Road bikes are a lot different than they were when I was first buying one around 2005.
Then: 25mm tires would barely fit. Many riders were using 23mm at 110 psi. 50-34 and 12-27 cassettes were about the max range.
Now:
I think most road bikes will fit 28 or 32mm tires. There are fast, flexible lightweight road tires in 28 or 32, that are as fast as the old 23mm but can run way less pressure.
Lots of bikes come with 11-32 now. I really like the lower gears on very steep hills.
Electric shifting is great for areas with lots of rolling hills. I often shift for just a few pedal strokes, then shift again, it's so fast and easy.
The compact bars on most road bikes make riding in the drops very easy. So my bars are set just a little below the saddle height, and I use both hoods and drops. My old bike's drops were a bit uncomfortable, just for downhills and strong headwinds.