Pretty sure what they said right after that was 'don't FAIL to hold your handlebars the way you see pros do sometimes because that can be dangerous on normal people roads'. Then they went on to discuss how to HOLD your handlebars the way pros do when they aren't draping their arms everywhere else.
Just want to say thanks to Conor - I just resumed road cycling after a 35 year break from anything with drop bars. Getting on the drops after that much time off felt completely foreign to me and thus I wasn’t using them. Conor’s advice of “just use them for 5 minutes at a time” was all I needed. Headed out for an evening ride, 5 minutes on the drops later, I regained my confidence and I’m fine now. I realize it may sound silly, but 35 years is a long time. I’m grateful.
I really like Conor's videos and his presenting style - the right balance of fun and good quality information without too many repetitive cliche's - great stuff and always helpful - thank you GCN 👍
Commuter riding on drops more or less daily for 45 years now, and never thought I needed instruction on how to hold my bars! But I enjoyed it anyway, and the outtake! 🙂 More of those, please.
I thought I'd pass on a bit of good news, in these pandemic times, for the other oldies here. I recently watched an episode of 'The Nature of Things', hosted by 83-year-old David Suzuki, (former Prof. of genetics at UBC), on aging well. He met up with another octogenarian professor in London, UK, to discuss his research. That prof. is a cyclist, and the program featured a group of senior cyclists, (Redhill CC), and the claim was that regular exercisers like them have immune systems as healthy as typical people in their twenties. They were in their sixties, seventies and eighties. Yaaaaaay! It doesn't mean that we older cyclists are immune from death by covid-19, but we have a fighting chance. :-))
@@apismellifera1906 Thanks, I'm gonna try. I just recently read in New Scientist magazine about another researcher who checked the immune systems of a group of (very much) older amateur cyclists and got the same finding.
Thanks for that. I have rarely gone onto the drops. I've found it uncomfortable and a bit disconcerting in traffic. But after watching this video, I decided I'd try the bit at a time suggestion and ended up on the drops for most of my 35 mile ride. And it was comfortable.
Thank you for pushing out entertaining videos in spite of everything that's going on. It would have been easy to say "sorry folks, we're shut down too" and close up shop for a month. I, like many others here look forward to seeing a new video here. Thank you for continuing to deliver.
Loved this tutorial. I think personally for me I have a bit of a fear from changing positions of the handlebars during a ride because my first time ever trying a drop bar I moved from the top to the lower part of the drop bar and I might have put too much weight on it too fast and it turned my wheel down into the ground. I've been afraid to try riding one ever since.
Nice one Conor! I'm a hoods and drops man.. Really good advice and timely reminders about safety.. not copying the pros.. too much! I used to get over the front wheel on a decent until I nearly carped it at over 80kmh.. I hit a wet patch.. hilarious outtake too mate! 😂😂👊🏻
I just got my very first road bike (been into MTB for 25+ years), and this video was super informative. Love the straight to the point videos with good information.
Just bought my first road bike this afternoon. Until now, it’s been all mountain bikes for me but I want to see how my top speed can improve. The whole handlebar and position issues are crazy to me! This helps.
My hands are always "falling asleep" on longer rides. I already do use cycling gloves and I also try to hold the weight with my back and not lean with my full body on the handlebars. And no, I dont have capal syndrom.. I dont know what to do anymore, to be honest... it sometimes takes about 4 days until i have full strenght back in my fingers. (especially pinky and ringfinger)
That's awful. Some people swear carbon handlebars will alleviate this-stiff but forgiving through road chatter. It's possible they're just trying to justify another parts purchase-I'd look into it.
Something that worked for me was keeping my wrists as straight as possible. Bending your wrists and putting even a little bit of pressure for a prolonged period of time can pinch some nerves. So, keep your hands in line with your forearms. Combine this with keeping the core engaged and potentially losing a bit of upper body weight could be the fix for you. If all else fails, try getting a bike fit (I’d recommend this no matter what). Hope this all helps!
Got an update that helped me A LOT!!! Saddle was to far in the front^^ Pushed it back just 3 cm. Had a 110k today - no numbness anymore. (Just bak pain, because my muscles are not used to it xD)
A couple of physiological considerations that should help if you are having comfort issues - especially numbness in your hands: 1) make sure your wrist angle is as close to neutral (straight) as possible in all three of the main positions. You may be able to adjust hood position and bar roll to help, but on the tops this will probably take a concerted effort to change your technique. 2) be aware of how much weight you are resting on the bars. Is your core engaged, supporting your upper body weight, or are you resting all that weight on your hands? This can lead to real issues. I finally got rid of numbness in my hands by changing over to padless gloves, because it forced me to stop bearing down so much in order to stay comfortable. The lighter you are on the bars, the better on your body, and the more control you will actually have.
what ever happened to gloves? lycra backed, chamois shock absorption, and road sand/glass shedding either in a fall or when cleaning a tire when in motion.
Came here to find this. Always wear gloves for the extra padding, soak up the sweat, keep my bar tape nice etc. But most importantly, if in the worst case there is a crash - hands are protected!
I live in the mountains in Andorra so experience with descending, and unfortunately many of us with experience coming off while descending. So the number one tip especially for those when on holiday in the Alps or Dolomiti not used to long descents, while descending please: "Drops not Tops"
I've owned my gravel bike for a year and a half already. I realized only recently holding onto to the top tips of the hoods is the best for me (not the whole hood). I can pedal the fastest, most aero, and most comfortable at that position!
I used to road bike but in the last 15 years I have been exclusively mountain biking and just bought a new road bike to get back into it. I was really surprised how light and twitchy the handling is comparatively the first time I got out on the road bike. Especially on the tops. It took a few minutes to get used to it.
I try to minimize weight on wrists (avoiding soreness and potential arthritis from grinding) by activating core and legs more, lessening pressure of forward lean.
Great video- thank you Isn't the way you said to hold the bars o the climbs the same way that you said not to hold them prior though? Or am I getting my wires crossed? Red bar tape looks cool man.
So how do you reach the bars when you have your hands on the straight section of the top bars, or even the drops? Your fingers seemed quite far away from the brakes on the drops. That's why I like my MTB bars. I can always wrap my fingers around the grips and still reach the brakes. Also what stops your hands sliding up those 45 degree slopey bits?
I’ll also say two positions were missing: 1) hands on top of hoods, pinky under lever, arms parallel to ground; 2) forearms on tops, “invisible aero.” 1) is actually my preferred position at all times, even climbing out of the saddle!
What size bike do you ride? Looks like a pretty tall head tube and makes me hopeful that I might be able to find a frame that fits in Pinarello if I can afford one some day.
With hands on the hoods, I would like to see a discussion on where to put the other three fingers. It looks like Conor literally grips the hood, but I have seen others wrap one or two fingers around the bars at the same time. Is this just personal preference, or is there a reason for one or the other style? Also, 1 finger on the brakes or 2?
I used to ride the drop bar during many years ... i’m so used to it since years and I also have a fixed gear for in town and I saw that I have more from if I hold hard the drop bar for climbing hill but I don’t know if i’m doing wrong cuz I don’t do the same on my road bike but hills in town are more higher in degree
Please please please, l need your opinion. I'm completely beginner, and actually l never had a bike but l want one. Would it be a good idea to have the drop bar for completely beginner or is it better to start with flat bar?
I ride flatbars, since often I need all my power to keep my arms straight during breaking. It seems you cannot do that breaking from the hoods with all your bodyweight moving forward, causing you to loose grip. Do you guys don't have to break so hard? I do like dropbars, but have to have my brakelevers on top so I can keep a grip stopping on the front wheel. The importance of this was also thought during my motorcycle classes- keep you arms bend but stiff during breaking. The hoods seem to provide only a small surface to hold on to..
I’m 11 years old and I have a 50 mile race coming up on august 7 My dad is getting me a road bike and I have been looking all over the internet so when I get the road bike. I feel nice and good.
I have a new bike and I'm not used to the drop bars yet. My thumb has been bothering me. Any advice to deal with that? I'm thinking about moving my seat back further. But I feel like I would have my elbows too far from my body
I look exactly like the GCN presenter at 0:00 - same head shape and a helmet that sits like a mushroom - with lots of space on the sides. DO you have any recommendation for a better fitting helmet fot this head shape? I was thinking about Abus Gamechanger, but can't try it on anywhere now...
I've recently started riding with my hands on the tops, very close to the stem, elbows tucked in and getting the feeling that I'm almost at the bottom position of a diamond pushup. This feels very similar to a TT position, but with the hands tucked in under the chest instead of being out in front. I'm curious as to why I can't find any examples of this anywhere online, or a name for it at least (maybe its just a tucked in aero version of riding on the tops). I would be really interested to see the aerodynamic effect of moving the hands in, i.e. from being out on the hoods to being on the tops close to the stem, when you're already in a tucked aero position. Apart from the obvious loss of control (hands far away from the breaks) I don't see any reason why I haven't seen this position more often.
It may be surprise to you but many people *are* in fact not sure how to sit properly and where exactly on the saddle. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aZ4ZkA8aSkQ.html
Recently i change my position on saddle, i can say this little change make riding more confortable and allow me to ride during 3h without pain on a**. Before change after 1h it was horrible with the same short and saddle (fizik Arione)
On my 50 year old bike, I still find the center-pull brakes, with my hands positioned above the Drops, the most comfortable with INSTANT access to the brakes. Quick maneuvers are too difficult, when riding on the Tops. (P.S. I'm an urban rider with the need to perform evasive/emergency maneuvers instantly.)
I don't even use that kind of bike I use a beach cruiser which surprisingly works very well and I usually can keep up with cyclist on road bikes, So beach cruisers can do it too.
@ 1.50 Connor says to tuck in, stay low and get out of the wind in group in group rides ...I'd like to see you do that Connor, when the others behind you are about your saddle height. They could sit up straight behind him and still be out of the wind ! No way he could get out of the wind if he was behind them.
Oh man i wish you'd made this video last year. i tried the forearms on the handlebar, hit a speed bump on a descent and wound up with 5 stitches and 3 months off the bike :/
@@gcn yes yes that was last year. Happy to be safely locked up at home right now :)) Can't wait for when we can all get back out and ride like we used to. Cheers!
I put my hands in front of my eyes when desending and when watching the new gcn Videos. Dudes, we are all on lock down. Make appropiate Videos and save these ones for later!!! #stayhomestaysafe p.s. put your thumbs behind the bars, do as you say and not like you show!
Looks similar to Specialized S-Wrap HD. I've got some; it's very grippy but comfortable. Nashbar used to make a comparable Softgrip tape, but no more. It's rubber-covered and lightly textured, and has a gel backing.
