I've been using my 10 year old Bianchi Advantage hybrid bike regularly now for about a month. After making some adjustments and getting a nicer saddle (used) I've been using it to increase my cardio. I find myself doing a combination of steady pedaling on long flat roads, occasionally increasing my speed for short bursts (is that called sprinting?) and tackling roads that go uphill. I'm really enjoying the results of this and the bike finally seems to be setup just right. I'm usually out 5 or more times per week and do an hour.

My question is around whether I'm using the right bike for the job. The hybrid is working fine now, but will the kind of biking I'm doing eventually stress the frame and components because I'm doing things it wasn't meant for? My bike came with straight handles but I added the end bars, adjusted them to where they feel comfortable, but at times find them a bit uncomfortable when I'm trying to come down lower to go faster.

Should I look at a road bike and if so what type? Budget for me would be under $1,500 total (Cdn with tax). At this time I don't see changing what I'm using the bike for. I'd like to think I could eventually join a riding group (next spring) or even consider racing, but I find what I'm doing now to fulfill my needs.