I think Jonathan's problem is one of fitting. First, he complaints about "having to bend forward" to
use a drop bar. Well, If his bars are too low, he will bend forward. What it sounds like is Jonathan
needs to *raise* his handlebars to get a more comfortable position.
As for flat bars being better than *multiposition* bars, it sounds as if Jonathan does ride very
far. If he rode say 50+mile rides, he would know the superiority of having *multiposition* -
allows you to move your hands around. Flat bars keep your hands in one position, not very good on
long rides.
I recommend Jonathan read the following:
http://www.rivbike.com/html/101_dropbars.html http://www.rivbike.com/html/rr_comfposition.html
http://www.rivbike.com/html/bikes_framesize.html http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm and
finally:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frames/
"Jim Quinn" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Jonathan v.d. Sluis" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:[email protected]...
> > Mike S. <mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet> schreef in berichtnieuws uS0Ea.145928$eJ2.61171@fed1read07...
>
> > Modern road bikes come with brake/shifter handles often more than E
100,-
> > more expensive than their flat-bar counterparts. This gives the customer
a
> > brake lever(s)he's not used to and might not like. If the customer never uses the drops, because
> > (s)he does not want to bend so deep, the number
of
> > positions of positions on a drop bar are just as limited as on a flat
bar,
> > and even more limited than on a multiposition handlebar, which has nice
> foam
> > grip as a standard bonus. A drop bar also forces a person to put the
hands
> > close to the rotating point in an upright position, which makes steering more difficult,
> > especially if you're used to the wide handlebar of a mountainbike. Also, not everyone likes
> > having to bend forward in a
> descent;
> > a flat bar increases drag and makes coasting feel safer, or just plain
> safer
> > period.
> >
> > It bothers me that while 'bike fit' is always mentioned as the most important factor in choosing
> > a bike, few people consider handlebar fit
to
> be
> > anything beyond the width of a drop bar. Sometimes, a flat handlebar is
> the
> > best solution, in spite of the fact that it does not give the most aerodynamic position. A
> > multiposition handlebar also gives a lot of variation, without having to bend forward. A road
> > bike is not 'better'
> than
> > a hybrid or 'fittness bike'.
> >
> > Jonathan.
> >
> Jonathan you must be on drugs to come up with this BS. I own six bikes
from
> a road bicycle to a mountain bicycle and everything in between. There is simply no compairing a
> road bike to a mountain bike in efficiency. To use
a
> car analogy a road bike is like driving a Ferrari and a mountain bike is like driving a four wheel
> drive truck. Road bikes are designed for traveling long distances quickly while mountain bikes are
> designed for off road use. People that ride mountain bikes on the road aren't using the
best
> tool for the job. I can easily travel 2 to 3 mph faster on a road bike
than
> on a mountain bike.
>
> You could fit a road bike with a straight handle bar but once again why would you want to. The
> straight bar means that you are going to be
catching
> a lot more air when riding and is not any more confortable than drop bars once you get used to
> them. Most road races are 60 miles long or more with the pros doing 120 miles or longer. Contrast
> this with mountain bike
races
> and I think you start to wonder why some people think road bikes are uncomfortabe compared to
> mountain bikes.
