Racing On The Hoods or In The Drops?

It has been suggested to me that I should be on the hoods and not in the drops during races.
Primarily his theory is that it is easier to be bumped and knocked down being in the drops. Being in
the drops seems faster and control feels better at high speeds especially in the corners. Are my
instincts wrong? Any thoughts?

Steve

 

"Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAE403CA.3C25B%[email protected]...
> It has been suggested to me that I should be on the hoods and not in the drops during races.
> Primarily his theory is that it is easier to be bumped and knocked down being in the drops. Being
> in the drops seems faster and control feels better at high speeds especially in the corners. Are
> my instincts wrong? Any thoughts?
>
That's an odd theory. Drops are more aerodynamic and they give you more control.

Of course, you can easily set up a bike so that the hoods are positioned too low i.e. where the
drops are supposed to be.

Jeff

 

Who told you that? Why even have drops if you are not going to use them? Some riders cut and inch or
so off, when they don't use the bar too far from the levers but riding in the drops is very common.
Really the only reason you might see someone avoid them is if the bars are too low.

"Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAE403CA.3C25B%[email protected]...
> It has been suggested to me that I should be on the hoods and not in the drops during races.
> Primarily his theory is that it is easier to be bumped and knocked down being in the drops. Being
> in the drops seems faster and control feels better at high speeds especially in the corners. Are
> my instincts wrong? Any thoughts?
>
> Steve

 

in article [email protected], Nick Burns at [email protected] wrote on
5/11/03 6:52 PM:

> Who told you that? Why even have drops if you are not going to use them?

The first time he said it I was stunned speechless and looked into Lance's advice on riding position
in his book. Then the next race he said it again to get on the hoods so I thought I'd throw the
theory on the table here and see anyone else feels the same way. I don't have a lot of experience
racing but I'm thinking about telling this guy he's full of it and to get on the drops you'll be
more aerodynamic, have a lower center of gravity, more control and be able to crank more leverage
producing increased torque to the rear wheel. Nay, I probably won't say anything.

BTW, I use both positions depending on terrain, pace and what feels right at the time for me.

> Some riders cut and inch or so off, when they don't use the bar too far from the levers but riding
> in the drops is very common. Really the only reason you might see someone avoid them is if the
> bars are too low.
>
>
> "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAE403CA.3C25B%[email protected]...
>> It has been suggested to me that I should be on the hoods and not in the drops during races.
>> Primarily his theory is that it is easier to be bumped and knocked down being in the drops. Being
>> in the drops seems faster and control feels better at high speeds especially in the corners. Are
>> my instincts wrong? Any thoughts?
>>
>> Steve
>>

 

Just a couple of points:

1 - being in the drops is not necessarily more aero than being on the hoods. Try this: ride in the
drops, and take one hand and put it on the brakehood. Take note of the bend in your elbow required
to keep you shoulders level. If you ride on the hoods with your elbows bent that way, you'll be just
as low and just as aero as if you were in the drops.

2- depending on how you train, you may actually be MORE powerful on the hoods than in the drops.
If you don't train in the drops, you won't be powerful there. If you train on the hoods, in a
low position
w/ elbows bent, you can generate quite a bit of power by pulling back against the hoods, thus
stabilizing the hips.

3- on the hoods, if you want to raise up a bit to see better the action in front of you, it's easy
enough - just straighten your arms. In the drops, you'll have to switch to your hoods, first.

4- if you're sprinting, the drops are typically better because you'll want your arms basically
extended, and if you do that from the hoods while standing, you'll be WAAAY too 'tall' and catch too
much wind, and lose much of your ability to transfer power from the hips.

Nothing wrong with riding on the hoods. Just know when/where/why to change to the drops (and
vice versa).

Steve <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<BAE50092.3C3A1%[email protected]>...
> in article [email protected], Nick Burns at [email protected] wrote on
> 5/11/03 6:52 PM:
>
> > Who told you that? Why even have drops if you are not going to use them?
>
> The first time he said it I was stunned speechless and looked into Lance's advice on riding
> position in his book. Then the next race he said it again to get on the hoods so I thought I'd
> throw the theory on the table here and see anyone else feels the same way. I don't have a lot of
> experience racing but I'm thinking about telling this guy he's full of it and to get on the drops
> you'll be more aerodynamic, have a lower center of gravity, more control and be able to crank more
> leverage producing increased torque to the rear wheel. Nay, I probably won't say anything.
>
> BTW, I use both positions depending on terrain, pace and what feels right at the time for me.
>
> > Some riders cut and inch or so off, when they don't use the bar too far from the levers but
> > riding in the drops is very common. Really the only reason you might see someone avoid them is
> > if the bars are too low.
> >
> >
> > "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAE403CA.3C25B%[email protected]...
> >> It has been suggested to me that I should be on the hoods and not in the drops during races.
> >> Primarily his theory is that it is easier to be bumped and knocked down being in the drops.
> >> Being in the drops seems faster and control feels better at high speeds especially in the
> >> corners. Are my instincts wrong? Any thoughts?
> >>
> >> Steve
> >>
> >

 

The cyclingworld is full of these "Guru's", they tell you to increase or decrease cadence, put you
seat higher/lower etc. I usually say yes and do the opposite unless i really trust the guy in his
knowledge and suspect there is room for improvement in the subject he's commenting on.

"Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAE50092.3C3A1%[email protected]...
> in article [email protected], Nick Burns at [email protected] wrote on
> 5/11/03 6:52 PM:
>
> > Who told you that? Why even have drops if you are not going to use them?
>
> The first time he said it I was stunned speechless and looked into Lance's advice on riding
> position in his book. Then the next race he said it again to get on the hoods so I thought I'd
> throw the theory on the table here and see anyone else feels the same way. I don't have a lot of
> experience racing but I'm thinking about telling this guy he's full of it and to get on the drops
> you'll be more aerodynamic, have a lower center of gravity, more control and be able to crank more
> leverage producing increased torque to the rear wheel. Nay, I probably won't say anything.
>
> BTW, I use both positions depending on terrain, pace and what feels right at the time for me.
>
> > Some riders cut and inch or so off, when they don't use the bar too far from the levers but
> > riding in the drops is very common. Really the only reason you might see someone avoid them is
> > if the bars are too low.
> >
> >
> > "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAE403CA.3C25B%[email protected]...
> >> It has been suggested to me that I should be on the hoods and not in the drops during races.
> >> Primarily his theory is that it is easier to be bumped and knocked down being in the drops.
> >> Being in the drops seems faster and control feels better at high speeds especially in the
> >> corners. Are my instincts wrong? Any thoughts?
> >>
> >> Steve
> >>
> >

 

in article [email protected], Scott Hendricks at
[email protected] wrote on 5/12/03 10:30 AM:

> Just a couple of points:

One major drawback I see when riding on the hoods is emergency braking. It seems to be more
difficult to apply full braking force and maybe possibly more likely to go over head first in an
accident. Are injuries likely to be more severe riding on the hoods or in the drops in the event
of a crash?
>
> 1 - being in the drops is not necessarily more aero than being on the hoods. Try this: ride in the
> drops, and take one hand and put it on the brakehood. Take note of the bend in your elbow required
> to keep you shoulders level. If you ride on the hoods with your elbows bent that way, you'll be
> just as low and just as aero as if you were in the drops.
>
> 2- depending on how you train, you may actually be MORE powerful on the hoods than in the drops.
> If you don't train in the drops, you won't be powerful there. If you train on the hoods, in a low
> position
> w/ elbows bent, you can generate quite a bit of power by pulling back against the hoods, thus
> stabilizing the hips.
>
> 3- on the hoods, if you want to raise up a bit to see better the action in front of you, it's easy
> enough - just straighten your arms. In the drops, you'll have to switch to your hoods, first.
>
> 4- if you're sprinting, the drops are typically better because you'll want your arms basically
> extended, and if you do that from the hoods while standing, you'll be WAAAY too 'tall' and catch
> too much wind, and lose much of your ability to transfer power from the hips.
>
> Nothing wrong with riding on the hoods. Just know when/where/why to change to the drops (and
> vice versa).
>
>
> Steve <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<BAE50092.3C3A1%[email protected]>...
>> in article [email protected], Nick Burns at [email protected] wrote on
>> 5/11/03 6:52 PM:
>>
>>> Who told you that? Why even have drops if you are not going to use them?
>>
>> The first time he said it I was stunned speechless and looked into Lance's advice on riding
>> position in his book. Then the next race he said it again to get on the hoods so I thought I'd
>> throw the theory on the table here and see anyone else feels the same way. I don't have a lot of
>> experience racing but I'm thinking about telling this guy he's full of it and to get on the drops
>> you'll be more aerodynamic, have a lower center of gravity, more control and be able to crank
>> more leverage producing increased torque to the rear wheel. Nay, I probably won't say anything.
>>
>> BTW, I use both positions depending on terrain, pace and what feels right at the time for me.
>>
>>> Some riders cut and inch or so off, when they don't use the bar too far from the levers but
>>> riding in the drops is very common. Really the only reason you might see someone avoid them is
>>> if the bars are too low.
>>>
>>>
>>> "Steve" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAE403CA.3C25B%[email protected]...
>>>> It has been suggested to me that I should be on the hoods and not in the drops during races.
>>>> Primarily his theory is that it is easier to be bumped and knocked down being in the drops.
>>>> Being in the drops seems faster and control feels better at high speeds especially in the
>>>> corners. Are my instincts wrong? Any thoughts?
>>>>
>>>> Steve
>>>>
>>>
>