Anyone know about bikes?

[Aquattro]

The first time I went for a long road ride, my back felt like I'd been hit with a board! lol
but now, I can ride 4 hours in total comfort. It's different than a mountain bike for sure, but much more comfortable on a long ride. And a 15 pound bike is nicer to ride all day than a 25 pound bike! The big thing with carbon, other than weight, is it really absorbs the road shock. my first road bike had carbon forks and rear triangle, but still not as nice as full carbon.
Once in a while I'll take the long way home on my commuter, and an hour on that, and I'm not happy. It does all come down to how much you're going to ride, but if you think you're serious about road, I'd go best I could up front. Most shops will let you go out for a serious test ride, so go try them out. After an hour, you get a pretty good idea of the differences.