I have to go against the grain here a little bit- a touring bike MIGHT be better suited for you. It certainly wouldn`t be a bad idea, but what exactly is wrong with the Cannondale you have now? Are you comfortable on it? Other than the gearing, do you like it? You might be perfectly happy with the bike you`ve already bought after you swap in a compact crank. My suggestion: if you think your current bike will keep you rolling happilly along with lower gearing, don`t waste your money on a new bike; if you think a touring bike is really what you heart desires, don`t waste your money on a new crankset. .02
Yeah, touring bikes seem to be kind of elusive in the shops sometimes. Out of curiosity, where in CA is Green Valley? You might have to go out of town to find a touring bike you can test drive. That`s what I`m going to have to do since none of the shops in Reno stock any in my size. Also, I don`t know about you, but I sure don`t want to shell out that much money on a purchase that I THINK will fit me and I HOPE I`ll like. Better to find out for sure first in my opinion.