>>2014972It's a touring bike -- the whole priority is comfort and longevity. If I can't use the bike comfortably for 100+ miles in a single day, then it's not doing the job that I'm asking it to do. I recently swapped out the bars for Velo Orange Noveau Randonneur handlebars and am even more comfortable, but had to lower the stem on the stack a little bit.
IMO, the drops are best used for descent and trying to get away from the wind on this set-up. And the drop set-up is so comfortable that I'm able to use it almost exclusively for a good 20 miles without hand or back pain. I don't see other set-ups being capable of that unless you're willing to have the bars up as high as mine are.
You can hate if you want, but you're not the person throwing a leg on this bike and riding it for 150 miles each week. You can keep working yourself up on an internet forum -- I'll be out riding in the meantime.
