I'm not married to "Trek" I guess. I often ride with a messenger bag and in street shoes - so I've always felt - awkward I guess about purchasing a performance road bike. I'm sort of retro-grouchy - I like the aesthetic look of steel frames. I beat some of my roadie friends on my 520 - so I thought the speed was pretty good. The type of riding I do is all over the city (or outside of it) - potholed streets hauling my arse and often cargo with me. I almost always have my messenger bag or panniers. I could use my bag on a road bike but I would be more "hunched" over and the weight of the bag could be an issue. I wear bike shorts (thanks to a lady on this board *grins*) but often underneath my jeans or reg. shorts. I guess I've always thought of myself only fitting in with the touring crowd. Do I have performance oriented options in Steel or Aluminum? I know this sounds like a silly question - and feel free to give silly responses with some serious advice sprinkled in.