Hi again everyone. Ok, I finally did it. WIth the help of my LBS, I cut my handlebar so it is a more comfortable and natural postion and I am not so stretched out anymore. I tilted the drop bar ends a bit to give a feeling of "hoods". I also lowered the handlebars a bit so I'm not in such an upright position. These changes, combined with my very first pair of clipless pedals, I had a great ride today! On my way to work this morning (about 11 mile trip), my avg. speed was about 14.9mph, whereas before I was in the neighborhood of 13 - 13.5 mph. I did a bit of a longer ride on the way home (16 miles) and had a great time. These adjustments have really helped so far. Here are some photos of the new set up. Everyone have a great evening!