Good post and generous offer. Luddite, if you don't have bar ends, grab those. I'd set them pretty level to the ground even for hill climbing.
I met a guy who rode from San Francisco to Boston and from there to DC, on a hundred plus year old ordinary. I had the good fortune to ride the last leg with him and other cross country riders who converged very near my home in Maryland for a group ride into the capital city. He was over sixty years old. Yes you can.