Well, I just purchased my prettiest bike yet - the Trek 2200. I'm up to 4(!) bikes, which means I REALLY have to find a new home for my old mountain bike.
The difference between a true road bike and a touring bike is a lot more noticable than I realized it would be. This thing is FAST - when you stand up and pedal it just takes off. The weight difference is pretty large, but it still seems like it would be insignifigant compared to my total weight.
I think the largest true difference here is the wheels, which are completely different - much lighter, MUCH thinner. That means the ride is nowhere near as smooth, and even little pebbles can mess up your day, but you FEEL incredibly fast and glued to the road.
I'm not ready to give up the touring bike yet - if anything I appreciate its sturdiness and comfort a bit more now, and it can go places that the racing bike couldn't dream of going. But when I have the need for speed... I can now be satisfied.
It remains to be seen whether this will have any impact on how much I suck relative to Craig, Jeremy C, Mike, etc - but I at least feel like a big man now. And hey, the bike is red, so at least I look fast...