I got rid of the flatbar too. I couldn't last an hour without my hand (broke it in 3 places a few years ago) throbbing and the other going numb. I went for a nashbar trekking bar.

I think a hybrid is, like you said, a sedan (or a fuel efficient car.) No-one looks good in one, but it does exactly what most need from it. If you're a hard core rider and care about image, a hybrid is like tooling around town in a Prius if you're a drag racer. Image means a lot to some (most?) people.