Originally Posted by khutch

Drop bars are larger in diameter than flat bars so your shifters and brake levers will not fit on them. You can get V-brake compatible drop bar brake levers with hoods to ride on and they are not terribly expensive. Shifters are harder, you may be able to get bar end shifters compatible with your derailleurs or you may be able to put your present shifters on an accessory mount. Like many people I find flat bars too uncomfortable for long rides and totally devoid of a wind cheating position as well. I was considering drop bars as an option of last resort (only because of the difficulty of making the switch on a bike with mountain bike standard components). First I tried Origin 8 drop bar ends and I did not like them (some have). Then I tried the Nashbar " butterfly" trekking bar and that worked fairly well (many agree with this).

Over the winter I noticed that Jeff Jones was making an affordable aluminum version of his "loop H bar" a design I wanted to try for a while now but could not justify the price for the titanium version. I've used it over the winter on a trainer and rollers and this weekend I got out on the road for 27 and 15 mile rides. Provisionally I am going to say that I like the Jones bar the best. Perhaps not a huge margin over the much cheaper butterfly from Nashbar (and others) and since the Nashbar goes for $20 or under on sale while the Jones bar is $120 the Nashbar obviously has a much better bang for buck. So far I am glad to have the Jones bar though and it does mount my bar end rear view mirror very nicely where the butterfly needs an add on device of some kind to mount one.

There are other ways to deal with hand/wrist pain and numbness. You've gotten some suggestions already and I am sure you will get more. Nothing wrong with them but ultimately the experience of most of us is that flat bars won't cut it for long distances so I think you will want to change bars eventually even if the other ideas do help a lot.

Ken