Another vote for steel. I have an aluminum road bike with Tiagra components. I just bought a Surly Cross Check in steel. I love the feel of the steel bike. For me personally it would be a dream bike to have a steel bike with Tiagra components. (Mind you I have never tried 105 or higher! And my road bike has a triple but I rarely use the granny ring anymore I have improved my climbing strength in the three years I have had my bike.) I see you can put a little wider tire on the Pacer so if your roads are rough, a wider tire will also help to absorb bumps. I bought my Surly to go on dirt/gravel roads and the bike handles these roads well!