Quote Originally Posted by silver View Post
another reason to go smaller is that the frame will be lighter.
Good point about weight!

The bike guy put me on the Marin on a trainer and adjusted my position a little, and thought that it would be a pretty close fit with maybe needing a slightly shorter stem depending on fitting. My problem is that I'm riding a mountain bike as my "road bike," everything is pretty stretched out in comparison. I worry about getting too small a frame and feeling squished once I ride enough to get used to the position, but I also am worried about getting a frame that's too large! (Yes- I worry about everything!). When I go ride the 2005 Dolce that I'm lusting after, I also plan on riding the smaller version for comparison, and hopefully that will help make things a lot clearer.

Thanks for everyone's input -- it helps to hear from people about their experiences!