I have experimented a lot with positions on a bike since it took me awhile to feel comfortable with drop downs. Sizing a bike to your body is important. I'm 5'11" and I used to ride a 57cm. My legs are long, but my upper body is shorter so i was leaning over quite a bit to the bars and feeling stretched. I switched to a 54cm and the top bar is a bit shorter and fixed the problem. If you were racing you would want to be streched out in a low position, but for regular cruising you don't have to be. Look at the length of the stem holding the handlebars. If its 4 inches or so its a racing stem. A shorter one will cause you to sit up more. Greg Lemond wrote a book called "The Complete Book of Cycling" that gives quite an in depth look on how to fit a bicycle. I think once you fit right the drop downs will work for you.