Stuart Lamble wrote:

Well, I'm making the big move: leaving the nest to strike out on my
own. *shudder* This raises a few questions vis-a-vis transport.

SNIP

Current bicycle is an eight year old Giant Prodigy. Still a very nice
bike, mind you; the only hassle is that I'm finding the hybrid style
to be a little uncomfortable in ways I can't fully quantify, compared
with the full road/racer style handlebars (in close to the headstem,
curving forward in a half circle at the end -- you know the sort of
thing, even if I don't know the correct term. :-)

If you're looking for a "transport" bike, road vs hybrid, you could
also consider a touring-style bike - like a road bike / racer with drop
handlebars, but a bit more rugged, more suitable for carrying gear,
mounting mudguards etc. They tend to be expensive and not very common,
but the Mongoose Randonneur is reasonable (check out the current
thread), or maybe a Fuji.