I have been riding ten speeds since the early seventies so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I had a mountain bike in 1990 and it was ok but found myself back on my road bike more often than not. I am 65 and still ride with the drop bars with no back issues. Get fitted correctly by a reputable bike shop with the type of road bike that suits your type of riding. Don’t spend too much on your first one, your desires are most likely going to change after about a year.