Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
That high number may represent the number of bicycles equipped with drop bars. I suspect the number of cyclists who routinely ride in the drops outside of racing and perhaps occasionally when touring, is an insignificant fraction of that number. Recommending riding in the drops and other racing oriented BS for a 5 mile ride when comfort is a primary concern shows the negative influence of the racing club crowd on the conventional bicycling wisdom proffered by self proclaimed bicycling experts.
All one has to do is look to Europe, where long-term touring/trekking/expedition-riding is more mature, and drop bars are virtually non-existent except on bikes explicitly used for racing purposes.