Well now that the holiday traveling is over I got in three rides on the new flat-bar, the last was a 65+ miler this weekend. General impressions: This is very much a roadie in my opinion, more so than any other fitting definition (comfort or hybrid). However, this bike and geometry is also identical to Kestrel’s RT1000 endurance road bike, including 25mm tires, sans the drop bars, so it definitely is not built to be a hybrid. It is pretty light, quick and nimble which equals fun!
Riding solo, it feels no different than any of the other road bikes I have owned until you hit about 17.5 miles and hour, then you begin to lose on the aeroside of the equation. This weekend I rode with a group in a paceline so most of the aero-disadvantage was negated (until my turn to pull). Incidentally, I made a mental note as to the position of the others I rode with this weekend. Most ride on the hoods and it seemed like my torso angle and height was not really any different that theirs-other than the had to choice to go to the drops where I was lacking. It is easy to take a more aero position without much discomfort for shorter distances when needed, however.
Generally, it is more comfortable on my lower back and neck since visibility is much improved. I felt no discomfort in my elbow/bicep area from my surgery-which was the main reason I considered going this direction in the first place. However, the flat bars were very uncomfortable on my wrists/hands. This seems to be a common complaint for this handlebar style and has me currently shopping for end bars to provide an alternative hand position.
The bike got several looks and a few questions from the other cyclists on this weekends ride. However, I held my own with a core group whose median age was significantly younger, so any criticism of my new steed was out of my ears range.
Overall, if endbars will help reduce hand/wrist fatigue, I will say that this was a very good purchase. Once I have fully recovered from my injury, my regular road bike will likely be my go-to machine. However, I can continue to see myself including this bike in a regular rotation.
Thanks for all the replies,
'bob