Looking for the best "part-time" bike

[CorsairMac]

Or maybe I'll do as drplasma is doing and keep my hybrid for winter and look into a road bike a little later on. I hadn't even considered that always having been a one-bike kind of girl thus far.

ROFL.....yeah I'm with you on that one. I Never dreamed of myself as having more than 1 bike. As of right now I own 4 bikes and have 2 more waiting for me to go get in another state!! *shakes head*

One concern though, I did read something about how the comfort bikes with the spring seats and the straight handlebars were not as good for you as a seat without the springs and curved (I think they call them dropped?) handlebars. There was also some mention about how leaning over your bike is actually easier on your back and breathing as opposed to the more upright positions on the hybrids/commuters/comfort bikes. This is my only reluctance in buying a hybrid instead of a road bike, is this really significant or have you all noticed any differences?

It's truly a personal thing like Nuttie said. My personal preference is a road bike with me riding in the drops 70% of the time. Other ppl use the drops only for descending or headwinds or...etc etc. I have a friend that Never uses her drops...she feels she lacks stability on the bike the few times she's tried it. As for the breathing - never heard that one - but there's a LOT of things I've never heard of. I would hazard a guess a more upright position would be easier on your breathing then riding in the drops - but that's just a guess. Most ppl have problems with their neck and shoulders from the drops but some of that is using a new set of muscles in a different way. With an upright you would alleviate some of that. However, being more upright will create more wind resistence But - you are also more visible as your profile is higher. So see...there's pros and cons to both sets of handlebars.

So knowing my background a bit, I hope you won't mind this rather stupid question - if you don't ride a road bike on a bike path, does this mean you actually ride it on the paved street?

I"m probably not the right person to answer this coz I've ridden my road bike just about everywhere except singletrack! I've ridden streets here in Albuquerque that most people hate driving their cars on coz they're so busy.....and I've ridden just about all the bike paths this city has built. I see the bike as a means of getting where I need to go and then using whatever means I can to get there.