Thanks for sharing your experiences, Triskeliongirl. I'm getting a Pocket Rocket Pro with bar-end shifters. My thinking is that they are alot easier to repair than STIs, which is an important consideration for touring. It's nice to hear that yours was comfortable. So sorry to hear that it was stolen.

I considered getting a bike with S/S couplings. I couldn't add them to my Luna because the tubes are not round. Timing is an issue for me, too. I don't have six months or a year to wait for a custom-made S/S bike (and I need a shorter top tube). I don't know how light your Terrys are, but the PRP is about 17 lbs, which is pretty light, although not titanium light.