I'm not personally a fan of flat bars on road bikes; I find that it does not give me enough hand positions to stay comfortable. However, many people are happy with them.

Two things to consider:

1. Bar ends. Lots of people report they are happy with Ergon bar ends:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?bra...s&node=3375301

2. Trekking bars or "butterfly" bars. I put these on an old mountain bike I converted into commuting. I like it OK, still not as much as drop bars (for me). Advantage is you can inexpensively switch over from your flat bars to see if you like them; you don't have to invest in new brake handles, shift levers, etc. There are other brands as well; they also come in black:

http://www.amazon.com/XLC-Multi-Func...1213221&sr=1-1