Are they just heavier and not as smooth for shifting, or is it a durability issue?
I currently have a hybrid Giant bike that I paid $350 for on clearance 5 or 6 years ago. It's decent enough, but uphill is a killer on it.
My work is sponsoring a metric century in a couple weeks. Going the full metric on my hybrid is not feasible. After 25 miles or so I'm beat. I'm wondering if even a cheap road bike would be better and lighter for hills.
P.S. I really know nothing about components.