I only ride a touring bike, so I can't offer much comparison, but the reason it's my only bike (for now, I keep saying) is because I was doing the same search as you about four months ago--riding a clunky hybrid and wanting something that handled better and was more comfortable, but was good for my commute. Doing the research and shopping around, I kept coming back to touring bikes which really do kinda do everything. So instead of buying new, I refurbished my old bike. If I *had* bought a new bike, it would have been the LHT.

But here's the thing--it's definitely comfy and can carry lots, but I don't know about faster and lighter. It certainly seems faster and lighter to me, but I think that's probably because it's just designed better. I think if I hopped on a sexy road bike I'd realize that my bike is still pretty heavy and slow. OTOH, when I think about replacing it with something lighter, I then think "well, if I want to stop dragging around an extra ten pounds I can lose some weight off my BODY first." And then I load on some new fenders and a rear basket and wonder why I'm worrying about weight at all.

Did you get a chance to ride the LHT? See how it feels to ride it and then decide if it's enough faster/lighter to suit you. I wouldn't worry too much about the 26" wheels--I don't know that makes any significant difference in the ride.

Sarah