I my case I have never found that to be true. Obviously, others may have different experiences. But my hands go numb more quickly while on my road bike than on my flat bar bikes (don't use bar ends, you would have lost money by betting, LOL). And yes, the roadie is sized correctly. The point I was trying to make is that having more hand positions (especially the positions available on a drop bar) will not necessarily make everyone more comfortable by using them in lieu of flat bars. Anyone who has been riding a long time knows there are many ways to position one's hands on a flat bar to relieve potential stress. The other point I was trying to make is that a road bike does not significantly increase one's speed or decrease one's level of effort unless that rider is already at a a very, very high fitness level and is interested mostly in going as fast as possible (ie, in excess of a 20mph average). One could do more simply by adding aero bars to his flat bar if that is what is wanted. That would increase aero efficiency way more than drop bars ever could. And nobody actually rides in the drops unless they have too, even racers. The normal position is on the bar tops or on the hoods, or in the vicinity thereof, because riding in the drops is just not comfortable. The biggest thing is that a road racer feels different and feels faster. But perceptions to the average rider are rarely the same as blunt reality, even if this perception causes the rider to up his tempo or cadence as a result. (ie., the placebo effect)