Outfitting a drop-bar ebike for recreational use

[Jeremy McCreary]

Is this your first drop bar bike?

My 1st 30 or so years of adult bike riding was on drop bars. I estimate less than 10% of time was on the dropped section. Usually over brake lever hoods or flat in center.

The only time I would drop is in headwinds or challenged by a biking buddy.

If I go through with the Creo after the next test, it would be my first drop-bar bike in 40 years. Went to flat-bar MTBs after that. Meanwhile, neck and low back have not aged well.

 

[mschwett]

If I go through with the Creo after the next test, it would be my first drop-bar bike in 40 years. Went to flat-bar MTBs after that. Meanwhile, neck and low back have not aged well.

give it time and a good setup / fit. you did 10 miles on a road bike that wasn't set up for you and managed. the creo 2 is a MUCH comfier bike. i have faith.

also share these fit concerns with the shop and their fitter, they may recommend you size up a little for the higher stack / head tube, and then go with a shorter and more vertical stem. you also don't ever need to use the drops - personally i like the "aero hood" position where you bend your elbows as much as possible with your hands on the hoods for anything speedy except a really fast descent, where i do use the drops. but i bet on a 2 hour ride i'm in the drops for <5 min. the real beauty of the drop bars is the position it puts your hands and arms in for the majority of the ride, relatively aerodynamic, hands on the controls, good visibility, nimble steering, etc.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

You guys have been very helpful, as usual! Lots of info and experience to mull over.

I'll report back when the next posture test is done — maybe next week. The test bike has Creo 2-like geometry, and the LBS manager seems motivated to set it up to make the drop bars as comfortable as possible for me — exactly along the lines suggested.

 

[Catalyzt]

Handlebar extenders like this are inexpensive ($8 for this one) and you can cut down the tube if you find it to be too long.
View attachment 179706

For a little more $ and heavier weight you can get one with an internal battery to charge your phone or GPS in a pinch.

Frame bags are nice for carrying lunch or jacket or whatever, also inexpensive.

Last week on John Wayne (Palouse to Cascades) trail in WA.
View attachment 179714

Used the handlebar extender to mount a couple headlights which were needed when riding through the 2.2 mile long Snoqualmie tunnel.
View attachment 179715

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I'm wondering, do people ever use handlebar extenders on road bikes with drop bars for steering (as opposed to mounting phones or lights)? Do they ever put grips on the ends of them and just go to the drops for braking?

The thing is, I have to go to the drops to brake anyway. Doesn't seem like reaching for them from an extender vs. from the top of the bars would make that much difference. And on the Raleigh, my shifters are already way down on the frame, so I have to lean down to shift anyhow, even if I got straight bars.

If I could avoid a $180 job on a bike I ride so infrequently, that would be great!

 

[Roamers]

The thing is, I have to go to the drops to brake anyway.

Can't you do this?

I didn’t have them but several of my riding buddies had these extensions accessible from the center.

 

[jabberwocky]

Yeah, not sure why you have to go to the drops to brake. You should be able to brake on the hoods as well, unless they are mounted in a really strange way.

 

[jabberwocky]

And to answer your question, handlebar extensions like that on drop bars would be a really unusual setup. It basically puts you in the same horizontal position as riding on the hoods, except with no access to brakes or shifting and less leverage on the bar, while also putting your weight on a piece that may not actually be designed to handle that much load.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

give it time and a good setup / fit. you did 10 miles on a road bike that wasn't set up for you and managed. the creo 2 is a MUCH comfier bike. i have faith.

also share these fit concerns with the shop and their fitter, they may recommend you size up a little for the higher stack / head tube, and then go with a shorter and more vertical stem. you also don't ever need to use the drops - personally i like the "aero hood" position where you bend your elbows as much as possible with your hands on the hoods for anything speedy except a really fast descent, where i do use the drops. but i bet on a 2 hour ride i'm in the drops for <5 min. the real beauty of the drop bars is the position it puts your hands and arms in for the majority of the ride, relatively aerodynamic, hands on the controls, good visibility, nimble steering, etc.

Picking up a recurring theme here: To many experienced riders, the drops per se are seldom used. Can gram-obsessed riders buy a shortened bar that ends just below the hoods?

 

[Catalyzt]

Can't you do this?View attachment 179883
I didn’t have them but several of my riding buddies had these extensions accessible from the center.
View attachment 179884

For the top picture, absolutely not. The brake levers and bars are stock for 1973, the bars are shaped differently, the levers are mounted halfway down the bars, not as high as on the top picture, and I have stage III osteoarthritis in both hands... but I could never have gotten enough leverage to apply the brakes from the top hand position, even in 1973.

The brake extension levers in the lower picture, yeah, that would be workable. But the top of the bars is no longer really high enough. I do get what you're saying about leverage.

And to answer your question, handlebar extensions like that on drop bars would be a really unusual setup. It basically puts you in the same horizontal position as riding on the hoods, except with no access to brakes or shifting and less leverage on the bar,

In my normal riding position on this bike, either in 1974 or today, my hands are nowhere near either the shifters or the brakes. If I think I *might* have to brake, I have one hand on the drops, the other on the top, so I can go either way depending on what happens. And this is for riding in intense city traffic, with people and cars flying at me from every possible direction. Just the ride I grew up on and what I'm used to.

while also putting your weight on a piece that may not actually be designed to handle that much load.

This is the part that worries me, yeah. For hard cornering, I would always be on the drops anyway, of course-- that's second nature-- but I have no idea how it would handle. Also, I keep asking myself, "Would the leverage and handling really be worse with extenders than replacing the bars with something straighter and some rise to it?" I think the answer, unfortunately, is yes.

And crap, I'm hijacking this thread! Just what I didn't want to do!

 

[Prairie Dog]

Picking up a recurring theme here: To many experienced riders, the drops per se are seldom used. Can gram-obsessed riders buy a shortened bar that ends just below the hoods?

Speaking of bars, these ergo ones caught my eye. Pretty outstanding review coming from a physiotherapist and pro bike fitter. However, all of that engineered efficiency does come at a cost.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Picking up a recurring theme here: To many experienced riders, the drops per se are seldom used. Can gram-obsessed riders buy a shortened bar that ends just below the hoods?

Three or more hand positions would always be better than two. Even if the drops are seldom used as a percentage of ride time, they are used when your speed is on the average the highest. The drops are also the most stable and most aero position.

I would seriously consider getting an extra wide and extra shallow drop bar like a Salsa Cowchipper or a Tumbleweed Big Dipper or a Red Shift Kitchen Sink bar. They are much more comfortable than narrower trad bars. Also, while it seems a bit ridiculous drop bar grips are also a thing and I've been experimenting with them this year and I think they are worthwhile, especially the top grips.

 

[mschwett]

Picking up a recurring theme here: To many experienced riders, the drops per se are seldom used. Can gram-obsessed riders buy a shortened bar that ends just below the hoods?

seldom, for sure, but not never and as noted by @Mr. Coffee its when you’re going fastest that they come most into play. and the truly gram obsessed are probably also at least a bit aero obsessed, so that little extra bit of carbon is well worth it! but drops have been getting much much shallower over the years, nothing like vintage steel road bikes.

i also almost never ride on the bar tops, even less than the drops, but appreciate sitting back for a minute on a long climb and stretching out a bit with a hand or two on the top. but never when there’s any chance of needing to brake. I’m not strong enough to ever have to brake going uphill

 

[mschwett]

Anyone have one that looks relatively classic/normal? I am guessing it has to be rear-drive in order to have a more traditional appearance. So steel or aluminum frame, rack and fender mounts, drop bar drivetrain, 40mm or so tire clearance, etc. My wife, who rides like 300mi in a good year, brought this up to me yesterday- she asked why there aren't more drop bar ebike in the ebike commuter category and I had absolutely no idea. Part of why had no idea is because I don't own an ebike and don't geek out on the ever-changing tech. I saw Salsa has a 1x and 2x aluminum frame drop bar ebike that is rear-drive. And Google shows Ribble has an ebike drop bar CGR in aluminum that could handle a rack. Anyways, why isn't this a more popular style for commuting? So many commuters I see week to week are on leg powered drop bar bikes. My metro isn't a big bike commuting mecca by any measure, so maybe what I see is skewed and there really isn't a large overall market for drop bar commuters?

most casual commuters who want assist don’t want drop bars - there are lots of flat bar hub motor commuters, but not necessarily a ton of appeal there for someone looking for a more classic road commuter vibe. around here there are a lot of people that commute on road bikes, but the demographic isn’t really an e bike demographic, and the ones that would (like me lol) ride something like a creo.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

most casual commuters who want assist don’t want drop bars - there are lots of flat bar hub motor commuters, but not necessarily a ton of appeal there for someone looking for a more classic road commuter vibe. around here there are a lot of people that commute on road bikes, but the demographic isn’t really an e bike demographic, and the ones that would (like me lol) ride something like a creo.

Does visibilty in traffic factor in for commuting?

I see a lot more of my surroundings semi-upright, and I'm pretty sure that I'm more conspicuous, too.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I see a lot more of my surroundings semi-upright, and I'm pretty sure that I'm more conspicuous, too.

No reason you can't be at least semi-upright riding drop bars. You certainly don't have to be slammed.

 

[JRA]

My favorite recreational gravel bike is a flat bar 150/160mm FS bike with a Bafang M620 unrestricted these days. After years of riding rigid drop bar bikes the old body likes a bit of comfort and the old moto guy in me likes some speed. The gravel around me are logging roads, and plentiful without traffic, but vary alot in texture and even the pavement is variable. If I run into some trails along the way all the better!

 

[mschwett]

Does visibilty in traffic factor in for commuting?

I see a lot more of my surroundings semi-upright, and I'm pretty sure that I'm more conspicuous, too.

I would say at least half the bikes I see ridden around here in dense urban conditions are drop bar road bikes - it‘s just that very few of the e-bikes are. not nearly as much overlap in those demographics as, say, cargo bikes or cruisers.

Good visibility can be had on most any type - clothing and lights are much more important!

 

[Grueso]

Just a thought: if you are mostly after some variation in hand position, you could add one of the Ergon grips to a flat or mostly flat handlebar (the GP5 allows a variety of orientations without having to compromise your main handlebar position, for example you can add a high grip position without a stem extender, but I think it could also function as a lower/dropped position), and aerobars for when you want to optimize aerodynamics.

 

[jabberwocky]

I would say at least half the bikes I see ridden around here in dense urban conditions are drop bar road bikes - it‘s just that very few of the e-bikes are. not nearly as much overlap in those demographics as, say, cargo bikes or cruisers.

Good visibility can be had on most any type - clothing and lights are much more important!

Drop bars are definitely enthusiast setups. The advantages (better aero and a wider variety of hand/weight positioning for long rides) are largely negated on ebikes anyway, which have the power to not care much about aero and are limited in range by the battery. Probably why most drop bar ebikes are marketed towards conventional cyclists (instead of new riders or casual commuters and the like).

 

[Aushiker]

Drop bars are definitely enthusiast setups. The advantages (better aero and a wider variety of hand/weight positioning for long rides) are largely negated on ebikes anyway, which have the power to not care much about aero and are limited in range by the battery. Probably why most drop bar ebikes are marketed towards conventional cyclists (instead of new riders or casual commuters and the like).

I may be the exception, as commonly tour with the daily kilometres between 80 to 150 km on my Riese and Muller Supercharger 2. If it had been an option at the time of purchase, I would have gone for a drop bar bike, similar to the new Salsa bikes.

For context, the bike I have done the most kilometres on is my touring bike, a Surly Long Haul Trucker, which is a drop-bar bike.

The drops on that bike are for coping with headwinds, which can involve a day's riding. My Ergon grips do help with that on the Supercharger 2, but still riding into headwinds, the drops are missed.