Using both the hoods and the drops
I'm in my 60s. The top of the bars are about 1.5 inches below the top of the saddle. I have the hoods angled up slightly, so that my palm rests on the hood+bars without bending the wrist.
I never get numbness, but I do get sore hand joints. With bars this high, I can easily ride in the drops, and that spreads the pressure across my palm, way better on bumpy roads. And better control too.
This setup is perfect for me.
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I have the seat bone area of the saddle quite level -- the nose is slightly higher. My reach is good on this bike, I don't have any "sliding forward on the saddle" difficulties.