I think that I will eventually get the lighter wheels and tires for Ms. Explorer, but the Gunnar comes first. I had a good talk with my LBS today, and he cautioned me that while we know a lighter wheel-set would indeed take weight off my beloved LHT, that there would be no real way of knowing what that difference would be nor how it would feel until after the purchase. Considering my bike takes 26-inch wheels they would need to be hand-built - obviously most of the 26-inch wheels out there are for mountain bikes and would still be over-built for me so it would need to be custom.

I do want to do this, but in the end, I really want the Gunnar Sport. I think that I had to consider this - but in the end I think that I will be glad that I made the leap for a true light-weight steel bike and I can always upgrade the LHT at a later time. I can't turn it into something that it isn't I love my rock-solid LHT but she will never be leaping over the hills

Thanks IndySteel, Jenn and DebW for your thoughts on this. Ideally I will be able to fit Gunnars smallest Sport - which does take 26 inch wheels, but I think it is probably too small for me. My fitter is taking some measurements from my LHT today to send to Waterford so he can have the Waterford fit bike set up for me in 2.5 weeks