Originally Posted by seeker333

Sitting bolt upright when you don't have to means more frontal area, more aerodynamic drag, more pedaling effort required for longer periods for a given distance. Most healthy touring bicyclists can find a comfortable posture on a properly fitted bike with drop bars, so that they can reap the benefit of an intelligent design which has evolved over decades through extensive expert human testing. Drop bars not only help cut through the air but also help to achieve a more powerful pedaling technique.

Even with a short, steep stem and resulting more upright posture, drop bars offer one the option to intermittently grab the lower bar (drops) and speed up for a short time, perhaps making a head wind less difficult, then return to the brake hoods position to rest back/shoulders/arms. Rest and repeat. A bicyclist who uses only the tops/flats of their drop bars is not realizing the full potential of the drop handlebar.

Yes, the beach cruiser is comfortable for the 15 minutes you ride it, but do you want to turn the average 6 hour daily tour ride into 8 hours so you can use "comfortable" cruiser handlebars?