I've used North Roads style bars or flat bars all my life - on my bikes when I was a kid, on a motor cycle when I was older and on my bike now. I was quite looking forward to riding on dropbars, and had a short (~2 mile) ride around my LBS. Came away slightly disillusioned - they weren't as comfortable as I had expected them to be. I realize that 2 miles isn't long enough - on the other hand, flat bars with bar ends work fine for me for 20-23 mile rides and I never have time to ride more than that - so why spend more money? I think my hands are tuned to flat bars after all the bicycle and motorcycle rides of my youth