I would get the Fuji because the LBS will be a big help, since it's your first bike.
But be careful. For my first bike, a shop sold me something too small which was on clearance. Then, shopping around for my second bike, there were a few shops that kept telling me different sizes just by eyeballing me, and one even told me "there's only one left and it's just your size!" over the phone without even seeing me.
So I got fed up and bought from bikesdirect. But I like to play mechanic and tinker with stuff, so I wasn't too scared of putting it together and tuning it up or anything.
If you don't want to deal with assembly headaches or guesswork for sizing, make sure you find a shop you trust who is serious about proper sizing.
Now, that said, if you'll be riding mostly with your roadie friends, why not just get a road bike? Not trying to make you change your mind, just curious. I don't think a road bike frame would buckle under your weight or anything. And you said you already plan to change the gearing. Unless you expect to go off pavement often and want that versatility (which you should...tearing down a fire road for miles and miles is fun!), might as well just go with a road bike.