I'd go with europa's advice... ride a LOT before you look top get anything new. I just got back into cycling after a long hiatus and every ride brings new thinking about what I'd want. And how to equip myself correctly. And I'm still not totally decided.

Yes I had issues more with my arms more than hands... but it was muscles, and by now I'm not bothered (flat bars, not sitting upright). That's why europa was right... put some mileage in before you decided what to upgrade to... part of that process is building up the muscles specific to cycling. Once you're there, things change... when I started out in June, I almost thought I'd want some lower gears than what I had... but now I stay mostly in the higher gears and could actually see an even higher gear than my highest.

As for bikes, I've been partial to hybrids. When I go for a new bike, I think I'd opt for some suspension help... I'm not exactly a lightweight and do tend to get tossed around a lot on uneven roads (one of my bike paths is quite bumpy).

Good luc and safe riding!