I am a bike builder. I have road bikes and hybrids. I have tested both. the only real difference in a road bike is the drop down bars that put you in a lower position that puts your legs in a better position for power. Other then that your frames, tires, are the same. I mostly ride up on top of bars on a road bike, so with my style there is no difference. Road bikes give you a few different hand positions, which is nice. Maybe you should just get a road bike. I have a Trek 790 multitrack that is one of the better hybrid steel bikes that is pretty close to trek 520 road bike geometry. Most hybrids made out of aluminim seem bulky
and probably not as smooth as the old steel bikes