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Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it
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 2016-07-18 9:50 PM |
 71  , Ontario |  Subject: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it I was riding on the weekend and someone clearly trying to be helpful yelled out "you should be in your tops, it would be easier". They were going the other direction and so I couldn't ask for more of an explanation. I have never learned much about cycling , just bought a road bike and started biking on a route suggested to me by a road cycling friend. I would really like to know what the person meant. Any ideas? For context, I was cycling up a long steep hill in a low gear with my hands on my handlebars (I removed my aerobars from my bike temporarily a month ago). |
| 2016-07-18 10:08 PM in reply to: #5191439 |
| 10 | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it Could they have said drops? |
| 2016-07-19 4:40 AM in reply to: 0 |
Champion 9407   Montague Gold Mines, Nova Scotia | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it On a road bike, there are three hand positions: Drops  Hoods  Tops  Shane Edited by gsmacleod 2016-07-19 4:44 AM |
| 2016-07-19 7:14 AM in reply to: #5191439 |
| 74 | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it That statement makes sense like said above if it was "drops" and you heard it as tops. In which case see above pics which are great to show what it meant. Although, that is sort of an odd piece of advice. I'd never yell something like that to an unknown rider I was passing on the road. Hoods are the go to hand position if you ask me. |
| 2016-07-19 7:48 AM in reply to: CarolynS |
| 467 , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it When you're climbing, generally you'll want to be on the tops. This opens up your chest and diaphram for breathing, and lets you push back in the saddle and get a little bit more power out of your legs for getting up that hill. |
| 2016-07-19 2:33 PM in reply to: MikeD1 |
Pro 4578 Vancouver, BC | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it What Mike said. |
| 2016-07-19 2:38 PM in reply to: MikeD1 |
| Deep in the Heart of Texas | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it Originally posted by MikeD1 When you're climbing, generally you'll want to be on the tops. This opens up your chest and diaphram for breathing, and lets you push back in the saddle and get a little bit more power out of your legs for getting up that hill. Interesting, I'll have to give that a try. Hoods are my go-to hand position for everything except really relaxed riding. Only in drops when heading into a stiff headwind. |
| 2016-07-19 2:49 PM in reply to: Hook'em |
| 643 | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it You lose power being in aero position. You do it because the the drag being less far outweighs the small power that's lost. When you're going slow (e.g., under 10mph...like you would up a hill), then it's better to be in an up position to get the most power and easier breaths. |
| 2016-07-19 4:53 PM in reply to: #5191471 |
| 71 , Ontario | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it Thanks very much! I had heard of drops and was in that position when I got the advice. I didn't know what tops and hoods meant. I suspect the cyclist was suggesting I move out of drops to tops or hoods to open up my breathing ... |
| 2016-07-19 6:14 PM in reply to: gsmacleod |
Master 3127 Sunny Southern Cal | Subject: RE: Bicycling tip. Need help understanding it |
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