Given what you have available at your bike shops and w/ your mountain bike background, you might want to give the Marin Fairfield a try. It might be a nice compromise between a road / touring bike and a mountain bike. It's nice and solid w/ cromo frame; not too heavy, comfortable riding position; 700c tires (wider than a road-bike but certainly less so than a mountain bike. Also, Specialized has the Sirrus which might be the ticket for you. The Trek 520 bike is popular for good reasons as a touring bike. Of course, it has the drop handlebars, which you might find difficult to adapt to after all those mountain-biking years. There's no reason, for you to feel like drop-bars is 'written in stone,' especially if you're looking for something "multi-purpose." If you find your mountainbike acceptable for your touring needs (I don't), get yourself a lightweight exercise type bike... I've got a Fuji Absolute for that purpose... its got a lightweight aluminum frame, which makes for less smooth riding than a cromo or steel, but for 40 or 50 minutes of exercise, at a fast pase, it's a blast! (FYI, I'm no racer) I've never rode a Lemond or KHS but try some of the aluminum lightweight models and see if one of them demands your attention In the Hybrid "Performance" category try the Trek 7500 or 7500FX. Good luck!