I've got the same situation. Sometimes we ride a towpath for a long day of eating and drinking (32 miles round trip, one brewpub, one restaurant, one tavern), and I ride my hybrid. Or I ride it every other week or so with a certain friend who is actually one of the few who is slower than me. But it always seems so heavy at first, until I really get warmed up. Then I remember how much I like that bike and how much fun it can be. It's just not a jet like the road bike. And it probably is good for training - it's like losing weight the easy way.