When I was looking to buy, I test rode the Cannondale Road Warrior 500 and the Specialized Sirrus Comp. I found both to be excellent bikes. I also test rode the Trek 7.5 FX. Of the three, the Trek had a more upright ride more akin to a comfort bike than a road bike. The RW 500 and the Sirrus Comp were inbetween the stretched out feeling of a road bike and the upright posture of a MTB - at least for me.
Ultimately, I ended up with an '06 Cannondale RW 500. The Specialized was the same exact price at my LBS. I did add some bar ends and and swapped out the stock tires for the Specialized Armadillos (which are standard on the Sirrus), as a noob, I'm not in any shape to be able to tell the difference in speed.
Honestly, I could have gone either way, but in the end the Cannodale won out.
