Originally Posted by
droy45
The lack of flexibility and muscle stiffness is the main reason why some people including myself find them uncomfortable.
My wife rides a touring bike which originally came with straight bars. She had a back injury in the past, yet now she prefers road bars, it just took a long effort to figure out the correct fit. We managed to get it right by choosing a mans frame one size too large (so that the HT is tall enough) and playing with stem height and length to get the correct reach.