Susan
Davidson makes the bikes in Ti or Steel. They have several kinds of steel too.
I have been around the guys at both places and they both have their strong points. It gets down to stuff that is kind of personal, like I LOVE Smilie, but
with Bill Davidson and Bob Freeman, what i get is 30 years of bike building from both of them, and knowledge and experience. They also display a lot of flexibility that I don't see at R&E.
and Elliott Bay Bike (Davidson) is really easier for me to get to. Yes, it's downtown, yes,, you often have to pay to park there; but i can get there without getting on I5 and if i do, I can do it and not hit traffic. There's almost no time of day anymore when I can get to R&E without feeling like i'm risking my life on I-5 (TRAFFIC SUX)

So in the end, it's personal. You can get light bikes at either place. I might end up getting 650 wheels at Davidson. (besides, their store is filled with antique bikes and lots of Bianchi's, Colnago's, etc, etc)