Increasing your time in the drops?

[jamesn184]

When I first started riding my roadie I was around 122kg and could barely spend about 3mins or so in the drops without puffing myself out.
Now that I'm down to around 102kg I can spend a little bit more time in the drops without puffing myself out
Will this get better as I drop all the way down to 85? or is there a way to "condition" yourself to spend long amounts of time in the drops..

[A_P]

From am anatomical perspective,
the less "non-essential " body mass you have restricting your diaphragm whist in the drops , then the easier it will be to breathe.
this opinion is based on some assumptions and by no means was intended to offend.
Well done on the 22kg loss BTW.
AP

[AndrewBurns]

I don't think there is much 'conditioning' to do, I started riding and am currently riding at 65kg and I've never had a problem with breathing when in the drops. I could spend all day in the drops except my neck can get a bit sore looking forward all the time.

[gururug]

When I started riding I used the drops a bit, sprinting up small hills, hammering on straights etc.

Barely use them at all any more. I think it's because my bars are a lot lower now. I wonder if a lot of peoples drops are too low for them....

Staying in the drops is a mixture of setup and flexibility.

[ozdavo]

Core strength (lower back & abs) are the key to being comfortable in the drops IMO. That and ensuring they are at the right height as mentioned above.

[jamesn184]

My stem is setup for a 45degree angle

[toolonglegs]

Hip flexor / hamstring etc flexibility will dictate how low you can go and what saddle will be the best... If you are in the drops and your sit bones are lifting off the saddle then your are not flexible enough and will be putting pressure on your soft bits.
Core strength will come in to play on how long you can stay there comfortably.
The smaller your gut is the less weight will be hanging straight down putting pressure on your lower back.