go out in the rain and essentially try to pedal in reverse as you lean forward to unweight the rear tire. bullhorn style bars make it easier. run a front brake at least until you get the hang of it. you should probably keep it once you do get the hang of it, i refer to it as an "oh ****" handle.

as far as the hatred towards converts, as long as it's done correctly so as to be safe mechanically who cares? for every classic bike that's converted, that makes your original unmolested one worth that much more. you can probably buy their removed parts for cheap too.