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Adjusting to Drop Bar Bike

2341 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by jrm, Jul 16, 2021

Grodyman

Discussion Starter · Jul 14, 2021

I just recently bought a Canyon Grizl, this is the first drop bar bike I have had. I have to admit, adjusting to the drop bars is somewhat of a challenge. The bike feels fast and fairly capable, but being used to mountain bikes, the jury is still out. I had an Orbea Alma carbon 29er that I am comparing the Grizl to, and as of now, I am undecided on whether the gravel specific bike offers any real advantages over a hardtail xc mountain bike. I also don't feel any more comfortable from a riding position standpoint, and I have to think about hand position when needing to use the brakes. I like the bike, it is light, fast, and fun, but is an adjustment.

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North woods gal

· #2 · Jul 14, 2021

I've gone back and forth between drop bars and flat bar bikes all my life, but now that I am in my retirement years, it's all flat bars, now. Just too hard on the old body to go back and forth, now.

Yes, it takes time for your body to adjust to drop bars if you are new to them. Give it at least a couple weeks of constant riding before you make any judgements. As for advantages of drop bars, I've always loved them for the sake of all the various hand positions available and you will notice an improvement in speed via the more streamlined riding position. Definitely helps when dealing with the wind.

I have tried drop bar mtbs for single track riding. I do not like drop bars for riding the techy twisty stuff, but they're okay for the flowy stuff without tight turns. Also find drop bar brifter shifters, especially SRAM, to be a bit on the slow side for challenging trail work, compared to mtb shifters. That's me, though. Some folks like drop bars for single track. Try them and decide for yourself.

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chazpat

· #3 · Jul 14, 2021

From my experience, it takes a lot more time and fiddling around to dial a dropbar bike in for comfort than it does a mtb, partially because of the multiple positions.

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p0is0n0ak

· #4 · Jul 14, 2021

It definitely took a minute to get used to the drop bars, but overall, I like them. I firmly believe that if one wants to get into gravel riding, go all in! I got into gravel riding to change things up, so a flat bar was never going to happen for me. Like Chazpat mentions, it took a lot of fiddling to get the set up I liked, but now I can embark on a 70 mile 4000' ride from my front door that entails, pavement, groomed dirt road, bike path, steep chunky fire road climbs and descents, groomed single track, and some tight and twisty cow-built single track. I really enjoy the challenge of mixed terrain on curly bars.

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land-phil

· #5 · Jul 14, 2021

I run some wide drops on my fully rigid monster cross bike, and I can take it almost anywhere, throw it off some little jumps and book down singletrack with the seat dropped and my hands on the drops- but only if I'm riding it every day. As soon as I go a couple of weeks on my trail or enduro bikes, it starts to feel a little weird- sort of unsure and constantly weighted wrong. But it all comes back with more time on the drop bar bike.

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ddoh

· #6 · Jul 14, 2021

OP wrote:
"I am undecided on whether the gravel specific bike offers any real advantages over a hardtail xc mountain bike."

I wasn't sure either until I tried to keep up to a group on drop bar gravel bikes. I bought in 100% after that. It does take while to get used to them if you haven't used them in while.

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Shane5001

· #7 · Jul 15, 2021

I didn't try and keep up with a group, but I kind of felt the opposite. Keeping in mind, I was never a roadie. I tried a couple drop bar grinders, felt very awkward on chunkier single track. Moved to a Jones bar on a fully rigid, a little better, but felt like Mary poppins when the trail got any kind of chunky. All in all, I actually felt faster on my lighter weight mtb, plus comfortable on most any trail I ride (Salsa Spearfish).

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bitflogger

· #8 · Jul 15, 2021

They are different animals. I follow the same trend with wide bars and short stems for both. A drop bar bike is a different animal via hands and but distributing weight differently plus the cutting wind. For long distances and long times that gets me comfort and speed.

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Taroroot

· #9 · Jul 15, 2021

Once you get extended cruising above 16mph on smooth stuff youll notice. On chunky trail descents there is no way i can keep up with trail bikes, but can hold descently well on flats and climbs. The long road distances are about the only place there is an advantage. I ride occasionally with guy who has a street 29er with semislicks but straight/risers bars. If its a tailwind he can keep up pretty well, but once the wind kicks in he drops way off.
my cross bike is running wide drop bars with flared drops so not the most aero, but way more aero than flat bars.
the flip side is on trail to get max braking i have to ride drops and that brings weight way forward. That coupled with full rigid and steep angles makes for some eye awakening trail riding and a few spills. I have GRX with the auxiliary brake levers so i can ride on the flats of the bar and brake, but there isnt enough leverage when it gets hairy.
Shifting i went all in and went Di2 electronic so shifting is snappy and easy from drops or hoods. Ive considered adding aux thumb buttons so could shift from the top flats too.
I also got the new dropper lever so can drop the saddle from the drops or hood, but not the top flats. Previously had thumb lever so i could only drop from tge top flat.

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p0is0n0ak

· #10 · Jul 15, 2021

bitflogger said:
I follow the same trend with wide bars and short stems for both.

^^This. I couldn't agree more.

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bitflogger

· #11 · Jul 15, 2021

p0is0n0ak said:
^^This. I couldn't agree more.

Some of my associates use the wide alt type bars. My trials had me thinking they're just not like good flat MTB bars and not much difference from our Fargo's wide chippers. Thankfully we're in an era with such great choices so I use MTB where handling means so much or everything and a drop bar bike where comfort and cutting wind resistance is important. While my MTBs are comfortable, I learned the hard way more weight off the butt helps on long endurance rides.

This should be like my constant advice on what bike questions - delay gratification and try lots of stuff.

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jrm

· #12 · Jul 16, 2021

Grodyman said:
I just recently bought a Canyon Grizl, this is the first drop bar bike I have had. I have to admit, adjusting to the drop bars is somewhat of a challenge. The bike feels fast and fairly capable, but being used to mountain bikes, the jury is still out. I had an Orbea Alma carbon 29er that I am comparing the Grizl to, and as of now, I am undecided on whether the gravel specific bike offers any real advantages over a hardtail xc mountain bike. I also don't feel any more comfortable from a riding position standpoint, and I have to think about hand position when needing to use the brakes. I like the bike, it is light, fast, and fun, but is an adjustment.

For me, it helped a lot once i reduced the seat/bar drop and removed the weight of my upper body off my hands and wrists. You might consider a bar with less drop like the ritchey beacon or venturemax bars and a stem with more rise. I noticed those frames are dropper ready as well. That should help as well.

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