Originally Posted by phughes

I think you are misunderstanding the test. It is not a test to see if you can sit up and ride with no hands, it is a test to see if you can take your hands off the bars, while riding in the drops, and still maintain the same posture, the same posture you would have while riding int he drops, without falling over. This give you a more stable position on the bike with less pressure on your hands.

If your seat is in the proper position, you will also not slide forward on the seat while pedaling harder. I had issues with a Brooks. I had to run it tilted up which cause some pain. I can now run it level and do not slide forward at all. I also have zero pain. His method works well. It is a method a lot of fitters use actually. Sheldon Brown advocated its use as well.