Thanks for the encouragement! This morning I did 10 miles, the first leg straight into a 15 mph wind up a hill (not a steep hill for my cross bike, but for me on this new bike in a stiff wind, a steep hill!). I'm less sore after this ride, and trying to keep my distances short while I get my body used to the new position.

I also realized: this is the first "real" road bike I've ever ridden--my old Dawes back in grad school was a heavy steel touring 10 speed (and I loved going on 40 to 50 mile day rides on it). I have a lot to learn about riding a light, responsive road bike! Such as:

-how do you stand up to pedal up hill? It felt completely unstable when I tried a few times today, so I didn't.
-how far ahead of you do you look to keep your neck in a reasonable position? I was trying for about 10 ft ahead of the front wheel, even though most of the time I wanted to look much further ahead?
-which direction do you lean when you're on a sharp curve? If you're curving to the left, for example, my natural instinct is to lean left, with my left foot down. Is that right?
-and finally, how flat should your back be?
thanks! Nancy in WI