Hoods versus Drops

Hoods versus Drops: how much faster is getting low?

Summary

Every cyclist has been told that riding in the drops is faster. But how much faster is it really, and can you measure it from an ordinary ride? We used Speed Lab in the Ryden Bike app to find out.

It's a real gain. We found that moving from the hoods to the drops cut CdA by an estimated 6.7%, saving 9.3 W at 32 km/h.

Testing protocol

We used the same approach as our Zipp vs Hunt wheel test, but this time we changed the rider's position instead of the equipment.

The rides

Darren rode his orange steel road bike twice on an out and back ride: once with his hands on the hoods throughout, and once in the drops. Each ride was recorded on his bike computer.

Keeping it fair

Same rider, bike, wheels, tyres, helmet and kit on both rides. The only change was hand position.
Air density was almost identical across the two rides (1.186 vs 1.180 kg/m³).
Speed wasn't held constant. A spread of speeds in the data helps the algorithm separate aerodynamic drag from rolling resistance.

AI Generated image because I was on my own for this one!

Analysing the data

Both rides went into Speed Lab in the Ryden Bike app. For each ride, the app looks up the weather to work out wind speed, wind direction and air density. It then uses a physics-based power-balance model, correcting for wind, gradient and rolling resistance, to isolate the change in aerodynamic drag between the two rides.

The hoods ride is the baseline and the drops ride is the comparison.

The results

We do not expect to get accurate CdA results from a test like this, but identifying a relative difference between similar rides is a very good indication of the improvement between the two positions.

Hoods (baseline ride): CdA 0.335 ± 0.008 m², R² 0.913
Drops (comparison ride): CdA 0.312 ± 0.009 m², R² 0.902

CdA reduced by 6.7%, saving 9.3 W at 32 km/h

What the results show

Whilst we dont read too much into the specific CdA figures, the measured relative improvement of 6.7% and 9.3 watts seems to be a reasonable result. Further testing with more rides would provide more data points and give greater confidence. The Ryden Bike apps allows you to group analyses together to help manage this.

Riding in the drops is faster, but obvioulsy this is only the case if you can hold the position. A good bike fit can help you achieve a sustainable position on the bike. Top enable you to consitently recreate the same positions use our app to capture your bike setup.

Try it yourself with Speed Lab

You don't need a wind tunnel or a velodrome to find out whether a change makes you faster. Speed Lab in the Ryden Bike app lets you run this kind of test on your own roads with the bike computer you already use.

Ride a familiar route, make one change (position, wheels, helmet or clothing), then ride it again.
Load both rides into Speed Lab. The app adds the weather and air density for you.
See the change in CdA and what it's worth in watts at a consistent speed.

For step-by-step instructions on getting the best results, see our Speed Lab page.

November, 2026

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