Originally Posted by spare_wheel

In defense of flat bars:

The geometry of flat bars gives you more control and responsiveness. You can turn on a dime because you are not turning a heavy drop bar from the center flat or ergonomically awkward hoods. In my opinion, its also easier to brake more rapidly than when on hoods. Moreover, switching from a drop to a 90 gm carbon fiber flat bar shaves off a lot of unnecessary (for utilitarian biking) weight. The difference in posture makes track standing and bunny hopping much easier which IMO is an essential skill for aggressive city riding.
YMMV.