Originally Posted by
moonlessnight
I'm sure this has been asked before and will be considered a noob question. Is it the tires (ie size, width, and tread), is it the frame, is it the weight, is it some kind of combination or is it something else entirely?
I currently use a trek mountain bike for my commute and for when I go camping. But I really want to start working on distance and speed and it seems that a road bike is the better choice.
What makes a road bike fast?...YOU.
There are a lot of factors that make any bike fast. Frame material and design, wheelset, tire pressure, weight ect... yes. In your case any nice road bike will improve your overall speed. Try one out that you can afford and go from there. Once you get serious, then you can start nick picking on what will make it faster.
Cheers