Hello, I'm new to the forum and drop bars and any kind of bikes using them and picked up my first such bike, a used Motobecane Grand Touring, for $275 a few weeks ago. I've noticed it is not the most comfortable bike and I initially thought it was something I had to get used to but haven't yet. I get pain in the palms of my hands when using the same position for just a couple minutes. It was particularly bad when riding the hoods because my hands would slide down into the brakes and cause pain between my thumb and index finger. It was also kind of difficult to squeeze my brakes from there. I talked to someone at a bike shop today and he suggested rotating the bar back so there is a flatter surface leading up to the hoods but this puts the drops in an awkward position. The guy said it's difficult to fix that problem with old bikes because of how the hoods were designed to be pointy and less ergonomic but there must be some way to fix this rather than just buying a newer bike! I also have foam grips on my bars, could this be contributing to the problem? When I go over bumps and cracks in the road there are certain pressure points on my palm that get pain and numbness shooting up them. Another piece of info I might add, the frame is 59 cm I believe and fits just under my crotch, so maybe a bit too big for me. Any help would be much appreciated! I tried to add pictures but apparently I can't until I post more.