That's an interesting observation. Is it because of the reach (95mm) and drop (140mm)? Those are long by current standards. I recently saw a picture on IG of an old Italian racing bike and it made me laugh. The reach and drop on the bars must have been in the 200mm range.
I'm 5' 6" (maybe not quite, anymore, after a couple of compression fractures :-), and Noodles (in 40cm) are on almost all of my bikes. For me, the reach and especially the drop are important features, as I really like having a significant difference between my positions. But I have a fairly decent amount of hip flexibility in that direction and can ride a long time with a low, flat back.
I also find that the brake lever choice makes a huge difference. SRAM double-tap brifters are super long and designed for sitting under your entire hand, adding a good centimeter or two of effective reach compared to, say, the Shimano SLR brake levers that Riv has sold for ages. Noodle bars with SRAM brifters for somebody who is already struggling to get a short enough reach to the bars would, indeed, be a problem!
I'd be interested in the bars if I hadn't 1) bought up all I could find last year, and 2) just dropped one bike from the inventory. :-)
Ted Durant
Milwaukee, WI USA