And I hadn't even considered that option. Sometimes you get a little gear happy, you know? And the fit of the Specialized Ruby was so nice. It felt like home somehow... and I know that sounds silly!

So now I'm leaning toward that option, which brings up another question - I've heard some people say that you have to be really, really careful with carbon because the frame integrity is easily compromised. Is this true? Because I have 3 kids and they aren't always as careful around things as I'd like them to be. And I don't know if I want to have a bike that I have to handle with kid gloves all the time. I take care of my things, but I don't want to freak out if it gets knocked over, KWIM? And at 2k for a bike, I would probably freak out.

And also, how do I handle the LBS, because I really liked the woman I was working with, and I want to use them for everything else - all the upgrades, maintenance, etc.

Thanks!