Originally Posted by jonassterling
I'm sure we could find legions of riders who find Brooks to be one of the few saddles that does not cause numbness, and plenty of folks who find Ergo-bend bars to be anything but. Look closely at at least half the bikes in pro peloton, you will see traditional bend bars.
Yes and we can also find legions of people who will say track drops are a good ergonomic option for long rides.
A classic drop bar bar places your hand on a curve which focuses pressure on the edges of it. Anatomic drops(or shims) flatten or reverse the curve to spread pressure over the entire hand. The drop part simply is more ergonomic as is top which usually stays more horizontal before the brakes.(no mounting the brakes at a crazy angle that is hard to reach from drops.)
The whole point of a brooks is that it molds to you. That means it is spreading pressure out instead of focusing it on hard regions suited to deal with it. This is the exact opposite of a cutout saddle which seeks to complete remove pressure from sensitive areas and focus it on those better suited to supporting it. since it doesn't mold you may have to try a few different saddles till you find one that fits but the vast majority of riders who want a moderately aggressive position will be better suited by a modern saddle then a brooks.