I took her out for a 10 miler today and she did pretty good, aside from the mis-shifting already mentioned. It has the original 'sprung' saddle, which seems a little bouncy, but does help smooth out the wretched pavement in my area.
I haven't ridden a bike of any sort for 20 years. Just last month I got my old 12 speed road bike back in service and logged a few miles with it. I love the way it handles and the rider position of a road bike, but the issues I had were constantly getting in and out of the courier pedal straps, and not having the brakes handy if I'm riding on the hoods, etc. Inner city riding requires so many quick reactions, it just didn't seem feasible.
Now on to the new bike. I definitely like the increased maneuverability, having the brakes and shifters right there, no pedal clips or straps, gearing low enough to climb a wall, and the more upright position for visibility, etc. The bumps are smoothed out with the larger tires (700c x 32) and the 'sprung' seat, however I do encounter quite a few jarring potholes, etc.
I'm still trying to learn the optimum positioning, I tend to want my handle bars to be lower when grinding out a long uphill, but they are as low as they go now (and the seat is as high as will work for me). The current bars are curved, so I could lower the handles maybe an inch or two with a straight handlebar, otherwise I need to look at a different stem. With the more upright position, I find it harder to keep my back arched than in a road bike.
I miss the different hand positions available with drop bars. Would those brahma type handles help out with that?