Badger1
With respect, I must offer a slightly different view about those Euro tourists on bikes. There seems to be a cultural aspect to the way they do it over there, which helps explain why they use the flat bars so much. When I go over there, the predominant theme among the natives is that they are hopping from gasthof, to village, to inn, to who knows whatever small interesting point along the way. In other words, they stop alot - as in frequently.
Americans, Canadians, and in my experience Aussies, tend to go long and aim for a nightly destination. Sad, but true. It may be that we have to use the time more efficiently due to our shorter vacation times or something, but Americans go for broke, taking lots of sanpshots along the way. It's the same thing here in the US and Canada - we put on much more distance in a year and tend to ride much faster than our Euro cousins. Thus, my comments about the explosion of drop designs.
JCM: very fair comment
I should think there's much in what you say -- might even say something about my riding habits on occasion
, though I mostly go h_ll-bent-for-leather when on commute! Still, I do think bar style/set-up is very much a matter of personal preference, and that flats can be set up to work very well for fast, distance riding as well as for trekking, etc.