Originally Posted by
greenfirestorm
So far I've received mixed signals from my LBS, and REI. I'm once again in a great situation where REI is 5 minutes away and my LBS is 3 minutes away. I think it would be easier to go through my trips one at a time to explain the mixed signals I've gotten from the various people I've worked with.
So, I can't speak to the particular bikes you're looking at, but others have already done that ... with a lot more competence than I can bring to bear. But a few things caught my attention, and you probably already know this, but here's some food for thought.
I have a Novara Element, a cyclocross bike, and interestingly enough, in 58 cm, which fits me well. I got it at a "scratch and dent" sale at REI; this girl asked me for a lift over there, and they had the right bike for me at a fraction of its original price. Someone else had bought it, used it for a year or two, and then returned it, so the shop tuned it up, and then sold it to me at a very steep discount. The original owner got a full refund.
REI's return policy is very generous, and it sounds like you have a situation where it might benefit you a lot.