Looks like I will be upgrading the grip shift to thumb shift before I get new bars for it since I had trouble dropping to the small chain ring and twisted the shifter too far and broke it. For now, I will remove the front derailer (more weight reduction lol) and leave the chain on the middle ring.
Sunday and Monday looks like warmer temps with just some chances of rain in my area, so I will try to get a good, long ride in with the better wheel/tire/hub combo and see if I can match my average speed of 13.5 MPH like I did on my better, lighter MTB.