Question/thoughts/ideas

Right now I am riding a Trek 2000 road bike which I bought used this past July. I really like it, however, I am looking at buying a new road bike within the next year or so. It's a men's 47cm. I am 5ft tall. I basically am at the extreme limit of this bike as for being able to ride it. I've decided that my next bike is going to be a Trek Madone and the bike store I'll be ordering from is a good 5 hour drive from where I now live. This was our local bike store when we lived in Mooresville, NC. Even though we've visited closer bike stores including our local one which does sell Trek, we much prefer this particular store. I'm figuring I need to go with a WSD version of it. I'm also torn between the 3.1 and the 4.5. Now I was able to test ride a Lexa while I visited there so I know that the 47cm is going to work fine as far as size goes. They do actually carry Madone's there, they just didn't have one in the right size for me to test ride. (They also carry Cervelo bikes, which I drool over every time we stop in there). (Another interesting point is they are selling the bikes for a couple hundred dollars less than the local store here sells them for.)

Anything thoughts, ideas, ect would be great, esp if anyone can help me determine rather I should go with the 3.1 or the 4.5, which both of which the store I'll be getting it from sells (before taxes) for under $2,000.

Hopefully this link will work. It's the comparison of the two bikes.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...one45wsd,empty

Looks like the 3.1 can take racks and fenders, if you want to be able to add them. I don't know how much the other differences will matter. Better wheels could make a difference, I think.

Based on the msrp, Trek considers the 4.5 to be the better bike, so I would ask the folks at the LBS what benefits you get from the 4.5. Starting with the 3 series carbon vs 4 series. And the fork differences.

Also note the 3.1 does not have an option for a triple chain ring, if you want that.

Thanks. My current bike is a triple, but since we live near the coast there isn't exactly any mountains, so I'm not sure if I really need a triple. The bike rack thing is something I am considering and trying to figure out if this is a bike I might actually ride to a store and therefor need the bike rack.

My old bike is a Trek 2000 with a triple, but the lowest gear on the new bike's compact double is almost exactly the same as the lowest gear on the old bike. I'm doing fine with the compact double.

My new bike is a Madone 4.7 -- a 2010 model. I think it's the same frame as the 4.5. I love it. The ride is noticeably smoother than the 2000.

Thank you for the input, that really helps a lot.