Ah, you have discovered the secret of riding drop handlebars. Most people think that you ride normally in the drops. This is why they want to keep raising the bars higher and higher! If you look at most experienced roadies, though, the only time they're in the drops is in a race, usually during the final sprint. At all other times, like about 99.9% of the time for me, who no longer races, the hands are on the brake hoods or the tops. So it's like having flat bars, but with way more possible hand positions, and an extra position (the drops) for sprinting or riding into headwinds.

It's sort of counterintuitive when you look at the drop bars. Those drops just look so inviting to put your hands on. But only beginners use the drops as the default position. Always ride with your hands on the top portion of the bars!

L.