Originally Posted by
ganchan
At this point i'm think that even a performance hybrid would be easier to ride through wind than what I currently have.
I should mention that stability matters to me also. I've heard that drop bars are a little twitchier as far as steering and control....
Point one: no ... much easier. If you look at the comparison pictures Limbot posted, the single largest jump in aero efficiency is between something like your bike and something like the Escape. Going to something between the Escape and the Defy such as a Giant Fastroad or Specialized Sirrus, that jump would be even slightly more noticeable -- again, assuming the 'performance hybrid' in question is correctly sized and fitted.
I wouldn't worry about 'stability' when choosing between flat and drop bars. Drop bar road bikes are not 'twitchy'; they are responsive -- so too are flat-bar road bikes. You would get used to that responsiveness in short order, just as you would quickly get used to the riding position on the Escape that bothered you a little! Once used to it, you will wonder how you managed with your Raleigh.