For what it's worth, I started two years ago with a hybrid and really enjoyed it. As I started to get into club riding I realized that the 40 lb hybrid was holding me back.

I too worried about the leaning and stretching on a road bike but my new Felt 80 is wonderful. I had brake levers put on the top of the handlebars and quite frankly, I'm on the hoods about 85% of the time without thinking about it. Saving the 18 lbs or so of bike weight has made my riding much more enjoyable so the body weight is shrinking too. I also find that I'm a bit more of a minimalist with the road bike so the saved weight of not carrying extra gear helps too. Specialized Armadillos give me added resistance to flats and I couldn't be happier.