Drop bar hand positions and climbing

jamesdwebber · Nov 12, 2014

Hi all,

I've been reading for a while but haven't really posted. I wanted to get your thoughts on a question I have. I've been riding fixed gear for the last 3 months on a Wabi Classic, mostly on workout rides (about 1 hour and 30 mins, around 1000 feet of climbing, usually 20-25 miles). Before that I was riding geared road with a compact bar (FSA Wing). I usually hold onto the hoods of the geared road bike when I climb standing, but on the fixed, I find myself using the drops because the hoods on the fixed feel too high to get much leverage when climbing. I'd scoot the levers down on the bar, but the hoods already feel too low/stretched out when I'm riding seated. Using the drops while seated isn't very comfortable, either.

I'm thinking of replacing the bar on the fixed (a Bontrager VR, roughly 140mm drop and 90mm reach) with a compact like the FSA Wing or an alt-bar like the On One Midge. I have the Midge on my touring bike and I love the drops for leverage, but since I pretty much never climb standing on the touring bike, I'm curious about how the Midge works for standing climbing. Right now, the Midge drops on my touring bike are at about a 40 degree angle (ends pointed toward the rear hub) and I can use the hoods, tops, and drops more or less comfortably. I'm curious how I might change the angle of the drops when I get another pair of Midges for the fixed gear. When you climb standing and grab the ends of your drops, do you have the drops parallel with the ground, or do some of you have your drops angled more toward the ground?

I know I'll probably be experimenting for a while, and I know there are lots of variables here, but I would appreciate any insights. (For example, when someone suggested I set up the Midge with the drops pointing toward the rear hub, that was really helpful.)

Thanks,

Jim

Love Commander · Nov 12, 2014

Good move on going toward a shorter-reach bar. I personally have been much happier on compact bars than traditional drop bars.

I don't have any personal experience with the Midge bars, but I do run Salsa Cowbells on my cross/road bike. They're not nearly as pronounced as the Midge bars, but they do flare out more than normal compact drop bars. I primarily ride on the hoods, so that's my focus on setting up my bars, but they're very comfortable climbing on the hoods. I prefer flat-top bars that have a straight transition to the hoods, if that makes sense. I set up the bar/hoods to run parallel with the ground and let the angle of the drops fall where it falls. I've ended up pretty lucky on both my drop bar-equipped bikes with this method in that they're both comfortable cruising in the drop portion of the bars, but I'm assuming also that the bars were designed to be set up like this (flat top, short reach, shallow drop).

Here's a pic that kind of shows what I'm talking about:

View attachment 301650

JCavilia · Nov 12, 2014

No experience with the midge bar, but when I climb standing on the FG the angle of the drop handlebars is pretty much irrelevant, because I have my hands way forward in the hooks, with elbows bent and forearms parallel to the ground. I.e., I don't "grab the ends of the drops" at all.

jamesdwebber · Nov 13, 2014

Thanks for your thoughts, Love Commander and JCavilia. I'm still pretty new to fixed gear climbing, so I'll try getting myself down to the position of forearms parallel to the ground with my hands way forward in the hooks. The new Midge bar should arrive in a few days, so when I get it, I'll try to set it up with a flat transition from tops to hoods. I'll check back in with the results!

Drop bar hand positions and climbing

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities