Thank you so much for taking the time to give me this much-needed feedback. It helps a LOT to hear the various opinions.

Dr. Badger - what made you decide to go with the Pro over the Expert? I can afford either one but I am thinking that I probably will not notice the improvement between the two, considering the extra $1000 cost. That being said, I don't expect I will ever buy another road bike of this caliber so I don't want to underbuy either - maybe I'll deserve the higher end components eventually? It's a tough call.

I will definitely go in and check out the Madones but I hate to wait until April. I want a new bike by the time the gravel is cleaned off the road.