SK, I love you.

I second the notion of letting GF be highly involved in picking her own ride, even if she is a newbie. Personal experience story there for me. Let her control her buying experience. She will be that much more comfortable, then, going to LBS alone after she has the bike, and getting educated and making her own decisions, so her riding experience empowers her, rather than creates perceived dependence on you for her bike know-how.

And, um, as I type, my LBS is putting a new 9 spd cassette on my bike, which happens to not be a WSD, but is 105.