Many people who ride roadsters don't seem to understand how "drop" bars are supposed to function and ride around all the time with their hands on "the drops" as if they were welded there.

Watch pro road racers. Most of the time, the hands are on "the hoods"....The brake hoods. That's the "normal" position, and the one that should be set up for most of your riding.
The drops are used to sprint, get a lower position to cheat wind, and so on.
The normal position for climbing is with the hands on top of the bar, on the flat section. This lets you move back on the seat a bit for more leg leverage, and also results in an "open" chest for easier breathing.