"Roger Zoul" wrote in message ...
The Specialized Sequoia might be to your liking, as they have two sets of
break handles, above the drops and on the top...

Cool, the guy at the bike store didn't mention anything about bikes
with dual brake handles. This seems useful, and I imagine if I found a
different bike I liked better I could have the brake levers switched
to these?

http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkFami...m3go4fr.j27004

The Sequioa have comfort features built in which you may appreciate.

Thanks, I'll definitely check it out. The 56 cm seemed to be a good
height and the sequoia only comes in 54 or 57 but I imagine one of
these might also work okay.

Get lots of gears if you will be riding on roads with lots of hills...(21 to
27 -- 3 chainrings on the front)

Yup I want 3 chainrings.

Make the LBS order you a bike that fits perfectly....wait on it to come...

I'd really love a custom-fitted Airborne Carpe Diem tourer but decided
it was definitely out of my price range.

Consumer Reports recommends these models for "long, demanding road trips"

Bianchi Eros ($1050USD)
Klein Q-Carbon ($1400USD)
Lemond Tourmalet ($1100USB).

They called them "well-rounded" choices.

Honestly, I don't have a clue if you can trust their expertise, however.

I guess I just need to test ride a bunch of different types of bikes
by different companies. There's a bike show coming up locally in a few
weeks and I'm hoping to hold out until then to check out a variety of
vendors all in one spot, compare deals, etc. But I'm hoping to have it
narrowed down to a few candidate bikes before I go.