Thinking of a road bike, steel? Touring?

[Catrin]

... thanks for the info on the LHT. One LBS said to consider that if I felt way too stretched out on the 46 I might still feel stretched out on the 42 because the difference on the top tube is only about a half inch.

That half an inch is a big difference in bike fit, and the standover height is different as well, they should be considered in relationship with each other.. I had a 46cm LHT and the 42cm would have been too small for me. It will be very hard, however, to find a 42cm for you to test ride. The smaller the ride, the harder they are to find to test ride, sadly.

Something I didn't think about until now was the Fuji I tried. When I first tested it, the bike felt pretty good. However my leg wasn't extended as much so the employee adjusted the saddle higher. The bad part was that I no longer felt as comfortable in the cockpit. Any thoughts on that?

Proper leg extension is very important to prevent injury and also to get the most power out of your pedal stroke. Did he only raise the seat? That does change angles, so perhaps once the seat was raised that it needed to be adjusted to assure the proper knee-over-pedal position or perhaps the stem needed adjusting.

I can't totally discount the Synapse. By numbers it doesn't look like it should fit me (so why does it seem to seem to when the Surly shouldn't?). Also drop bars might not be best for me as a recreational/possible commuter, but I sure enjoyed that initial test ride.

Everyone and Owlie, I think ultimately it's try everything, aluminum, carbon, steel, flat bar, drop bar and find what's the most comfortable!

The LHT has a touring geometry so they aren't comparing apples and apples. Personally I dislike and cannot use drop bars (arthritic hands can't handle weight) but I can literally ride my flat bars all day long without pain and have been known to do so. Proper fit is so very important, and the important thing is to get what works best and feels best for you.

I am enjoying reading about your search, it reminds me of my most recent one when I was trying to decide between the Jamis Coda or a custom bike. I went custom for specific fit issues I have, but I do like Jamis bikes.