Originally Posted by Brian Ratliff

My only point is there is a difference between diminished point of potential return, and actual return. It is sometimes hard to suss out which is which. If one never trains with a slammed stem, then it should surprise no one that his power drops in that position. But with some training, then he might gain higher ground over a lesser bar drop.

Then throw in the whole physiology of body adaptation. If you train using a position that stresses your quads over your glutes, then you'll be a "quad" rider and will perpetually make less power as the hip angle closes. If you train your glutes, then you might actually get more and more power out of your position as you close your hips, right up until your thighs hit your chest.

You pick up a guitar and suck at it; does this mean you aren't a guitarist? Or does it simply mean you don't have practice? You get a back-of-the-B-ride rider and he sucks at the drops, does this mean he'll suck forever, or does it simply mean he doesn't have practice? Everyone sucks when they first try something. The thing that makes them not suck is to encourage them to experiment and try things out. Everyone sucks when they first pick up a guitar. The curious ones, the driven ones, are the ones that get good at it. Same with the bike. Everyone sucks when they first get on a bike. The ones who are willing to experiment with rider position and the extremes of power production and bike handling are the ones that eventually get good at it.

Sitting here at the internets, there is not one thing anyone can tell the OP about his actual riding position. All we can do is pass along philosophies and information wrought from personal experience and research that can help the OP make decisions about what to try.