SM> I keep looking and dreaming about a new bike.  The thing is
SM> that there is  nothing really wrong with the one I have for
SM> the kind of riding I like to  do.  Maybe next year.
  I think a lot of us have that problem.  I drop by the local bike 
store and drool over the latest and greatest technology (I'm a roadie, but 
that doesn't make any difference) all the while knowing full well that the 
bike at home is just fine.  This makes it impossible to rationalize it to 
myself, let alone to my non riding spouse.  I've set a goal of 10,000 miles 
on my existing bike.  When I hit that mark, I've =earned= a new bike.
SM> My biggest problem with dropped handlebars is that I wear
SM> glasses  (prescription type) when I ride.  I owned dropped
SM> bar bikes in my youth  and always found it difficult to be
SM> on the drops because the top of the  frames bisected my
SM> field of view and it was dangerous.  With Japan's  narrow
SM> roads, concrete walls and high traffic, that could be a
SM> deadly  combination.  When I get some time, I will head
SM> downtown and talk to my  Bike Shop Guy and see if I can
SM> quickly test-ride something with dropped  bars to find out
SM> how it looks now or if I am remembering it incorrectly.  
SM> He's really nice - he'll probably let me.
You have to get used to drop bars.  A single sit or ride won't tell you what 
you want to know.  Developing the back and neck muscles to use drop bars 
effectively takes a while.  After you are used to them, the many different 
positions available are what make the drop bars comfortable on long rides.  
BTW, I wear glasses too.  I know what you're talking about.
                                  Dewey

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