Originally Posted by rufvelo
2)The seat and bar setup shows rider form, or often a lack of it. For performance reasons, again not just show, it is necessary to at least aspire to reach the optimum setup of the bars being at least an inch or greater below the seat.
The problem with your analysis is that it's overly simplistic. On my bike I have at least 4" of drop with a stem that has some rise. From a performance point of view I could have not cut the steerer tube, added spacers, and flipped the stem, and gotten the exact same drop. But I would have added weight (and arguably some flex), just to conform to someone's idea of what a bike should look like.
Your point about performance turns on whether the rider's position is aerodynamic, not whether the stem has rise or not to get that position.