I ride 17 miles to work. I am comfiest with my hands on the drops. The bottom part of the drops point about half way between the rear brakes and the rear hub. I have a suspension seatpost. If I hear it squeeking, it is telling me that I am mashing and not pedaling in smooth circles. Try adjusting seat fore/aft, up/down, bar height/reach/tilt. If you carry stuff on your commute, a saddle bag or rack will be a lot better than a back-pack.