Originally Posted by MassiveD

"A very strange comment and one which would come as news to tourers in mainland Europe whose touring bikes nearly all have these"

Well obviously the few people who like them will all chime in, as they should. I am not much affected by how many people use them in europe, since one could also consider how many people in NA use flat bars, or MTBs as general purpose bikes. One can learn a lot more about what is wrong about bike gear by looking at what is in general use, than what is right. European riders also have a preference for suspension. Quick check of Tout Terrain bikes Germain site show they use flat bars and drops. I guess they haven't figured out the universal european preference either.