I've thought about the shorter fork option too.The only fork I know that is shorter is a Gunnar at 383mm.This still leaves the angles about 1* too slack,and the BB about 1cm too high for my taste.
It also means you would have a disc brake rear and a canti front,which may bother some.
All in all,I find it too much of a compromise in a 2000 frameset.I want what I want....