As my friend says, "I can smell what you're stepping in." Meaning, I know where you're coming from. I ride both drops and flats and my hands always hurt on the drops. I can ride the flat bar all day. Also, the flats are much more stable and I have more confidence with them at speeds above 25 mph. Finally, mirrors work much better on a flat bar than a drop bar. I have a Specialized Sequoia Elite which has touring geometry. Didn't really like the bike so I swapped out the bars for flats. Like it much better. And the shifting and brake levers work better too. Bought a mountain bar on craigslist for $10 and shifter/brake lever combos online inexpensively. Added ergon grips. Probably cost just over $100.