Thanks so much for your advice, Murienn. I think I'm wanting an n+1 because I don't ride my Straggler at all anymore and I want a nice bike to motivate me to start riding again. I see many women my age and older (and TE'ers!) who have such a passion for cycling that I don't have. I want to be fitter, and after attempting to start running again and developing plantar fasciitis the week after resuming, my running is on hold. That being said, I don't know that fall/winter in the Pac NW is not necessarily the best time to start cycling long distances. I got back on the Straggler today to run a quick errand after not having ridden it for 2 months. It's a really nice bike, and I really like it. I just wish I didn't struggle so much with the hills here. Even a small incline gets me out of breath pretty quickly. It's defeating. I have these grandiose ideas in my head of cycling on long adventures, and then when I put the pedal to the metal (or cog, as it were), I'm quickly reminded that I'm nowhere near in shape to accomplish something like that. It's hard for me to grasp that fitness is not achieved overnight. Thanks for your recs and putting up with my rambling .