Nice bike, I have the same one but in black. I used to live in Miami-Kendall (for a long time) but now I am in Fort Lauderdale. You shouldn't have to upgrade your grips as you already have some very nice ones. Like mentioned before try not to lock your elbows. Also, padded shorts made a world of difference for me, I got the tight padded shorts and I wear my regular shorts on top of them.