Originally Posted by
spartanKid
I believe a lot of it has to do with finding a balance between a comfortable hoods position and a comfortable drops position with one stem and bars. If you push your road bars out 3-5 cm further, the hoods position would be really extreme/uncomfortable, and in modern road racing/cycling, 90%+ of the time is spent on the hoods.
Ah! The Hoods. That makes sense. Thanks!