Quote Originally Posted by indysteel View Post
Honestly, for what you're describing, I would strongly consider a custom steel bike. You'd get the geometry you want (which might be hard with carbon) and, ideally the softer ride you're after. Plus, you could build it up the way you want. It could very well end up cheaper than carbon.
Oh, I'm not ruling anything out at this point, including custom. I'm not looking for a very specific price point, just a general range. Thanks for mentioning it, though, and if you have specific builders you recommend, please let me know!