New bike: Are drop bars more dangerous (especially in TW)?

Recreation Cycling
1

I’ve been thinking about purchasing my first bicycle in (almost exactly) 20 years. If anyone has any general comments or advice for me before I decide what to buy, I would certainly appreciate the input, but I am especially curious to hear what people think on the specific issue of safety and drop vs. flat handlebars that I describe below.

In a way I suppose my situation is similar to PaddB’s situation from the “Getting started in Taiwan: hybrid or full-on trail bike?” thread, except for me the choice is closer to “hybrid or full-on road bike”.

Here’s the background:

My goals for the new bike are:

(1) to get back into some semblance of physical shape;

(2) to go for casual rides with my wife and the two boys around the neighborhood and along the riverside bike paths; and

(3) to go for some longer rides (what I consider long, maybe 40-100km) either by myself or with friends or larger groups on weekends.

My initial thinking was that:

• pretty much any bike would work for purpose (1);

• for purpose (2), I’d probably like more of a mountain-bike type set-up, that was easy to get on and off of (e.g. no special shoes required), with flat handlebars and the ability to attach a rack on the back for carrying groceries, picnic supplies, etc.; and

• for purpose (3) I’d probably want a light road bike with drop handlebars, thin slick tires, clipless pedals, etc.

Given the above, the options as I saw them were:

(A) get two bikes, a utility model for riding around town with the family, and a dedicated road bike for long rides;

(B) getting a hybrid type bike with flat bars and just accepting that it would not be as well-suited for longer rides; or

© getting a more dedicated road bike with drop bars and just accepting that it won’t be ideal for running errands or casual family rides.

For reasons of cost and storage space, I had to rule out option (A), at least for now. So I was left weighing the tradeoffs between options (B) and ©.

After reading a fair amount online, getting advice from a friend of mine back home who’s opinion I value on this, and just letting it tumble around my head for a while, I eventually decided that I was willing to sacrifice some practicality and go with the road bike.

I haven’t bought anything yet though, and my wife has recently suggested that I might want to reconsider, and at least get flat handlebars, even if I go with a relatively light frame and thin wheels/tires.

Part of her concern is that if I go with drop handlebars (which I generally found to be somewhat uncomfortable when sitting on a few bikes at a store recently) I will end up riding the bike less often and not getting it as much out of it. I’ve told her that I hear that once one gets used to drop bars many people actually find them more comfortable (depending on how they are set up) because your hands/body aren’t in the same position for the whole time on a long ride. Then again, that’s just what I’ve heard – I guess I won’t know if its true in my case unless/until I give drop bars a try.

I think part of her concern is also a suspicion that I just like the drop bars because I think they look cool and want to pretend I’m a racer (she knows me so well :wink: ).

But the final part of it is that she’s concerned about safety. In talking to other people she’s heard scary stories about cycling in Taiwan, people getting hurt, etc., and been told that flat handlebars mean better control over the bike if, for example, I need to move over to a rocky side of the road to avoid traffic. They tell her “Of course his friends back home are going to say to get drop handlebars, but they are used to safer riding conditions. They don’t know what it’s like to be riding up to Wulai with the roads in bad condition after a heavy rain, dodging scooters and little blue trucks that come flying around every other corner.”

I know many of people here use drop handlebars; do any of you feel like you’d be safer using flat handlebars? Are there other pros/cons to one type of handlebars that I haven’t thought of? Any other tips for me before I decide on a bike and make the purchase?

2

No idea, hobbes, but how long did it take you to type all that? :laughing:

3

[quote=“Hobbes”]I’ve been thinking about purchasing my first bicycle in (almost exactly) 20 years. If anyone has any general comments or advice for me before I decide what to buy, I would certainly appreciate the input, but I am especially curious to hear what people think on the specific issue of safety and drop vs. flat handlebars that I describe below.

In a way I suppose my situation is similar to PaddB’s situation from the “Getting started in Taiwan: hybrid or full-on trail bike?” thread, except for me the choice is closer to “hybrid or full-on road bike”.

Here’s the background:

My goals for the new bike are:

(1) to get back into some semblance of physical shape;

(2) to go for casual rides with my wife and the two boys around the neighborhood and along the riverside bike paths; and

(3) to go for some longer rides (what I consider long, maybe 40-100km) either by myself or with friends or larger groups on weekends.

My initial thinking was that:

• pretty much any bike would work for purpose (1);

• for purpose (2), I’d probably like more of a mountain-bike type set-up, that was easy to get on and off of (e.g. no special shoes required), with flat handlebars and the ability to attach a rack on the back for carrying groceries, picnic supplies, etc.; and

• for purpose (3) I’d probably want a light road bike with drop handlebars, thin slick tires, clipless pedals, etc.

Given the above, the options as I saw them were:

(A) get two bikes, a utility model for riding around town with the family, and a dedicated road bike for long rides;

(B) getting a hybrid type bike with flat bars and just accepting that it would not be as well-suited for longer rides; or

© getting a more dedicated road bike with drop bars and just accepting that it won’t be ideal for running errands or casual family rides.

For reasons of cost and storage space, I had to rule out option (A), at least for now. So I was left weighing the tradeoffs between options (B) and ©.

After reading a fair amount online, getting advice from a friend of mine back home who’s opinion I value on this, and just letting it tumble around my head for a while, I eventually decided that I was willing to sacrifice some practicality and go with the road bike.

I haven’t bought anything yet though, and my wife has recently suggested that I might want to reconsider, and at least get flat handlebars, even if I go with a relatively light frame and thin wheels/tires.

Part of her concern is that if I go with drop handlebars (which I generally found to be somewhat uncomfortable when sitting on a few bikes at a store recently) I will end up riding the bike less often and not getting it as much out of it. I’ve told her that I hear that once one gets used to drop bars many people actually find them more comfortable (depending on how they are set up) because your hands/body aren’t in the same position for the whole time on a long ride. Then again, that’s just what I’ve heard – I guess I won’t know if its true in my case unless/until I give drop bars a try.

I think part of her concern is also a suspicion that I just like the drop bars because I think they look cool and want to pretend I’m a racer (she knows me so well :wink: ).

But the final part of it is that she’s concerned about safety. In talking to other people she’s heard scary stories about cycling in Taiwan, people getting hurt, etc., and been told that flat handlebars mean better control over the bike if, for example, I need to move over to a rocky side of the road to avoid traffic. They tell her “Of course his friends back home are going to say to get drop handlebars, but they are used to safer riding conditions. They don’t know what it’s like to be riding up to Wulai with the roads in bad condition after a heavy rain, dodging scooters and little blue trucks that come flying around every other corner.”

I know many of people here use drop handlebars; do any of you feel like you’d be safer using flat handlebars? Are there other pros/cons to one type of handlebars that I haven’t thought of? Any other tips for me before I decide on a bike and make the purchase?[/quote]

Respect for writing such a big post. IMHO the drop handlebars are acting as a red herring to you. Lots of people have drop handlebars but rarely if ever ride in the drops. You can ride on the hoods and still change gear and brake. Your wife is simply repeating typical Taiwanese nonsense picked up from the office rumor mill. Sure you need better bike handling skills on a road bike but they’re not actually dangerous except when descending at 60 km/h in the rain :sunglasses: . Taiwanese riding conditions are actually safer than overseas because you don’t get wankers trying to buzz you and people give you plenty of room.

4

I’m no expert, Hobbes, but I’ll give you my :2cents:.
I think it’s good that you ended up on the road bike with drop bars side of the equation. I rode a mountain bike with flat bars for years, but I found myself customizing it bit by bit, and in the end it was looking so much like a road bike that I said the hell with it and bought a true road bike. For the kind of riding you describe, I think drop bars will suit you much better.
Though I’m not sure about the relative safety, on the technical side, of either drop bar or flat, I think one would be safer on what was more comfortable. However, I can tell you that it was a great relief to my hands when I went to a road bike with drop bars, especially on long rides. Also a road bike should not hinder you from leisurely rides along the bike path with your family.
That’s all for now. I’ll try and add to this later. It would be good to see you out on the hills some weekend!

5

Hi Hobbes,

Get the hybrid with flat bars, but make sure it doesn’t have wide, gnarly offroad tires and/or shocks. Those will seriously slow you down. Instead, look for no shocks and moderately narrow tires. As for the bars, while drop bars will be preferable once you start racing :wink: , you don’t need them even for 100k rides over the hills to the coast and back. My flat-bar Giant works just fine for that purpose (ask wookieee if I have trouble keeping up with him on his titanium road bike with drop bars).

I confess, when I did a triathlon in Taitung a few months ago I got a serious craving to buy a lightweight, drop bar racing bike (and I will this year). But that was because I was racing against lots of guys on super-light bikes, every minute mattered, and that bike course was a long flat one into the wind (and back), for which drop bars would’ve made a significant difference.

But riding around town or by the river or up in the hills… mayo wente, flat bars will work fine. And, for just starting out again, I think it’s a good choice to start up with flat bars. More easy and comfortable, no need to get all lycra-ed out, just hop on and ride. Or, if you want to wear lycra and clip on shoes with your flat bars, that’s fine too. As I said, my flat bars haven’t stopped me from climbing Yangmingshan, etc. If you get serious enough, get fanatical about it, and put in enough miles on the flat-bar bike, THEN you can discard this bike and upgrade to a good racing bike…and if you put in the miles first your wife should permit it :slight_smile:

Glad to hear of your new quest. Have fun.

6

Hey wookieee! Oops, I didn’t see you just posted. Sorry about contradicting you. :laughing:

Straight bars, drop bars, I guess that’s less significant. Most important is getting a decent bike, not too heavy (no shocks or wide, mountain-bike tires) and getting out on some regular rides. The river’s a great place to start – I still enjoy that – but once you make it out into the hills you’ll be blown away. :thumbsup:

7

Buy a bike, any bike, ride it. If you start riding it a lot, get a better one. Road bike or mtb is fine to start on and get you into it.

If you want a truly practical bike, then get a folding bike. They ride better than you might think.

If you really can’t make you mind up, then a hybrid is for you, with nice wide tyres.

8

[quote=“Mother Theresa”]Hey wookieee! Oops, I didn’t see you just posted. Sorry about contradicting you. :laughing:

Straight bars, drop bars, I guess that’s less significant. Most important is getting a decent bike, not too heavy (no shocks or wide, mountain-bike tires) and getting out on some regular rides. The river’s a great place to start – I still enjoy that – but once you make it out into the hills you’ll be blown away. :thumbsup:[/quote]

No, we’re on the same page, MT. I still believe you should get a drop bar for your bike. :slight_smile:

9

FWIW - it’s been a while since I did any serious cycling - I did quite like the ability to shift one’s arms/hands around on a long ride. OTOH I can’t remember ever actually using the “drop” position for any length of time. I don’t think the handlebar structure affects control of the bike as such, although of course it takes a bit of getting used to. You’ll probably use a bit more muscle effort that you might otherwise with flat handbars, but that shouldn’t be a big deal.

I must say I think MT is right in that regard. Wide tyres with chunky treads just add rolling resistance and probably won’t grip properly on wet roads.

10

Wide tyres on a hybrid are only around 32mm on a 700c wheel. No or very small tread is needed. It won’t impede rolling resistance to a larger degree, than say a 23mm 700c tyre but, will add significant comfort.

When it comes to mtb tyres (that are designed for mud) they can be like driving a tractor on the highway!

11

I completely agree. Thinking about buying another bike for this exact reason.

12

Having a variety of hand positions is really important if you are going to be on it for longer rides. If you get a flat bar, you can get bar ends to vary your position. But it’s not enough really.

There are also touring handlebars, which have quite a variety of hand positions too. I think they call them butterfly handlebars here.

13

Great – this is very helpful. One of my many flaws is a tendency to over-think things like this, and the point about “just getting out there” is well taken. But I also know that I would be likely to give myself a hard time later if I didn’t at least do a little research and make the best decision I could. Thanks for the feedback, everyone!
-H

14

Havent got a bike yet, but I’ll share my research with you -

A lot of dealers (about half of them) I’ve talked to have tried to steer me away from a drop-bar bike when I tell them I want to put a child seat on it. They say it’s too unstable. Others say it will work fine, you just need to practice a bit.

I’ve exchanged emails with some bloggers in the US who have done it and say it’s no problem at all (particularly with the iBert Safe-T front seat and the Co-Pilot Taxi/Limo rear seats) although everyone seems to agree that it’s more comfortable and convenient with a flat bar bike.

Given some of the countless pathetic and avoidable low speed crashes I frequently witnessed when I lived near the Danshui bike path, I think a lot of people here try to take up biking in adulthood and have no idea what they are doing, thus the dealers’ general trepidation when recommending family bikes here (get a small frame, dont get a racing bike, get an ATB etc.)

Anyway, if you do go with a road bike, I’d recommend a seat that sits as low in the back as possible. And most front seats dont work at all - that iBert one is the only one I’ve seen that works on (some) road bikes. I’m probably going to get the child seat I want first and then pick a bike based on that (although I’m feeling pretty confident that I can use a cyclocross bike for whatever I want).

Hope that helps! I’ll let you know what I end up going with (if I get my bike before you do)

15

[quote=“PaddyB”]

Given some of the countless pathetic and avoidable low speed crashes I frequently witnessed when I lived near the Danshui bike path, I think a lot of people here try to take up biking in adulthood and have no idea what they are doing [/quote]

This is a good point. You can see from the way a lot of adults ride here that they didn’t ride bikes as kids. Any kid who rides a bike on a daily basis picks up bike handling skills that last a lifetime (things like anticipating slight rises in elevation by increasing cadence and then standing on the pedals). On the other hand you constantly see people here who have no real idea of how to control a bike and so are a liability once they hit a bike path.

16

That’s a very interesting point about people taking up riding as adults. I’d never really thought about that before. :ponder: I’ve ridden very rarely since I became an adult, and only on borrowed bikes, but I still feel very comfortable riding. I think you’re right, the hundreds (thousands?) of hours my friends and I spent on bicycles when we were kids (no cram schools or the like for us!) probably instilled a lot of habits that I don’t think about consciously when I get on a bike – and a lot of adults here probably don’t have that. I’ll be interested to hear what you end up settling on, PaddyB!

17

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, Hobbes, but just note that one of the reasons dropbars are harder to control is because they are significantly narrower, not just because of their shape, or your lower body position. Incidentally, that’s not an arguement for straight bars. The more comments I read the more I think you’d be best getting a CX bike if possible.

Also, I have a set of butterfly bars that I tried once and didn’t really like. If anyone here wants then super-cheap, let me know.

18

Since being back in Australia, I bought a new Italian bike. It is much better than the crap Merida bikes i had in Taiwan. Number one: Don’t buy a Merida. I broke two frames. I think it was because of my weight and a lot of mountain riding, but all the same. One issue with ram’s horn handle bars is that you have to lean forward and drop your head so if you have a bung neck they are a pain in the neck. If you don’t have a bung neck then you soon might – ask Urodacus.

I also got a bike with a spring loaded seat. That is a much better option than rear suspension. It provides plenty of cushioning without losing power. Of course any of these guy will tell you I was the slowest man on the mountain, but from my reckoning at least I was on the mountain. Forget pottering around with the family. That is too dull. Take your camera, a doobie for later and just go for it.

19

Hobbes, what did you wind up deciding to do on this? I’m basically trying to decide between flat handlebars and drops, and I was wondering if you did buy drop handlebars, and what the transition was like. (I’ve spent many years on flat handlebars and found it uncomfortable on long rides; but I’ve spent almost no time on drop handlebars and currently find them immediately uncomfortable, probably because of a lack of familiarity.)

20

There’s so many things I want to respond to and I’m actually a little surprised at Ibis2k12’s absence here. I usually just wait for him to post and throw out a “I agree” post. Maybe got lost in the cool ocean breeze he’s getting in Yilan these past few days.

I’ll respond to the OP’s thread question regarding the dangers of cycling since I see that most of the other questions have been answered.

Drop bars more dangerous compared to flat bars? That’s the first time I’ve heard someone actually compare those two and add the “dangerous” word to them. Like many have said, flat bars are more uncomfortable during longs rides, not “less dangerous”. That’s one of the big differences between the two.

When we talk about danger, we talk about the other cyclists/scooters/cars on the roads. Regardless of where or when you are riding always always be aware of your surroundings. You will hear from both sides of the spectrum in this sub-thread from people hating on all Taiwanese drivers/scooters/cyclists to people that have no had a problem with all three of those groups of people. However, like I said before, the most important thing is, you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times. For example, if you’re coming to a turn and want to take it fast, make sure that you make sure there’s no one in on-coming traffic. You can be very careful, but the person that didn’t check for someone on the other side of the turn won’t check and then there’s the high possibility of a head on collision.

Another key factor is to make logical decisions, almost everyone on the road (aside from other bikers) out power and out weigh you, there’s really no reason you should be trying to overtake them or battle them for the lane.

Good luck with the decision. I myself bought a bike not too long ago and went through lots and lots of research before coming down with a decision. Maybe you and lostinasia can get together for a coffee and discuss your thoughts since you’re in the same boat with figuring out what kind of bike you want!