, in which case you won't have to swap the outers at the lever end just at the other end, but this wouldn't be the case for all bikes.

Jawgap

One bike has anatomic shaped bars - with the "flat" bit - Ilike using the drops with these.

Another bike has the traditional curled bars - not so much fun in the drops.

I use mine when it's windy and about 40-50% of the rest of the time - always on descents.

I never use them when commuter racing - hands free or on the hoods I think is the official commuter racing position

Dubba

I use them when I want to go faster and on descents for stability.

I sometimes stay in the hoods and lower my body position into a semi-tuck get more aero when pushing it, but generally I prefer the drops.

-Trek-

I use them when I'm trying to go fast, not really working out for me though.

Dermot Illogical

99% of the time I'm on the hoods. I really must try out the drops some day.

cdaly_

doozerie wrote: »

The outer cables often need to be swapped between the levers too, which would require removing the bar tape. You might find that the first portions of outer cable for each brake are about the same length as each other, in which case you won't have to swap the outers at the lever end just at the other end, but this wouldn't be the case for all bikes.

Oh you're right. I forgot that bit. Darn...

feck sake lads

it's no big deal where your hands are wherever is most comfy.if you look at the pro's these days most of them ride the hoods and if they are on the drops more than likely they are using shallow drops so not so much of a stretch.;)

FISMA

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

So since getting my road bike I've done about 6,000km this year and I doubt very much if more than 2-3km of that dist has been on any part of the bars below the brake mounts.

Cookie Monster,
You're not a sprinter, are you?

Cookie_Monster

FISMA wrote: »

Cookie Monster,
You're not a sprinter, are you?

no

irishmotorist

I'd have very rarely used them up until about 6 months ago. Similarly, I felt in less control of the bike and slightly disconnected from the steering. I also felt more vulnerable - a bit more face down. I reckoned that I must be just not used to them and was working too hard in a headwind. So on flat straight bits on my commute, I started using them. It took a bit of getting used to, but I'm much more comfortable in them now and on a strong headwind day, find them much better. I'm more solid feeling and I can stay in a rhythm easier I haven't done any long fast descents in Wicklow on them, but I think that will just be a matter of increasing my confidence.

LCRC_BAX

smacl wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but is it normal on road bikes that the front brake is on the left bar, whereas it is on the right on my hybrid? Kind of confusing, as I tend to do most of my braking on the front, with the right hand, which is now the wrong way around. Haven't tried any big descents yet, and I suspect braking on the first few will be fun!

Generally if the bike is built by a mechanic in the UK or RoI they will put the front brake on the RHS, this is just a traditional thing. On the Continent they have the levers the other way around, ie; front on LHS, I prefer the other way as I can control the brake better with my right hand, but you do get a smoother cable run into the front brake if the lever is mounted on LHS.

J Madone

Would use the drops anytime descending or heavy braking, in fact anytime i know i need to change direction a couple of times in succession.
Way more control being on the drops in my experience.Bike feels much more planted and secure. Hope you sort it out, maybe something on your setup is not quite right.
Did the Kilmessan race this year, Spent 2 hours non stop in the drops average speed 41.5kmh hanging on, must say my neck hurt me for three days after it.
Eating stems,not part of a healthy diet!

kenmc

I use the drops pretty much the whole time. Mostly I'm on the lower flats, not in the curve, but obviously need to pop up there for braking. Only time I'm not on the lower bars is when on a long seated climb, or in sketchy traffic where I like to sit up to gain visibility and be a bit more visible, or occasionally just for a bit of a change of position. Sprinting, cruising, descending and small climbs, all in the drops.

Re the LHS/RHS for the brake lever, I believe it's to do with turning right and the need to brake suddenly; the front brake is much more effective than the rear, so if you're turning right, and indicating with your right hand, your left hand is the braking hand. If this is the front brake, and you suddenly pull (e.g. a car about to squish you) it you are likely to tumble since the handlebars with only one hand on it will probably kick hard under sudden front braking, whereas the rear won't cause such a violent reaction.

On the other hand (doh, sorry), if you are turning left you are possibly less likely to have to jam on, and you can probably get away without indicating (you're not moving out across traffic) so the RHS brake being the front is less of an issue. And of course on the continent, they drive on the other side, so everything would be reversed.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it anyway! I find it extremely wierd to have a LHS front brake, like the Dublin Bikes do, although that hardly matters on them cos they're not exactly what you'd call effective anyway!

Lumen

kenmc wrote: »

Re the LHS/RHS for the brake lever, I believe it's to do with turning right and the need to brake suddenly; the front brake is much more effective than the rear, so if you're turning right, and indicating with your right hand, your left hand is the braking hand. If this is the front brake, and you suddenly pull (e.g. a car about to squish you) it you are likely to tumble since the handlebars with only one hand on it will probably kick hard under sudden front braking, whereas the rear won't cause such a violent reaction.

That doesn't work so well if you're making a right hand turn on a wet descent, particularly with carbon rims. I want as much braking force at my disposal as possible, and that comes from the front.

IMO the best argument for "right hand front" is that right handed people apply more force and with greater control using their right hand, and when braking at the limit you want that combination of force and control on your front brake since the rear brake doesn't do anything.

Raam

Those who don't use em, if they weren't there, then you would miss them.

kenmc

Lumen wrote: »

IMO the best argument for "right hand front" is that right handed people apply more force and with greater control using their right hand, and when braking at the limit you want that combination of force and control on your front brake since the rear brake doesn't do anything.

Well the logical conclusion of that is that since the europeans tend to have lefty front brakes, then the majority of europeans must be left handed, which is not true.

rp

kenmc wrote: »

Well the logical conclusion of that is that since the europeans tend to have lefty front brakes, then the majority of europeans must be left handed, which is not true.

But DIN standard for bicycles mandates front-brake-right, and the Germans *are* the majority of Europeans.

Roger Hassenforder

other than the 0.000004% of the time when Im waving my arms triumphantly in the air, Im usually on the drops, although i think it makes my gut look bigger

feck sake lads

Lumen wrote: »

That doesn't work so well if you're making a right hand turn on a wet descent, particularly with carbon rims. I want as much braking force at my disposal as possible, and that comes from the front.

IMO the best argument for "right hand front" is that right handed people apply more force and with greater control using their right hand, and when braking at the limit you want that combination of force and control on your front brake since the rear brake doesn't do anything.

eh wrong just ask a boxer:D:D

Cookie_Monster

Bumpity bump

Reading another thread on here last week got me thinking about this again. I went out and lowered the angle of my bars by about 15 degrees. Now the brake levels are verticle and the hoods a lot flatter to the horizontal.

Instant change re the drop bars, way more comfortable, easier to reach the levers from the new hand position and feel much better.

Funny, I never thought anything about the angle of the bars since they were setup during my bike fit...

Short spin yesterday and I used them about 40% of the time instead of 5%

Alanstrainor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Bumpity bump

Reading another thread on here last week got me thinking about this again. I went out and lowered the angle of my bars by about 15 degrees. Now the brake levels are verticle and the hoods a lot flatter to the horizontal.

Instant change re the drop bars, way more comfortable, easier to reach the levers from the new hand position and feel much better.

Funny, I never thought anything about the angle of the bars since they were setup during my bike fit...

Short spin yesterday and I used them about 40% of the time instead of 5%

I'd say i'm the same as you, I use mine about 40% of the time. But i'm riding a cyclocross frame...not too sure how much of a difference that would make!

Mycroft H

I going have to check the next time I'm out. I know tend to use the drops and hoods and flats.

doozerie

Cookie_Monster wrote:

Reading another thread on here last week got me thinking about this again. I went out and lowered the angle of my bars by about 15 degrees. Now the brake levels are verticle and the hoods a lot flatter to the horizontal.

Instant change re the drop bars, way more comfortable, easier to reach the levers from the new hand position and feel much better.

Funny, I never thought anything about the angle of the bars since they were setup during my bike fit...

Remember that rotating the bars like that, as well as having the effect of lowing the bars slightly, also has the effect of extending the reach (to the hoods) too. If it is working well for you then that's great, but watch out for signs that might suggest the reach/drop is now beyond your comfortable range.

Peterx

For some people the brake lever is too far away from their fingers for comfortably reach when they are in the drops and so they only feel in proper control of the brakes on the hoods.

You can adjust the position of the lever if this is the case

(as was the case with my girlfriend - she wasn't at all comfortable on the drops until we adjusted the position of the lever closer)

finding the wee wedges to acheive this on her ultegra brake levers was a different problem!

kuro_man

Peterx wrote: »

finding the wee wedges to acheive this on her ultegra brake levers was a different problem!

I cut squares out of an old tyre, punch a hole with a very small screwdriver and screwed them on using the name plate screw.

Peterx

kuro_man wrote: »

I cut squares out of an old tyre, punch a hole with a very small screwdriver and screwed them on using the name plate screw.

Good man kuro_man, that would have been plan B but a very sound lad up in Base2Race gave me two of them for free whilst I was up there shopping for shoes.