Originally Posted by
wphamilton
My commuting bike and backup both have drop bars. It's more comfortable, for me the position is also better for speed and power. I don't have any trouble looking around or watching ahead - I just don't get that criticism of drop bars.
Yet on my backup which is set up more relaxed, I mostly rode on the hoods so on a whim I cut the hooks off a couple of weeks ago. Don't really need them, why have them, so I just cut them off. Leaving enough for the brake levers and just a little curve.
mtbers, skills riders, and many messengers prefer flat bars not out of style but out of function (leverage, twitchiness, wideness for mtbers, and narrowness for messengers). i would also add that riding on the hoods is not particularly aero and multiple hand positions only matter for riders that experience hand numbness. when i
commute on drops i always miss the leverage and less spread out default position that helps me thread traffic. for training and longer rides i prefer drops.