Take a Trek 520 for a ride. It is kinda long so it is stable with a ton of gear, but you lean over further. It's not like a racing road bike where the position is really agressive. I was in the same position as you and went with the 520. A nice feature (I'm sure you could put this on any bike) is that the clipless pedals have a plastic insert on one side so you can ride with regular shoes.
The 520 is a nice bike with a nice ride and you can't break it. It is a bit heavy, but that's the price you pay for a steel (smooth riding) frame which won't break on you.
Good luck.