I have always owned flat bars my entire life but recently have been in the market for my first bike with drop handlebars. I was pretty certain that with the ability to have so many different hand positions that the drop handlebar would help me alleviate much of the tingling I would get in my finger tips after stints of intense riding. That was until yesterday when I walked into a highly praised bike store in my area and spoke with the owner there. He informed me that he's had many customers with such a problem and the solution is never drop handlebars it is in fact flat bars with ergonomic grips. I told him, I already have those. He then said then we need to bring the bars up and closer. I told him that I already have an adjustable stem to bring the bars up and closer to me. He then talked about replacing the adjustable stem with a stem riser/extender tube and a solid stem to bring them up even higher and keep them close with a more secure stem. That the adjustable ones will break over time and for that reason are dangerous.


So is he right? Are these the better solutions for hand problems, or are drop handle bars better for that?