so why do i want a hybrid anyway?

[lph]

I've been switching out my tires on my mountain bike now that I understand that the slick tires are better on the road. The first few times are a bit difficult when the tires are new and stiff, but after that it's not a big deal. You may want to try that for a while until you decide what kind of bike you really want. I've decided I want to go for a road bike since I'm aiming to do centuries and the like. I'll just switch the tires out on my mountain bike to suit the terrain (road or off-road) if I'm going to be doing "utility" rides (good terminology KnottedYet!); can't do that with a road bike.

Oh I have slick tires! They're wonderful

But I don't really have the time to go switching tires all the time (commute on the road daily, ride on gravel roads in the woods 1-3 times a week) or the money to buy a new wheel set.

Well, that's not true, really, I've decided I'd rather have a new bike than a new wheel set