Originally Posted by
R. D.
Thanks now I get it (that's not what I pictured at all!)
That said I'm not sure the base (the brifter's "body") has the most ergonomic shape in this configuration...
It's not a brifter, it's a brake lever.
True, the shape is non-ergonomic on an upright bar, but that's because it was designed to be ergonomic on a drop bar.
It's immaterial, though. Most people riding upright-bar bikes never touch the body of the brake lever. Drop bars were invented for people who need multiple hand positions available, flat bars for those who don't.