It certainly was not #2! Road bikes can be had for half of what I paid for my hybrid and hybrids can be had for twice as much.

I was looking for a road-like bike that would gracefully handle the not always well groomed, non-asphalt bicycle trails that are common in my area. A performance hybrid is perfect for that and that is what I got. More often than not I pass roadies as well as MTB riders on the unimproved parts of the trails and if I can't keep up with the roadies on the asphalt sections, well that is not the bike's fault! So it is about versatility for me. If I had only wanted a road bike I could have gotten a nice one for no more money.

Ken