Want a high-speed road bike with upright handlebars? Want a bike built in a high-tech U.S. factory? Does it excite you that your frame will have its tubes cut to size with a plasma arc cutter, not a milling machine? Do you ride fast, even though you don't hunch over? Do you want tires well known for their responsive feel, yet big enough to take a pothole or two without failing?
The Cannondale Road Warrior is your bike.
But don't let the upright bars make you confuse this bike with "comfort" bikes. The Road Warrior's bars are a bit lower, to get you the aerodynamic body position other road riders get when they ride with their hands on the tops of their dropped handlebars. The Cannondale Slice Ultra All Conditions fork is not a suspension fork, so you save weight. What comfort you lose from not having a suspension fork, you gain back by being an attentive rider, standing on the pedals when bumps approach.
The frame geometry is what you would find on a classic European-design long-distance randonneur riding bike: right at the midpoint between a touring bike and a twitchy racing bike. The head tube angle is relaxed enough (72 degrees in the large frame size) to give the bike easygoing handling. But the 39 1/2 inch wheelbase is short enough to keep the bike alert and responsive.
The stock 700 x 32 C Continental tires are idea for city streets that get rougher each year. Their air volume cushions road buzz before it reaches the rider and makes the bike more rugged overall. Of course, if you're determined to give up some of that reliability to go just a little bit faster, skinnier tires are readily available.
For someone who wants upright bars, a rigid fork, and high-quality frame and components, this is an excellent candidate. But if you really want a suspension fork or dropped handlebars, look elsewhere for a bike that comes equipped that way stock.

Pros: Rigid aluminum frame, rugged tires, good for city commuters, works as a touring bike or fun/transportation machine

Cons: Road bike traditionalists won't want upright bars, soft riders won't want rigid fork