Just to clarify, the W&OD trail is a paved 2 lane bike path. I don't plan on going on anything that is not paved with this bike.

The problem seems to be that there's just not much out there for women currently to even try-perhaps because its late in the season and they've all been sold?

Proteus is quite a haul for me but I will try to go if the bike fitter woman is worth it and the shop has stock. Maybe I need to call before I go to find out what people have in stock. Most places seem to have very few or only 1 model for women.

How does the weight compare for something like the Surley vs a carbon road bike vs a hybrid? Will that make a difference? The last thing I want is to get something like what I already have.