I think I've decided...(kind of long-ish)

[MartianDestiny]

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.

YES!

I think you could definitely find something in steel that would be a little more performance oriented geometry, still sit you more upright than a race bike, and maybe even have mounts for a basic rear rack (or not, since you already have the trek).

Custom is an option, though perhaps expensive (frames would start at $900 and go up up up from there).

Non-custom options off the top of my head would be bikes like:
Surly Pacer
Salsa Vaya (new, and actually a tourer)
Salsa Pistola (steel, road bike, century based, nice tall headtube (upright))
Salsa Casseroll Double (rack mounts and overall very versatile frame)
Gunnar Sport (again, long distance based with taller headtube)
Gunnar Roadie (more pure race)
Gunnar Fast Lane (roadie with disks, if that interests you)
Curtlo Custom Road (his customs start at $990 built the way you want them)
Jamis Quest (nice classic, old school road look and comes in WSD)
Jamis Satellite (comes in women's specific)

I think most of these would fit in with your style more or less and give you something a little different than your tourer in your stable to pick from (some more than others). I think you'd find a messenger bag fine with most (or all) of these as well as I tried to look for taller headtubes for a more upright geo than a TDF bike I didn't pay too much attention to overall geo, so I suspect these run the gammut from pretty close to a tourer to pretty close to a race bike.

Edit: if you wanted to go pure on roadie for something different you could look at a Cervelo RS. It's definitely a pure carbon race bike, but they've built in a taller headtube. It's definitely outside of what I'm picturing you on from your description, but it could be fun to take out for a spin if you could find one around you (Trek does a similar thing with their Madones with the performance and sport fits, one with a taller headtube and more relaxed geo, the other more racey. Not sure if this trickles down into the Aluminum road bikes in their line or not) Cannondale also makes an aluminum Synapse with a more comfort bent (but still fast), again, probably outside what you are really looking at, but could be fun to try out.

[lunacycles]

I will say this on every post I see it, and everyone can ignore me or disagree as much as they like..., but: 26" (or 650c) wheels are not slower!

This is a myth that the LBS started, to justify carrying (and stocking) fewer parts and possibly not bikes that actually fit you! And it probably isn't the LBS' fault--they were likely told that by manufacturers who didn't want to change their tooling or increase costs by offering different sized wheels on the same model bikes.

They will tell you it has a "higher rolling resistance"...this is true, and accounts for less than 5 seconds over....100 miles! I researched this a fair amount when I started to build frames, in order to have confidence when I sold bikes with 650c or 26" wheels. They have been hugely popular for a long time with the triathlon crowd (where speed really matters), and really, really make sense for smaller rider who needs a reasonable reach and doesn't like the fact that 700c wheels, due to their larger diameter, often REQUIRE that her handlebars be higher than her saddle, regardless if that is actually a decent/efficient position for her (and it often isn't). Because a smaller wheel will allow frame geometry that translates into a much better fit and weight distribution for many smaller riders, THAT will make you faster, not slower.


My only concern about your choice of the LHT has nothing to do with wheel size. It just isn't designed to be a fast bike at all, from what I know. It is designed to be sturdy and reliable. My hunch is that tubing wise, it is a bit overkill for the smaller rider who isn't hauling around a lot of gear. It will probably weigh a lot, and if it has heavy wheels, regardless of their size, THAT will slow you down.

[TxDoc]

I will say this on every post I see it, and everyone can ignore me or disagree as much as they like..., but: 26" (or 650c) wheels are not slower!

Sorry Margo, but I think I am confused.
I do understand that some cyclists cannot fit on bicycles equipped with 700c wheels and rewuire frames that use 650c or 26", and that's fine. Luckily I fit on 700c's so I never even questioned whether to use a different size.
What confuses me is that you are saying that there is no difference in speed.

I am not a mechanic and don't cycle for a living (sometimes I wish ...) so forgive me if I don't get it right - but this is how I always thought about it:
700c wheels have a longer circumference than 650c wheels. So, if you pedal at the exact same cadence and use the same exact gear ratio, and all other factors being equal, when you use 700c wheels you will cover a longer distance for each revolution than you would cover with 650c.
In other words - if everything else is the same, your speed will be higher when you use 700c wheels.
The way I see it, it sounds like the physics test back in college - you take wheel size, gear ratio, number of revolutions per minute... calculate the distance covered - you have the time interval, and voila' - that equals a certain speed. Now if everything else is the same - except the wheels, I would think you'd be faster with the bigger wheels.

So what makes you say that there is no difference?