Where to hold on drop bar?

I had the same aches and pains when I first started cycling. Firstly I'd check your bike has been set up correctly and if it is then you'll have to bare with the pains for now. The more you get out on your bike, the quicker your neck muscles with strengthen and you'll no longer get those pains. Just adjusting your muscles to the new position.

The road bar is designed to be gripped all over the place, and experienced riders take advantage of that. Generally, the drops are used when aerodynamics becomes important on flats, descents, and short "sprinter" climbs. The lower position also improves bike handling on descents and corners. Hands over the hoods is a general-purpose position, because it allows quick access to the control levers, it's a little more relaxed and the diaphragm is more open, and the hands are in the right position for getting out of the saddle. Riding the tops opens the diaphragm more and shifts the weight back, so it's often used for long climbs. And some bars have a very useful spot on the bends just behind the brake levers.

If your road bike is giving you a sore back, look into getting fitted and work on the strength and flexibility of back, abdominal, and hip muscles.

in racing there are 4 main positions, on the top for climbing, between the top and the hoods for relaxing, the hoods for overall control and the drops for aerodynamics, all of them are acquired skills, learned through months of training and riding, gym exercises would come as a support but you should try all those in training on the bike,

anyplace you want

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Pat Stowe [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

anyplace you want

Nice summary, Pat.