It's because most of the road bikes people see or try are road race bikes, which are designed to have a drop from the seat to the handlebars and an aggressive geometry that pushes you to lean forward. I own one - a Specialized Tarmac - and it's almost impossible to go for a leisurely ride on it. It's a fun exciting ride when I'm hitting it hard and dashing across town at top speed. In fact, I might say it's comfortable when I'm doing that (though I'm still working on finding the perfect seat). But whenever I try to bike with someone who's a lot slower than me and I have to go half my usual speed, it's a rather awkward bike to ride. I just cannot get comfortable on it at lower speeds.

On the other hand, I also own a road bike that a lot of people don't usually see a lot of - a Specialized Sequoia, a curly bar road bike that's designed with a more upright and relaxed riding position. Visually, aside from the paint job, you would have trouble telling the 2 bikes apart. But riding them, they're a whole different story. I've never had a problem finding a comfortable position on my Sequoia. The handebars are very upright. I can totally just cruise around at half speed, look off to the side and watch cars go by. I never feel "hunched over" - in fact, when I do ride it and need to get somewhere fast, I always end up down in the drops - which feel like they're at the height of the hoods on my Tarmac!

I also own a Civia Highland, which is a straight bar bike (for winter riding). IMO, my body feels more comfortable on the Sequoia than I do on the Highland, so I would agree with "With a higher stem and a 50cm drop bar, you can get all that a flat bar offers, as well as having more hand position choices." The one nice thing about buying a flat bar road bike is that you know it wasn't designed with race geometry.

There is one very noteable exception, however. My problem with flat bars is that in the US, flat bars are actually...straight. Sometimes they curve back a tiny bit, but I feel like I get more rise on the curly bars on my Sequoia. I *could* see how a really swept back flat bar could be more comfortable because you're *actually* not leaning over at all on it - something like this :-) -


(I didn't have time to do a better search, I've seen better pics where they also have a lot of rise.)


I certainly don't have any problem with people who prefer a flat bar - it isn't going to hurt me! :-) I just wonder if they've actually tried a relaxed geometry, tall top tube, curly bar road bike, or if the only road bikes they're tried are the race geometry type.