OK.. I've narrowed it down to a Jamis Aurora and a Cannondale T800. My concern with the T800 - No LBS here is an authorized Cannondale dealer. I think REI is a Cannondale dealer... but not all the REI's show up on the Cannondale website as authorized dealers. The closest REI is about 25 miles away... I've called all the Cannondale authorized dealers in a 50 mile radius... not a single one has a T800 in stock.
The Jamis Aurora is a steel frame. Should that be a concern in a rainy climate? Any special care for a steel frame? The T800 is aluminum... but I haven't heard anyone complain about the ride on this bike vs. the Steel frame. Let's see... what else?? OK, what is the weight of the T800 of the shelf? I can't find any info on that. The Jamis is about 25 lbs.