Okay,
Now I know, that ya'll know that I really want a Surly. But, seeing as how I have never in my lifetime ridden a bike with drop handle bars (unless you count my trying out my cousin's 10 speed when I 11) I decided to go get an idea about these "critters" (as Knot calls them) and went to the LBS. The first one I rode was a Bianchi something or other that was lime green and tiny! I told the guy that I didn't think it would fit me and he disagreed saying that a 50cm was plenty big enough for me. I tried it. Went maybe a mile, came back and told him that I felt like I was bending over to tie my shoes when I held the handle bars. Then I tried a Giant OCR, same basic problem and I was really wobbly...again too small. Then Andy came out. Talked to me. Listened to me. Gave me a 52 inch Cannondale T800 to ride. I stayed out for about 5 miles. Came back and LOVED IT!!!!! OMG!!! Now I have a standard to compare other bikes to but oh this was so sweet!!! It's got almost the same kind of gearing as my mountain bike (incidentally I don't know what you call those shifters that are built into the break lever but that took some getting used to), it's black and gray (very pretty) steel fork (not sure about the rest of the bike he told me but I forgot), very very nice. And, since it's an '07 and they've had it forever he quoted me a sale price that was almost $500 less than the listed price. Holy cow!!!!! What a sweet, sweet bike! I wanted to try a Bianch Volpe since several of you have mentioned it but they didn't have that. I never considere a cannondale because of cost. But this might actually be possible. Wow! What a great ride. When he first brought it out it looked huge and I said, "I can't ride that!!!" He told me jsut to try. Goodness me! I'm so excited I can barely type.
So, what you do ya'll think? I'm still new and need lots of advice.
Gray