I have been riding mountain bikes for over 20 years and am just going back to a road bike. I find the modern bars and hoods and combined levers a very strange position. I have actually loosened them and pushed levers further down bars to be more like a 60s or 70s brake position and redone the tape. I think perhaps I should have not done this and just got used to the modern position.
However, I am worried about braking. I was going down to the drop position to use the brakes and found this uncomfortable and a stretch. But I see some people use them with their hands on the hoods. Can you get full brake power in this position? Is it safe enough for going down big hills?