Hi, all! I've been lurking for a bit, learning from everyone, and now I have a question so it's time to delurk! I'll post in the Getting to Know you Thread later today. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to riding, but I know myself pretty well and think it's going to be a perfect fit for my lifestyle - kind of a "why haven't I been doing this for years" sort of thing.

I'm buying a road bike for mixed use - triathlons, group rides, in-town commuting, and just plain fun. I live in a small town in northern MN, so I have a small LBS I'm looking at and a few others within 3 hours drive time. I'd really like to buy from the LBS if I can, both to keep money here and because they offer great service and seem to be a good shop from the scuttlebutt I've heard.

So I've been on a few bikes - A 2007 Specialized Ruby Comp in a 51 (at a shop in a different town), a 2006 Trek 2100 in a 52, and a 2006 Cannondale R800 in a 50. I should also mention that this is just on a trainer - we've got just enough snow to make outside riding impossible. However I'd like to buy soon so I can get a good deal on a last year's model.

The Specialized was sweet. It felt great, and I think it's my perfect bike, but it's too spendy for me, as I've got all the other gear to buy (aerobars, shoes/pedals, etc.). The Trek wasn't my size, so I couldn't really tell (it is a small shop and they didn't have a 50). The Cannondale felt pretty good. It's aluminum, with decent components (105/Ultegra). I'm a little more stretched out than on the Specialized, but I don't think that's a problem.

Here's the problem - the shifters were a bit of a reach for me. I was having to really stretch my fingers or move my hand slightly to make the shift. I've not got much of a riding background, so I don't know how much of a problem that would be - would I get used to it, get better at it, or should I just keep looking? Or save up some extra dough for the Ruby? Or make the 3 hour trip south to look at a Specialized Dolce and some other bikes?

Any other thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks for all your cumulative wisdom!