And be wary of anyone at an LBS who is "pushing" a particular type of bike. That could be driven by nothing more than what they have in stock to unload. Furthermre, while she might love her flat bar bike, she may also have different cycling "needs" and "wants" than you so her preference may ultimatley be irrelevant.

You're already gotten some great advice on this threat to test ride as many bikes as you can. I'd ditto that.