I should add that DS has already done one cyclocross race and some easy single-track on this bike...and he really ZOOMS on the road. We have fun exploring local backroads...about 1/3 of which are unpaved and a mix of sand and gravel. He also likes that there are brake levers in front of the drops, but also on the tops, so anywhere he has his hands he can access the brakes. He's getting better with shifting appropriately, too.