When to grip the drops on the road bike handlebars

The road bike handlebar, with its characteristic shape, allows us various grip points to tackle different situations. We explain what they offer you and why you should take advantage of them all.

Positions and how to handle the road handlebar

Since the 1920s, when they started to be used, road bikes have been equipped with curved handlebars on which the brake levers are placed, which, since the mid-1980s, also incorporate the shifters for changing gears.

The reason for this particular design, which remains, except for minor modifications in shapes and dimensions, practically unchanged, is the possibility of having several grip positions so that the cyclist can adopt a more aggressive position when riding at full speed on flat terrain and a more relaxed one when facing an ascent.

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The road handlebar offers three grip positions. The main one, where we spend most of the time and which is used as a reference for placing the cyclist in biomechanical studies, is holding with hands in a neutral position on the top of the brake and shift levers.

With this grip, the cyclist should be in a relaxed position, with elbows slightly bent. It allows for easy operation of both the brakes and the shifters and makes it easy to balance the bike when we stand up on the pedals.

It also offers the possibility of bending the elbows more so that an extremely aerodynamic position can be achieved, although at the cost of significant muscular effort to keep the arms at such an extreme angle.

A more relaxed position, when we ride calmly or ascend a hill, is to place the hands on the horizontal part of the handlebar. This position allows the torso to be more upright, which results in a slightly more open hip angle that provides a better power output range during the leg's stroke. On the contrary, it places us more exposed to the wind, which clearly harms aerodynamics.

The handlebar drop, that great forgotten

We leave for last the third position that the road handlebar allows. The drop that places the cyclist in the most aggressive position with the torso practically horizontal.

Often, depending on the bike's geometry and the cyclist's physical capabilities, this position can be demanding for many. It is not uncommon to see this area on the handlebar tape of touring cyclists practically untouched due to lack of use.

A good biomechanical fit, which includes a handlebar of the right measurements, is essential to be able to use the drop. There are cyclists who simply cannot reach this area without forcing their position to the extreme.

However, using the drop of the handlebar is essential to fully master the bike on descents. First, because lowering the torso also lowers the center of gravity of the bike/cyclist combination, making the handling more stable, which is appreciated at high speeds.

From the drop of the handlebar, we have a firmer grip, preventing our hand from slipping due to a bump. Additionally, from this grip, we can reach the end of the brake levers, where they are operated more effectively.

While lowering the torso, the position achieved by holding down is usually quite aerodynamic, ideal when we ride fast on flat terrain, it is possible to achieve a lower drag coefficient when holding the levers if we are unable to bend the elbows enough when gripping down.

The drop of the handlebar is also the grip chosen when sprinting for a double reason: to have a firm hold and for aerodynamics, although a certain mastery of the bike is needed to stand in this position and balance the bike with strength.