I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?
yzfrr11 <yzfrr11.1lwf9n@news.forumbanter.com> wrote in news:yzfrr11.1lwf9n@news.forumbanter.com:> I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results> already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is> greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?
Depends how tall you are and how many hours per day you ride.
yzfrr11 wrote:> I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results> already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is> greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?
"I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results already this season."
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 14:53:23 +0000, yzfrr11 <yzfrr11.1lwf9n@news.forumbanter.com> may have said:
I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results>already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is>greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?
If it works for you, then I'd say "no".
-- My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature. Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.
I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results> already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop> is greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too> much?
IMHO not if you find it comfortable and can see where you're going.
Qui Si Parla Campagnolo 15 March 2005 18:07:14 [ permanent link ]
yzfrr11 wrote:> I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results> already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is> greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?>
You answered your own question. If comfortable, no issues, no pain, no injuries, go ride. Numbers for fits are guidelines only.
I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results>already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is>greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?
My drop is around 13cm which I find ok for the majority of season, but I would like it to be less in early part when riding should be more relaxed. Actually I ride MTB in the winter so no real big deal....when it gets warmer I get fit and more flexible. I guess I'll have to do something about it in the future when I get older...in some 10-20 yrs or so
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 14:53:23 +0000, yzfrr11 <yzfrr11.1lwf9n@news.forumbanter.com> wrote:
I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results>already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is>greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?
I know this doesn't specifically answer your question, but I recall reading years ago (at least ten, possibly more like fifteen) some advice from one of the racing gurus of the day. He said that the tops of the bars have no reason to ever be more than 2 inches below saddle height. He said if you want to get lower, ride on the drops.
As I recall this was an American trainer (ex-racer), but can't recall who it was. Anyone?
John Everett <jeverett3@earthlink.DEFEAT.UCE.BOTS.net> writes:
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 14:53:23 +0000, yzfrr11> <yzfrr11.1lwf9n@news.forumbanter.com> wrote:>
I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results>>already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop>>is greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too>>much?>
I know this doesn't specifically answer your question, but I recall> reading years ago (at least ten, possibly more like fifteen) some> advice from one of the racing gurus of the day. He said that the> tops of the bars have no reason to ever be more than 2 inches below> saddle height. He said if you want to get lower, ride on the drops.
I see nothing to disagree with in that advice. My bars are about 2 inches below the saddle on my bikes, which renders the drops useful as well.
I see a lot of racers with their bars so low that the drops are not useable for more than a couple of minutes, but perhaps with the advent of comfortable brake levers (e.g., Ergo, STI) there is less penalty for haivng the bars low. Of course, most bike races- at least in the US- are short events lasting an hour or so. If people were routinely racing 5-6 hour events, then positions would change to adapt to those conditions.
On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 16:14:52 GMT, John Everett <jeverett3@earthlink.DEFEAT.UCE.BOTS.net> wrote:
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 14:53:23 +0000, yzfrr11><yzfrr11.1lwf9n@news.forumbanter.com> wrote:>
I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results>>already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop is>>greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too much?>
advice from one of the racing gurus of the day. He said that the tops>of the bars have no reason to ever be more than 2 inches below saddle>height. He said if you want to get lower, ride on the drops.>
Just measured my track bike and the top of the handlebar is 5 inches lower than the top of the saddle. Same drop on my fixed wheel hack bike. On my 'cross bike the difference is just under 3 inches. I'm 6'1", and people generally seem to think I run my bars a bit lower than average. Just giving some numbers for reference, the important thing is what works for you; if you're comfortable and getting good results, there can't be much wrong.
In the olden days, when I was fitter and more flexible than I am now, the elbow pads on the tribars of my TT bike were more than 8 inches below the saddle!
Kinky Cowboy*
*Batteries not included May contain traces of nuts Your milage may vary
John Everett <jeverett3@earthlink.DEFEAT.UCE.BOTS.net> writes:>
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 14:53:23 +0000, yzfrr11>> <yzfrr11.1lwf9n@news.forumbanter.com> wrote:>>
I am very comfortable on my bike and I have had some good results>>> already this season. But I have rescently noticed that my bar drop>>> is greater than most other cyclist I see. Is 6 inches (15cm) too>>> much?>>
I know this doesn't specifically answer your question, but I recall>> reading years ago (at least ten, possibly more like fifteen) some>> advice from one of the racing gurus of the day. He said that the>> tops of the bars have no reason to ever be more than 2 inches below>> saddle height. He said if you want to get lower, ride on the drops.>
I see nothing to disagree with in that advice. My bars are about 2> inches below the saddle on my bikes, which renders the drops useful as> well.
Mine are nearly the same as well, on both my road and mountain bike. Actually they're a little lower -- maybe 3".
Interestingly, I need over 2" of spacers under the stem to get my bars up that high. My bike is a 59cm Klein, sized correctly for my 6' frame according to Klein's sizing charts. Similarly, my mountain bike requires a 15 deg, 140mm stem plus an inch of spacers. Most sporty bikes are not correctly proportioned for most riders. They're too low in front, even for most racers!
Most riders I know needed some post purchase adjustment to the fit of their bikes, usually a taller stem, for which they had to pay extra. This is ridiculous. Some boutique bike makers are getting the idea, offering extended head tubes, etc. But the mainstream is still out of whack. It's probably for a racy appearance on the bike shop floor.
