Quote Originally Posted by pyxichick
Don't rule out drop bars if you have numb hand problems. They give you more options for hand position and thus may relieve the pain/numbness.

I totally agree with pyxichick - riding a MTB (or any flat bar bike) has always been much more uncomfortable for me than a halfway decent road bike with drops. The hand position becomes a really big deal the longer you ride. With flat bars your choice is narrow or wide - with drops, you have many more options.

You may not use the drops much per se, (I like them actually), but it is nice to have a choice.