Amanda,
Actually, I was looking at a steel bike. Specifically I was looking at the Surly Cross Check because of everything everyone on this forum and other sites have said about steel. Price is a big factor. I didn't go very long today but I can understand why people say the bike is stiff. I think. I don't know if i'll be able to take it further or not, but I guess I can ask. I was just going out today to get an idea about how a road type bike would feel. As I said, I've never ridden one before. So now I have an idea. I'm still probably going to go with the surly. I just wanted to get an idea of what I was looking for. It was just easier for me to test ride something here in town before I make the rounds of bike shops 1-3 hours away to look at surlys.
Thanks for the tips.
I've said before that weight is not a huge concern for me. I know that if I go from riding something like a surly to eventually riding something lighter I'll know the difference, but i'll also know the difference between my mountain bike (which I do all of my riding on right now) and a surly. So weight doesn't bother me. the shifters, brakes, sturdiness, safety, and gears are what concern me.
Gray