To clarify, the idea behind the list of priorities was to find out what was most important to her, not to find a bike that encompassed all of the attributes (I made up the list and she prioritized it.) So the way Eden interpreted it was the way I have been using it: the top 5 items are the things I'm really focusing on. Also, I wasn't very clear about this in the initial post, but although long-distance touring is a future goal, we agree that it's not necessary to buy the bike to do that with right off the bat. That and the fact that we currently live on the very flat gulf coast of Mississippi should make the single speed idea sound at least a little more reasonable.

Yes, I do need to remove my blinders regarding big name bikes. If I were being more honest, the Trek 7.5FX and Jamis Coda should certainly be on the list. However both of us do have fairly strong feelings about quality vs brand identity and if it is possible to find a bike that fits her from a small company we feel better about supporting then we will both be happier. Given that, how do the Trek and the Jamis compare to the Soma Smoothie ES, or is that not a fair comparison at all?

I was not aware of the sizing differences between road and cyclocross frames, that does throw an additional wrench in the works. While the flat roads are nice, one of the (many) downsides to our location is a distinct lack of quality bike shops. The Trek 7.5FX is the only model we have considered that is carried locally. We have an hour's drive to anywhere that has a Surly or even a Jamis in stock (and none that I have tracked down yet in her size.) Buying a frame sight unseen will be quite a gamble.

Part of the reason that not everything on my list seems to fit the light and fast items that my wife listed as top priorities is that I am filtering those requirements through the other things she has said. Taken alone that would lead me to an all-out road bike, but I know that is not the answer she is looking for.

I hope to buy a whole bike for $1000 or to build one up for not too much more than that. I am aiming for 105-level components (Shimano or otherwise) on the important bits and I'm not at all worried about a matched set. The suggestion of a used Terry road bike is a good one, but I wonder if it is any more likely than a used Glorius? I wasn't familiar with Luna, they're beautiful frames, but also out of my price range!

My wife does have longer legs relative to her torso, but not extremely so. We'll have to go have her try the WSD and non-WSD versions of the Trek FX bikes at the LBS and see which fit suits her better. Hopefully they will be test-ride friendly!