There are as many variations in swept back bars as in drop bars. If you found one set a bit too narrow and confining or awkward in handling, a different set might resolve the problem.
My friend prefers narrower swept bars, usually flipped. From behind his arms are in roughly the same alignment as a cyclist on the hoods of a drop bar bike. But my friend's arms are farther back toward his body, slightly behind the stem/head tube or even with the stem. Very different handling compared with riding the hoods on a drop bar bike, with the hands well ahead of the stem/head tube. He finds it more comfortable and more aero than typical flat or riser bars. For him it's the right compromise.
After three weeks with the Nitto albatross bars I borrowed from him, I can understand his enthusiasm. Swept back bars aren't merely a return to tradition. It's actually pretty sensible for my casual rides.
The Nitto albatross bar is much wider than some North Roads type bars. A bit wider than my original flat bar, a bit narrower than the riser bar I used for a couple of years. Good compromise.
And because my bike's top tube is fairly long (58cm) there's no interference from the swept back bar even in slow speed tight turns -- however shorter folks with shorter top tubes may need to trim a bit off the ends of the bars to get the right balance of handling and comfort without the grips banging into the knees or top tube during normal bike riding (normal, for some folks, may include very slow speed maneuvers with tight turns).
My arms are definitely wider apart than with my drop bars. But it's very comfortable, especially on my injured shoulder which is healing very slowly after five months. I was actually aggravating my shoulder by riding my drop bar bike so much, including on the indoor trainer.
I can slide my hands forward to rest over the brake lever pivot housing, for a little more aero position and efficiency on fast climbs of short, steep hills, while still keeping my hands within reach of the brakes. Or I can slide my hands all the way forward into the forward swept arch, a position very comparable to riding the top of the bar on drop bars, such as for longer climbs with headwinds.
It's a remarkably versatile handlebar, much more so than I'd expected. No wrist pain, numbness in the base of the palm, the usual stuff I'd get from 30-50 mile rides with the same bike using flat or riser bars.
I like 'em well enough that my next step will be bar end shifters. That will keep my hand in a balanced position within reach of the brakes. Right now I'm using cheap SunRace friction thumb shifters mounted in the center of the bar, on either side of the stem. It's functional but not ideal. I have to anticipate shifts well in advance of the optimal shift moment, so I'm often losing momentum. But this bike isn't for fast rides, just for relaxing rides with friends, commutes and errands. And in traffic it's difficult to juggle quick gear shifts and maintaining control of the bar and brakes. So often I'll compromise and continue in a less than ideal gear for safety-first riding, then shift when it's appropriate to do so. Bar end shifters would ease this process a bit.
No other major changes are needed, although I plan to make a few other changes over time. Eventually, as my shoulder heals, I'll swap out the original stem for a road bike stem with a bit longer reach and lower position, and a separate brake cable housing hanger mounted lower on the stem, head tube or fork. This will also get the cable loops out of the way.
I'm recycling the original Shimano combo mount for the canti brake levers and shifter modules. The thumb shifter modules both broke (the early 1990s Shimano thumbies were known to fail and mine lasted longer than most). There's still a now-unused mounting plate for bolting on the thumb shifter modules. I'm trying to figure out how to repurpose those as mounts for lights, a video camera or other accessories.