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Old September 20th 06, 12:02 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
DavidR
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Posts: 105
Default road bike / race bike / hybrid / touring / fitness bike - which one

"Maurice Wibblington" pimple@arse/met wrote

I'm not too sure about assuming a bent over body position on the drop
handlebars for long periods. (In my 40s and never had a racer before).


The problem with drop bars is not the dropped part; you don't have to use
it - and in fact many users of the non-head banging variety are rarely seen
to do so. My contention is is that having the drop compromises the
remaining hand positions[*] and hampers the brakes [**].

I find they work best when working hard enough to pull on them, such as
uphill or on fast, open sections with a gradual descent. They give a
position where I find I can get away with climbing on a double chainset
where I need a triple on straight bars.

But I hate them to my very core on downhills & on narrow roads with poor
sightlines. They are completely unsuitable for leisurely group rides when
people spend most of the time up on the transverse section (so they run
into each other). They are a big part of cycle culture and are oversold to
many 'lite' riders.

A 'fitness bike' as described on CTC seems to be the thing I should be
looking at - a sort of racer with straight handlebars, or a 'lite'
hybrid


One thing they don't say is that these bikes can be too short. They are
essentially drop bar bikes with straight bars fitted. Such dimensions are
ok for a utility bike but you might want slightly more stretch for longer
distances. Trying to adapt by fitting a longer stem is not as good
as building a bike with a longer wheelbase - such as mountain bikes.

The Cannondale Bad Boy is the only bike I know of intended for road use
that has mountain bike proportions.
[*] Hotly disputed on this group.
[**] Ditto. Except I know several regular users that agree with me. They
just think it's an acceptable situation on balance.



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