Well, my sig has all the info you need about my opinion of the roadie vs mtb debate. In the Twin Cities metro area, at least, it seems like all the slow/casual bikers are the ones riding mtbs, and they ride them on smooth trails and roads. I've never met one I couldn't pass, and the fastest one I ever ran into was working WAY harder than me to go slower than me.

I wish I was riding my '04 Trek 1200 as much as I used to (used to commute 13 miles each way 5 days/week pending bearable weather - not so much anymore). For some reason, ever since I started working an overnight shift (10PM-830AM) a few years back, it's a lot harder to have the energy/desire to go biking.

Has anybody else noticed that the price of a bike with decent components on it has gone WAY up over the last few years? My 1200 came with a Tiagra front and a 105 rear derailleur, and it retailed for like $800 or so when I got it. Bikes with that level of components seem to be $1500+ now, and bikes with full 105 or better are just straight-up unobtanium. I know we haven't had THAT much inflation over the last 8 years, so what gives? Is it just a bike industry response to the ever rising price of gasoline?