Three questions about bike shopping

[MollyJ]

Helpful thread. I have a mountain bike that I have put smooth tires on and I really like it. But my top speed is not that great (avg 14 mph). While I have no interest in racing, mph does equal distance traveled in one hour and I'd like to extend my range with a faster bike, so I am thinking road bike.

I bike in KS mostly on paved roads and (medium sized) city streets. I would like to bike further and do some extended rides.

I really hear what the above poster said about riding bikes to try them out. My DH got all excited about a recumbent bike and so I rode it. It was nice but it did not make my heart go pitter-pat.

The thing that makes me the most nervous is adjusting to the forward and down handlebars on a road bike, so I'd be interested to hear from others about that.

My current bike is probably older than my 18 y/o son--and it has small levers for derailleurs and classic brakes on the handlebars. I understand there is some new stuff there. Any preferences or thoughts about that?

[redrhodie]

Another thing that might be helpful is to bring your current bike with you as you bike shop. That way, the shop can see how you're set up already, and you can tell them what you like and dislike about your bike, so they won't be starting from scratch.