[Kerry Irons]

Downsides

i've gotten very into bike riding recently and ride to commute to work and elsewhere, and just for general enjoyment. i find that i almost never ride in the drops and spend most of my time on the break hoods, so i was thinking about switching to bullhorn bars. any opinions on this ? i cant see i downside but im a fairly new ride

Downside is fewer hand positions, fewer bar choices, strange brake lever positioning, and poorer aerodynamics when you need it. You say you are a new rider, so you probably haven't experienced the full range of riding conditions and you probably haven't adapted to the riding position. You might consider raising your bars a bit to bring the drops more into your reach range for now, but as you ride more, you will find yourself stretching out on the bike and making more use of the drops.