Hi all...this is my first post, but i'd really appreciate some help. I look forward to joining in on the community. I was directed to this site from one of my friends that I ride fixie with. I'll try to keep this short.

I'm looking for a new bike but I'm not sure what would be best for me.

I do ride to the video store or the market or whatever, but most of our rides are in the 30-50 mile range. We are trying to work up to doing centuries. We do one big ride a week, and throughout the week I will ride another 10-15 miles. Basically, i need something I can be on for long periods of time comfortably.

We average about 13-14mph on our rides, with typical max speeds about 23-24mph. We're riding on streets (obviously) so we are doing a lot of stopping and starting at red lights. What i'm trying to get at is that I'm not looking for an absolutely FAST bike to maintain top speed, but acceleration is important. Though I want comfort, a beach cruiser is clearly not the right choice.

I've riden mountain bikes for a long time, but never road bikes. I dont quite understand the nuances of road bike geometry vs. track bike geometry, though I'm learning.

The bikes i've been looking at are:
Bianchi Pista
IRO Mark V
Raleigh Rush Hour
Scwhinn Madison
Masi Speciale Fixed

I ride with the same two guys and they have very differing opinions and I'm not sure what is best. One guy thinks the best choice is the Bianchi Pista...the other thinks that a vintage frame converted to ss is best.

To rank the importance for me:
1. Comfort for long rides
2. Efficency (my current bike feels like it saps the energy pedaled, rather than utilizing all of it)
3. Speed
4. Agility
5. Cosmetics

Thank you all so very much for your help.