Flat bar or drops?

[ilima]

There are some road bikes with drop bars that are designed to be ridden in a more upright position. They tend to have a taller head tube and less reach.

Examples include Felt's Z series, Cannondale Synapse, and several steel bikes in Jamis' line. Nice thing about the Jamis Satellite, Quest & Eclipse is that they are steel, which does help absorb more road buzz than aluminum. Tires, wheels, and handlebars (I do find my carbon bars to dampen more buzz than the older alum bars) also affect how much road chatter is transmitted to the rider.

So it's a heck of a lot more complicated than flat vs. drop bars as far as comfort goes!

[FlyingScot]

Good point. I guess it boils down to this. Is a flat bar road bike basically the same thing as what I've all ready got only lighter? I forgot to mention that I am extremely long waisted with very short legs and arms which might actually be the problem more than the handlebars. I'll be riding both the Specialized bikes this weekend to see how they feel. Any more suggestions?

[7rider]

A flatbar road bike will have a more agressive geometry and tend to be "zippier" than your Globe. It will also have skinnnier tires and likely quicker handling. It will handle like a road bike!
You can get a road bike with drop bars that has a more upright ride that will be kinder to your neck. A flatbar bike is also a good option.
Really....you already know what to do....go to the LBS and test ride them and see which one works best for you!

[FlyingScot]

Yeah, I know. It's the $$$ investment that makes me want to be absoltuely sure this a good decision. I'm looking at spending between $1200-1600 and that's a lot of money for me so I want to be heading in the right direction. My last road bike (that was never fitted) was terrible and I tended to think it was the drops but the more I investigate I think it just was the wrong bike for me. I don't want to rule out drops if they weren't the problem in the first place.

[indigoiis]

I had a Specialized Dolce and it was a very upright geometry (too much so for me) and super ultra padded bar tape, plus brake levers on the upper deck. Swank! You should test ride...

[Crankin]

My friend, who recently got into riding, has the Vita. She loves it, but the tires are still fatter than most road bikes (28's). She is a very slow rider, so I can't comment if it would allow you to keep up with your friends. I would look at some of the "upright" dropped bar bikes.

[Cataboo]

You can get a fairly upright road bike that you ride on the flats (there are handlebars that are flatting on the upper section to be wrist friendly)... and you can shift/brake using the hoods. That way you'll still have the drops if you want them going down a hill or to sprint.