I'll equate riding on the hoods to driving an SUV, and riding in the drops to driving a zippy little sportscar. We all know that the center of gravity on an SUV is very high, so you have to slow down when turning or risk rolling the vehicle over. A sportscar, on the other hand, has a low center of gravity and just loves to zip around curves. When riding switchbacks and twisty descents, you really want to hug those curves like a little sportscar.