Totally true. I know that the diamond design of the traditional "men's" bike is for strength, but it always seemed a little sinister to put the boys so close to immenient peril.

I'd certainly be willing to try the drop-bars. When I used to have my bike I remember that the worst part was always that my lower back wound up pretty stiff at the end of a ride. Now, that may very well have been because I used to be in a lot worse shape than I am now, but I am sitting on my butt all day at work so avoiding another opportunity to put more pressure on my back might be a good thing!