one bike short of a biker

New York City is in my near future so I'm trying to prepare. Apparently the trusty Sunfire won't be making the trip, so I'm looking to invest in a decent road bike. At first I wanted to get a hybrid bike because I want something that's fast, but I hate road bike handle bars- it's so uncomfortable, and I feel much less stable, but maybe that's just because I've been mountain biking for years and years and years and years, and it's hard to imagine a serious bike with such an unfamiliar posture. However, I've been informed that hybrids are kind of the worst of both worlds- not that fast, generally kind of heavy, and really not that versatile at all... but at least I'd have the handle bars I like. There is one commuter bike I have my eyes on that I really like the looks of, even though it's a little bit more expensive than I'd hoped; the Scattante Roma. When I first saw it a few weeks ago back at Performance Bikes in Atlanta it really caught my eye, but now that I'm seriously starting to look around for a bike for myself it seems to have become the standard against which all other potential bikes are measured. It has a sleek frame, high handle bars, quality gear components, and it even comes with a rack preattached to the seat- how ideal.

Anyhoo, I have a birthday coming up, so maybe I'll have some birthday cash to put toward it. I was really hoping to find a cheaper one or a used bike that was decent because this really isn't a want, it's more of a need. I WANT to take the car, but since I can't, I NEED a bike. (I really dislike roadbiking). Peter and Jamie have both really gotten into roadbiking lately, and I'm nothing if not a band wagon jumper on-er, so maybe I can learn to like it. At the very least I foresee it being a very handy way of getting around the city.