This is all so much fun! I rode some bikes yesterday: a Jamis Coda, a KHS Urban Expedition, a Surly Cross Check, and a Trek FX 7.3. I really liked both the Jamis Coda and the Trek FX 7.3. The Surly was awesome, but was a bit too much bike for me- I was a little disoriented by the bar-end shifters and the different hand positions. I think it was a little big for me, too. But I was really surprised at how comfortable the ride was. The forward position was not as weird as I had expected.

Last night I spotted a CL ad for a Surly Pacer that looks like it might be my size, and the asking price is low. It's got the Shimano Tiagra combination brake/shifter levers, so I think I might be more comfortable with those than the ones on the Cross Check. I think I'm going to go give it a look tonight. I can't believe that in the span of about a week I've gone from "maybe I could get something lighter than my Amsterdam" to "I want a zippy hybrid, but definitely not a road bike!" to "those road bikes are kinda cool, actually..."

I'm sure you all see this happen pretty frequently, LOL.

Any thoughts on the Surly Pacer? It looks pretty similar to the Cross Check and I know a lot of people love those. This bike would be primarily for commuting, at least at first. Would the Jamis Coda or Trek FX 7.3 be better suited for that?

Thanks!
Gillian