Its been a few years now and you're getting to know how you actually ride and what you like.
The one thing I noticed is your comment on "hurt my back". This could mean you already have back issues or it could also mean you heard about road bikes with a position that seems to hurt. The reasoning results in "upright is good" and "leaning over is bad" for the back, that is.
A good bike fitter for a road bike is what will help you sort things out. Some good bike fitters do not work in bike shops. They're independent of shops and often are coaches as well. The road racing types know who they are in your area. Some argue that professional fitting costs too much. In the long run, it is well worth it.
Another thing about conditioning is the core muscles. When a road rider leans over, the rider is using the core muscles to help support the weight of the torso as well as the arms on the bars. Its both. Just by riding, I find the core muscles getting stronger, only if I have good form and not depend on the arms as some kind of weight bearing reliever for the back.
Last edited by Garfield Cat; 06-22-10 at 09:01 AM.