Originally Posted by
steph746
A couple of general (possibly dumb) questions to start are:
Would an upright style bike be less safe? It seems that a rider would have more control in a hunched over position.
I see many road bikes out there that seem to go pretty quickly. I'd like to go faster, but I am not sure if it's me just not capable of biking faster now or if it really is the bike. The road bikes look nice, but I feel that they are more vulnerable to wear and tear...especially on roads with potholes, road obstacles (rocks, bottles, etc). Also, the tires are thinner. Would thinner tires mean that they are more vulnerable to flats?
Some people have posited that an upright position is safer because you can look back easier (for example, to see overtaking trucks before changing lanes). My commuter bikes are touring bikes, with a body lean around 45 degrees; I can look back pretty well. If you're looking at time trial racing bikes, I'd concede that concern.
Wear and tear on a touring bike, or gravel bike, or heck any bike except a stupid-light racing bike, is going to be concentrated in the tires. A modern bike frame is close to a bridge truss; as long as you don't do something stupid, it'll last. Shifters, brakes, saddles, and racks are going to be just as good on a road bike as on a mountain bike, given equal riding conditions.
MTB tires may have a slight benefit when it comes to flatting from glass and radial tire wires. If, no when, you run over nails, broken cans, or large shards of glass, you're going to get a flat. (Learn how to fix it out on the road; hint: change the tube, pull out what caused the flat, and fix the old tube at home.) OTOH if you're willing to give up a little rolling resistance on a road tire, you can buy a lotta puncture resistance and longevity -- and still enjoy smoother rolling at less effort compared to buzzy MTB tires!
One more thing; see if your shop can get you some "slick" tires for your Hardrock. You can get rolling like you're on a new road bike on that old bike, for a fraction of the price.