"The OP says she wants to do long distance cycling. That automatically implies more variable hand positions. Otherwise, her hands will suffer either numbness, pain, or both."

This is nothing more than an assumption / putting out bogus information on your part as I do distances just fine with my flat bar.. I suffer no pain and no numbness. A properly fitted flat bar bike with bar ends is just a suitable for doing distance as a drop bar bike is..

"Besides, if the OP should purchase a flatbar road bike or a performance hybrid, but decides later that she'll want a more capable road bike, she'll be forced to make another bicycle purchase"


Or the OP could end up taking what could be very bad advise and buy a drop bar only to realize that she wanted a flat bar bike.. It goes both ways.. Drop bar bikes are not the end all for everyone!

I did get a kick out of this comment though --> she'll want a more capable road bike

More capable than what? I'd argue that my flat bar bike is more capable than most of the drop bar bikes on the road..