I rode drops for decades, then I discovered the Nitto Albatross .... and whoa ..... what was I missing all these years with my head buried in drop bars? What a revelation. I can see everything so effortlessly. My hands are in a perfect "hand shake" position .... no more aches.

That's the point of touring .... or any other kind of riding I do. See where you are ..... enjoy your surroundings. you can do that on a drop bar if it's high enough, sure, but the Albatross is 54 or 56 cm. wide. No drop bar comes close. If you use bar end brake levers and thumbshifters, you get about 12-13 inches of usable bar to change position.

Of course, this is not for everyone, as it was not for me at one time. Some people like to tour as fast as possible, their destination is all important. For some the destination is wherever they happen to be. For some it's a little of both, none of the other.