Originally Posted by noglider

There are no brakes called standard. I don't know what "light" means in "light dual pivot brake," but they are probably already high leverage calipers, so not much to do there. Different levers might be comfier. You might also enjoy a change of position. Maybe a taller stem would help. Do you read the Lovely Bicycle blog? The author has written about fitting herself. She was opposed to drop bars for a while and then discovered that they suit her well when her stem is tall enough. Have you had someone look at your position and offer suggestions? Women often benefit from a more upright position than men because your mass and strength are lower in your upper body.