I have been riding mtb for a year or so. My buddy just got a road bike and it is very difficult to keep up wiht him on the asphalt. I thought getting involved with a forum like this would give me a little "field" intel before I listened to the salesman about which bike would be best for me. My knowledge is scant to say the least so I am going to be reading alot of reviews and threads before I lay down the green. Thanks!