hey guys...i'm new to the sport of cycling...i got hooked on MTB, but i can only get to the trails on the weekend...i've been riding my walmart special every morning on the road (and loving it).
my wife has told me to buy myself two bikes for xmas (god i love her)...
the first was easy, i'm gonna buy a hardtail MTB...but what should i do for the road?
again, i know very little about bikes, and i have no experience...
which should i buy: the aprisa, the corrida or the x-ray
little more info...i ride on my local streets, but not all are super smooth...i ride about an hour to an hour and a half a day...i have a goal to do a 70 mile run at the end of next summer with a friend...i will probably look to buy a third bike at the end of next year...
i know there is no right answer, but any opinions are appreciated.

Well I'm kinda like you. I'm a MTBer but all my friends have gone Rodie, so if I wanna go out with the guys, its on a road bike. But to your problem...

x-ray is a cyclocross bike. Meaning you can do light off road, but since it doesn't have a real suspension it still won't absorb all the bumps. Also it won't roll as smooth as a true road bike tire, thus it'll be a bit slower.

Corrida is kinda like a road bike but it has a flat bar. Nothing wrong with that, but on longer rides (depends on the person but think over 30 miles) your arms kinda wear out a little faster, but steering is easier on those shorter rides IMHO.

Aspira is a full blown road bike. If you've never ridden one get ready for some speed. Get those tires over 100 psi with a good pump and hardly anything touches the ground. Less rolling resistance means less effort to get up to and maintain speed. Also those handlebars are a little different. The reason is to give you more positions to ride from. Drop down and you can tuck going downhill less air hitting you means less drag = more speed. I know people who go 50mph on descents (not me). Also the drops put your more over the pedals with a good geometry means its easier to transfer power. Get tired of being down, no worries stand up, open your lungs ride the hoods, changing positions helps out your back a lot. You can finagle about 6 different positions with these bars.

No street I've ever seen is super smooth, even fresh paved you're still going to hit drains. So long as you aren't talking huge freaking pot holes I wouldn't worry. BUT, carbon fiber parts take out vibrations, are lighter and stronger, less flex (which means more power transfer).

So if you can swing it, I'd recommend a higher end Aspira (after all you have the boss's permission) or just dive in and get a soon to be released Spectre.

Nothing wrong with the lower end Classic or Aspira, but as you go up in component spec and adding carbon fiber parts the better the ride and thus comfort. Also lighter stronger wheels that you'll get are a huge upgrade, the neuvations on the Aspire are very well rated.

My 2 cents.

...to ask yourself.

Will you ever take advantage of the lower position afforded by drop bars?

Most likely you will. Pass on the corrida

Will you benefit by being able to run fatties and/or fenders/racks?

If yes; get the Xray

If no; get your head examined

I'd rule out the corrida if you're planning on doing longer rides.

thanks for the help...
i was really between the aprisa and the xray...
how much of a difference will i notice between cyclocross and road tires?

thanks for the help...
i was really between the aprisa and the xray...
how much of a difference will i notice between cyclocross and road tires?

That's the beauty of the Xray. You can run fatter "cyclocross/touring type tires or skinny road tires.

You will see almost no difference otherwise.