Originally Posted by
Gerryattrick
Thanks for the replies. I want the bike for short, fast trips only (no more than 10 miles round trip) mostly in traffic. I know the benefits of drop bars. I was a club rider in my teens and early 20s but now have neck problems and find that drop bars just don't suit me (or vice versa!). I've been told that I could get used to drops again, given time, but frankly I just don't want to spend that time as off-road will still be my main form of riding. Also I prefer the visibility that straights afford in traffic.
I have drops on one of my bikes, but raised up considerably higher than is 'normal'. (I'm most definately not a roadie!)
This means you get the upright position from the top of the bar, plus the extra hand positions elsewhere.The 'drops' position isn't that low at all. A lot of the points you mention about straight bars can be gained by just raising the drops up- you don't have to run them cranked all the way down to the head tube.
My other bike (a 3speed dutch-style commuter) has swept back handlebars which I find are significantly better than straight bars, both for ergonomics in the 'base' hand position and also in the ability to move your hands around- you can hold them near the ends, in front of the brake levers, the front curves or the middle section of the bar (the last one's good for downhills). They give good leverage for riding in rough ground as well. IMO, anything more than a wrench attached to the steerer is better than straight bars.
In any case, discarding the front derailleur will mean you don't have to worry about matching cable pull ratios there. IIRC, most 'road' and 'mountain' rear derailleurs use the same cable ratio so shouldn't be an issie.