Say what you will....whatever gets people on the road and keeps them there. Personally, a 3 or 4 hour weekend ride on a flat bar would have me in pain-- mental and physical. I find a drop bar far more conducive to a feeling of grace, speed, and comfort. Most of Tom's gazillions of flat bar bike purchasers buy bikes but don't ride bikes as long or hard as many here do. Lots of those bikes sit in garages much of their life or hang from rafters. An English 3 speed or a flat bar hybrid would please me for cruising around town. But most of my riding is out past the city limit sign. Unless there is a specific injury or disability or physical "condition", 50 year old bodies can adapt to a lot more stress than a drop bar position if trained to do so-- and if there's a desire to do so. Again personally, I think it worth sticking with just to see if one's final preference is for dropped bars.