In article <[email hidden]>, Mike says...
Quoted message said:
I've walked into 3 bicycle shops looking for an improved commuter bike.
My mountain bike with stubby tires isn't cutting it for my 7-mile daily
commute (with a killer hill).
Quoted message said:Why don't they want to sell me a road bike? Are they really
uncomfortable? Unfortunately with quick test rides, I really can't gauge
long-term comfort.
I ride both a mountain bike and road bike. I perfer the drop bars on the road
bike, I have much less trouble with hand numbness. Since I never ride
singletrack there is no benefit to the flat bars.
Mountain bikes do have the advantage of fat tires which give a smoother ride and
lower gears to get up that hill. You can get these benefits in a touring or
cyclocross versions of a road bike. One trade off is that these bikes weigh
more than a pure road bike but probably still less than your mountain bike.