First of all, I dont have this set up so that I get emails when there are responses, so I have to remember to check in.

Triskelion--thanks for that Terry mention, I have never heard of that company (and its in Vermont, not far from us in Montreal) but just looked at the website. Neat, even just for the basic bike sizing/geometry explanation videos.
Very good pointer for the used section and your model suggestions too, very much appreciated.

Az-tks for the size reference, I now have to make a chart with the metric/imperial equilavents to keep track...

Oz- Wow,neat trip. When we got married we drove across Canada (in car) and took the ferry from Prince Rupert down to Vancouver Island. I'm sure you had to be extra careful of bears, much more than out here in the east.
My grandparents were Brits, so I am familiar with Britspeak, but I'm afraid you lost me with "trackies"--do you mean people who ride in the winter?

Feature- you are a good 2 inches taller than my wife, but again, a good comparison, and my wifes present bike is a Vita. The adjustable stem idea is a good one. There are so many factors in what is a good set up for any given individual-ones flexibility, or even early in the riding season our backs and gut muscles arent as strong, and as we bike more, we will pedal a bit harder and consistently, taking weight off our hands a bit more too. The added weight of an adjustable stem could really be outweighed by the quick-changing aspect as you mentioned. And as you say, saddle choice and postion play a big part also.

again, thanks to all for the real world experiences.