Originally Posted by
Robert7659
I find flat bars and an upright position uncomfortable, sometimes painful, and tiring and inefficient and frustrating. I just bought a gravel bike (Cannondale Topstone) and had to lower the handlebar, otherwise it was too hard to pedal, and the bumps went right up the bike through me. With lowered handlebars the bike floats and flies like a regular road bike should.
I replaced my bike with drop bars a couple years ago, and I found the opposite. I rarely used the lower bars. I'm a lot more comfortable on the new bike with the upright.
On the other hand, the bike I replaced was an 8th grade graduation gift and while it was just slightly too big for me at 13, by the time I was 18 it was slightly too small. I used that bike for half my life, but it was showing its age. I needed new brakes, new wheels (I was missing spokes) and new handlebars (the padding was all worn off in the upright position and was starting to hurt my hands, but the lower bars the padding was fine). The pedals and the seat had already been replaced.
Anyways, it's possible my discomfort was because the bike did not fit right due to it being slightly too small. The lower bars are about as high as the seat.
Anyways, my experience over most of the life of that bike was that I rarely used the lower bars and was far more comfortable upright.