Hi there, cheers for this informative reply Stutho, I wasn't expecting any response thinking that this thread was dead, but thanks.
And thanks for letting us know about some of the curious facts about the Rohloff shifter, I may consider getting a bike with drops since you've displayed that the two are compatible. However the primary mission of this bike is for expedition, on and off road, so I think some variety of flat bars, or if not entirely "flat," some sort of upright, steady position bars, would be the most ideal.
I have never ridden with drop bars, although I see their significant benefits. Even on my touring road/commuter bike I use bullhorns with an adjustable stem that changes the position from super-speedy aerodynamic accelerator, to leisurely laid back tourer. As the primary aim of my expedition riding is to discover and get the best view of many terrains, I aim to achieve a meercat like stance, which allows for the best all round visibility. However, I envy the range of hand positions that drop bar users have, hence my search for some sort of "best of both worlds" solution.
Titec's H-bar offers a lot of good options, and probably the best i'll get until cycle manufacturers start to consider the less conventional (and less commercially profitable) needs of the touring/expedition cyclist. Incidentally, I was probably gonna place the shifter on the lower part which extend towards the rider from the main handlebar. These sections of the bar would be where my hands would be most of the time, so the shifting should be quite fluent and intuitive. The brake levers I would wrangle round the "bar-end" shaped pieces on the top till the levers were parallel with the stem.
Anyway i've written a bit of a tome on this subject now, which is slightly off topic, so i'll leave you guys to it. I'm off to another forum to debate the pros and cons, and problematic compatibility issues of the H-bar!! [8D]
