First road bike - need help to narrow down

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

I have been riding a hybrid mountain bike on and off for 15 years, mainly for fun, fitness and recreation. Recently I have done 30-62 mile event/charity rides and also regular weekend 25-30 mile rides. Have decided to go in for my first road bike with a tentative budget of around $1,000 (plus/minus $200). I am not planning to race, but want a comfortable bike for the long haul, with the possibility of some touring.

Would appreciate the advice of experts here on the following bikes I have been able to test ride locally. All are 2007 models.

Specialized - Sequoia, Allez & Roubaix
Trek - Pilot 2.1
Giant - OCR 2 & 1, Alliance AO1

Also had a chance to test ride a Trek 5000 and a Klein Aura XV per suggestion of bike shop guy, but these are a out of my price range for now. They suggested Trek 1000 and 1500 as possibilities in my price range, but did not have them my frame size (54cm).

Thanks in advance for the help.

Total Newbie