Funny you mention mtbs and motorcycles. I ride them all as well. As to your set up, for me your set up wouldn't work out. Have tried it. Shifters that low and forward rotates my wrists to much and I don't feel like I have as much support of the hood and reduces the height of the forward nub. I know this stuff is personal preference.
Have a look at the illustration to explain:
Originally Posted by
Darth Lefty
I haven't ridden much with drop bars but it I would like to try some things. My Paramount with classic Cinelli 64 bars and pre-aero brakes is much more comfortable in the drops. It seems to want me to have my hands at the bottom straight section. When in the hoods it's too stretched out. I never feel close enough to a brake lever or powerful enough pulling it. It makes me see why they invented turkey levers and interrupters.
A few years ago I had a nice little red Cannondale but it predated my bike-nerd phase and I don't know much about it. I can't recall ever riding in the drops at all but the hoods were also too far away. It appears to have been anatomic bars.
Aside from drop bars,
I'm pretty sensitive to the angle of the grips on mountain bikes and motorcycles, they often don't seem swept back enough for me. A bar that's further forward needs more sweep for the wrist rotation to feel neutral.
