Originally Posted by MSR
i guess i'm intimidated by the thought of trail riding with drop bars, but you're all making me feel better about it. i'll try it and see, so the flat bar isn't a prerequisite. again, thanks for the input. (btw, that bruce gordon device looks pretty cool.)
i do see bianchi lists cantis on the website. now i'm doubting if i remembered what i saw on the bike correctly.
-michael
you will be fine with drops on trails. i bet you will get used to in in less than 1 hr. plus, you can get top-mount brakes if you want (if the bikes dont come with them already), and those will help with your confidence.
i was intimidated at first too, because i came into cross from an mtb background. but now i use my cross bikes for all but the most hairy mtb rides. i often race xc mtb on my cross bikes, and i'm at the point now where i like drops better. you can get some ergo bars like the salsa bell laps which are perhaps more suited to rough/trail riding than regular drops (it's a matter of preference though), or, you could look into "dirt drops" like the on-one midge bar, which is a super shallow drop style bar with a flare. these are sweet and they give you good leverage and a good hand/braking position in the drops (they are meant for cross/trail riding).