Several things have made me consider something <i>slightly</i> closer to a road bike:

<ul>
<li>I realized that weight and aerodynamic position <i>do</i> matter
<li><A href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_dr-z.html#dropbar">Sheldon Brown</a>: "The main advantage of drop handlebars is that they offer several different hand positions. ... People who <i>think</i> they don't like drop handlebars are often actually objecting to the <i>position</i> of the bars on the drop-bar bikes they have tried. If these people tried a bike where the drop bars were placed higher, and closer to the saddle, they might find they really liked them."
<li>TODO: find the link  (there's an article where a guy says he rides singletrack on a roadbike, keeps up with the mountain bikers offroad, and blows them away when the hit asphalt...  his arguments are that 1) mountain bikes don't need to be as heavily-built unless you're one of the few who freeride or downhill, and 2) that skillful bike handling can go a very long way in making up for a weaker frame)
</ul>



<h3>Cyclocross</h3>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://members.aol.com/napavelo/mudindex/grade7.JPG">mud</a>? <a href="http://www.mollycameron.com/uploaded_images/Glocester1-740225.jpg">snow</a>? Hell yeah, road bikes can do that and more.
<li><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=cF8hjxUfIiU">Wheelies</a>?  Sure, that too.
<li>differences from a road bike:
    <ul>
    <li>slightly thicker tire
    <li><a href="http://en.allexperts.com/q/Bicycle-Repair-1824/difference.htm">frame has more clearance for any size tire</a> (something that Sheldon Brown criticizes standard road bike manufacturers for...  there's no engineering reason not to build extra clearance into all but the lightest road bikes)
    <li>slightly thicker frame
    </ul>
<li>differences from mountain-bike trails
    <ul>
    <li><a href="http://members.aol.com/napavelo/equip.htm">more wide-open, no rocks, no crazy downhill sections</a>
    </ul>
</ul>


<h3><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criterium">Criteriums</a></h3>

<ul>
<li>higher bottom bracket so they can pedal while cornering hard
</ul>


<h3>Handlebars</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/handlebars.html">great overview of major types</a>, along with tips about changing between them
<li><a href="http://www.bicycle-touring-guide.com/bicycle-handlebars.html">good overview of lots of different ones, along with possible hand positions</a>
<li><a href="http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/2007/05/drop-bar-mountain-bike-tips.html">drop bars for MTBs</a>
<li><a href="http://www.mtbtires.com/features/bikes/why_dropbars.html">lengthy consideration of moustache bars</a>
</ul>


<h3>TODO</h3>
<ul>
<li>go watch a few Cyclocross races.  <a href="http://members.aol.com/napavelo/equip.htm">This</a> makes it clear that there IS a difference between MTB and cross, and that cyclocross is one of the battlegrounds of that mix.
    <ul>
    <li><a href="http://www.chicrosscup.com/">Chicago Cyclocross Cup</a>
    <li><a href="http://www.cyclocrossworld.com/Calendar.cfm">cyclocross events</a> (since cyclocross is a "winter" sport, they tend to start in September)
    </ul>
</ul>