Being one of the few recumbent riders around here, I really have to put in a plug for 'bents. At least take a look at a few.

I bought my Long Wheel Base recumbent because I want to go on long tours. It makes sense (to me) because I'm always looking at the scenery, clouds, wildlife - sometimes even the road. It's harder to do that on an upright. A LWB can be a handful in tight situations and for transporting, though - but really, no worse than a tandem.

Not all recumbents stretch into the next county, and some folk take the Short Wheel Base models on long tours. It's worth looking in to.

One other thought. There is a pretty active resale market in 'bents. If you fall in love with (for instance) a Tour Easy or Stratus, you can resell it at the end of the summer and buy an in-town bike.

If you are really interested, go to http://www.bentrideronline.com/ and browse, and ask a few questions. The guys there are a helpful bunch, you'll have no shortage of advise.