Seeking Bike Fit Help

[Kathi]

I don't ride in my drops all the time either but when I'm on a downhill I do brake from my drops. Maybe it's because of my small hands but I have more braking power from the drops than the hoods.

Since I've been using my drops on downhills I've noticed the number of riders, men and women, who do not use their drops. One friend of mine says she feels insecure but I've found that I feel more in control and secure on downhills when I'm in my drops, even on short downhills.

[lph]

I'll definitely be nagging my bike shop about this now, come spring and road riding. My thighs hit my chest at the drop of a ... helmet (and believe me, it's not because of my voluptuous bosom ), either when I ride in the drops, or when I ride where most comfortable out at the very front of the hoods and tuck in to minimize drag. I sit like Veronica here when I have my hands on the hoods! I think I need to:
a) lengthen my stem
b) tilt it up
c) check out shallower and maybe narrower handlebars, as I really have trouble reaching the brakes in the drops, and don't mind keeping my hands closer on the top.
I have a lot of knee/elbow overlap, and it doesn't bother me. Maybe it would with narrower handlebars, though?