On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 22:34:55 -0400, "Steve Freides"
wrote:

"Scott" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Aug 2, 6:51 pm, Dan Connelly
wrote:
wrote:
I have noticed that more climber climb seated with their hands on
brake hood vs climbing on the tops of the bars. I am not sure if
this
is matter of style vs any actual gain performance. Personally I
prefer
the tops since they allow me to relax more when climbing. One
possible
advantage is that the body is lower so a little less wind
resistance.

Wind resistance is approximately (speed / 40 kph)^3, assuming you can
ride @ 40 kph w/o rolling resistance at the same power on the flats.
So if you're climbing @ 16 kph, this corresponds to (2/5)^3 = 8 / 125
= 6.4% of your total power. If being on the hoods saves 5% of this,
it's 0.3% of your total power, or 0.8 watts, if you climb at 250
watts.

Obviously, wind resistance is a lesser impact the slower you're
going, so on steeper climbs, the tops have a lesser penalty. The
Euro-pros tend to climb at a fairly brisk clip, expending a greater
fraction of their power on wind resistance than you or I would on the
same climb.

Dan

Plus, the Euro pros spend more time training and racing in the drops,
so climbing on the brakehoods may be a more efficient, powerful
position that sitting slightly more upright on the tops. Most of us
don't spend enough time in the drops for the lower position on the
hoods to be that much more efficient than the tops, but the pros do.
I can assure you if they could climb faster on the tops than on the
hoods, they would.

I recall reading somewhere that relatively recently (last 10
years-ish?), the pros started riding wider bars because the ability to
breath more easily/better was worth more what they may have lost in the
way of aerodynamics. Might be something to that here as well, i.e., the
tops require a narrower grip than the hoods.

No science claimed, just thinkin' out loud. I'm still riding 40 cm
bars.

Some of the pro's have an almost bizarre lack of upper body strength compared to
even a moderately fit sport level rider.* They may want the wider bar for more
support.

* Who do you suppose opens the pickle jar at the Rasmussen household

Ron