Originally Posted by TallTourist

I think this is one of those personal preference things. I like drop bars because they offer a lot of different hand positions and allow you to become more aerodynamic by dropping down a bit (obv). Another nice feature is they seem to minimize the width of the bike and rider so you can fit down narrow sidewalks on busy bridges instead of having to take the road. I think the best benefit of drop bars, though, is being able to easily use friction barcons. they work with any conventional drivetrain (that I know of) which is nice if you have problems on the road and need to replace chainwheels or cogs. And you never have to bring them in to a shop to get tinkered with, anyone can do it themselves with minimal tools and instruction.

Personally, I like the drop bar look more, too. Only thing that sucks is when you're at a standstill fully loaded and the bars flop over jabbing a barcon into your thigh (potentially). No biggie though.