This is actually my first post here. I've been biking to work in the city for 6 months. I'm currently riding a Kent Del Rio, which is a 7 speed cruiser. It is very comfortable on my 2.5 mile commute and the wide tires worked well even in the snow. I enjoy the bike but I would like to invest in a second bike that I could use to keep up with other riders. It could be me, maybe I'm slow, but I feel that my friends who ride fixed gears and road bikes with slick tired are able to move well faster than me. I am interested in getting a Giant Escape 3. I work for the city Fire department and bikes upwards of $500 are out of my price range. I want the Giant to be a more for fun bike. So I can bike around the city more nimbly and keep up with my friends. Will there be a noticeable speed difference in moving from a cruiser to a hybrid? Will a hybrid keep up with my friends on fixed gears? I'm not a bike expert, I'm more or less new to biking sans my recent commutes to work. Any help is appreciated.