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@gbj_tester
You're partly right, but the brake hoods open up a whole range of riding positions which are not available on a track bike, for example. Road-bike geeks get quite worked up about the precise transition from the bars to the hoods, as there is a set of curves there which can make or break your ride comfort. Look at where Pro road racers hands are for most of the race if you want to know how much the brake hood has become a key part of riding, it's a long way from its origin as a bit of rubber padding on the brake lever bracket. This page http://www.diegoweb.net/montan/bon.htm has a good selection of different 'on the hoods' positions from Ronde van Vlaanderen