Lamplight:
try raising the bars up to at least (or 1-3 cm higher than saddle height/or get a stem with an extreme upwards angle)...that may help....also fiddle with stem length too

CDCD:
your suggestion that they provide inadequate handling is not true in my experience....hey mountain bikers are more upright for gawdsakes esp the extreme
riders...you don't see them riding drops, do you, esp if they offer superior handling.

Every rider has to find their own ''way''...for me, esp as I get older, drops is not as comfortable as having versatility: I mean I DO want the option of drops
for those windy days/power rides/ (whatever) but ALSO the upright versatility
...and I think that given the after market accessories that exist out there it is now
easier than ever to find one's perfect, ultimate ''all rounder'' handlebars...i,e, in my LBS saturday I found drop add-bar on levers (you kow the lower position)...how cool is that....so that is what's great 'bout our age: lots of choice, lots of tinkering options...one just has to open one's mind and think outside the box a bit...even if what you come up with doesn't ''look'' cool, who gives rat's ass as long as it works for YOU and makes you love your bike and riding it all that much more.

PS: i do like modolo's yuma bar width options...anyone in the USA sell 'em?
(the ones by nashbar, harris etc are too wide, ie, 57'' on average for god sakes!
...doesn't feel natural at all...