Help! I'm test-riding 2 Sevens

[bikerz]

First, thanks to everyone who offered suggestions for my test rides! it was very helpful to go in there with some clear things to think about.

I rode the short route the LBS suggeted, which had rollers, flats, rough and smooth pavement, and a nice little hill to climb and descend. First I did it on my bike, then on the steel Seven, and then on the Ti. The Sevens were configured very similarly, and had identical wheels, so we just left the wheels alone. Both bikes had handlebars that were too narrow for me by about 4 cm, so that took a little to get used to, and then try to ignore.

The steel bike was so smooth and soft - it actually felt a little too smooth to me. There was a kind of delay when starting up from a stop or standing and sprinting. It was very comfortable. I liked it, and it made me realize how on my bike I really do feel every little bump. But I didn't feel much "zoom" on it.

Then I tried the Ti bike, and I liked it much more than the steel. It still felt smooth, but was more responsive somehow. Starting up and sprinting it felt much quicker to get going. My loop on the Ti bike was much faster (going by my watch only - so not super-accurate) - some of the feeling of being faster might have been being more warmed up and more enthusiastic.

I tried climbing standing up on both bikes and the steel felt really wobbly when I stood - I thought this must be the narrow handlebars, but the Ti had the same too-narrow bars yet felt much more stable.

Chris (LBS guy) suggested I compare the Seven Ti to another Ti bike he has (Habanero) just to see how the same frame material differs on two different brands. I'd like to ride the Seven Ti bike again with my wheels on front and back, and it would be great to have handlebars that are a better fit so I don't feel so cramped, but I'm not sure they go that far for a test ride.

Then I think I'll try a few other bikes at other places - just to see how all of them feel. Aesthetically, I really really like the look of Sevens - I like the tubular instead of flatter bar styles, but I think I should try a broader range of brands before deciding. It's a lot of airline miles to earn , so I want to be very informed about my decision. And I'm not in any hurry. Plus, riding other bikes is fun, I found!

Thanks again for all your help!