After the first commute this morning on the new rig, I am surprised at how well it climbs. I have done the 1 x whatever (42t) before on a MTB conversion, and it took a bit of learning on hills. The difference has to be in the 11-30 cassette vs. the 11-28 I used to run. I never thought two teeth could make such a difference. The wheels are stock and heavy, but spin well. Riding on flat bars spreads my wingspan a bit more than I am comfortable with. Not happy with the cabling job by the LBS, so I have decided to press on with the drop bar conversion. Tektro long pull aero levers, friction shifter and compact bars with grey/black striped tape.