Originally Posted by
xroadcharlie
Flat bar's actually look painful. Your hands are locked in an unnatural position, and the more weight on them the worse it gets. It probably depends on the bike, Some seem to be fine. All it takes is a slight angle to make a huge difference in comfort. The Soma Clarence bars look much better. Other options are bar ends like badger 1 suggested, or drop bars, But staring at the ground or craning my neck to see using the drops looks worse then straight bars. Good though if your fighting strong wind, and we do have the option of using the hoods or top of the handlebar.
No staring at the ground or neck pain, even on 18 hour rides with a drop bar bike. It's all in one's position, which should incorporate a straight back from the top of the shorts to the top of shoulder blades. As should be used by riders with any setup. One rolls the pelvis forward and straightens the back. Neck pain gone. Most MTB riders use the same position as roadies using the hoods, but the MTBers hands are rotated 90°, which is an issue for many folks. The ordinary road or MTB position is not about aero. It's about comfort.