Tough choice! That is a sweet deal for the C-Dales, and I've heard nice things about them.

I picked custom on this poll though, with one caveat: That you are able to keep it relatively theft-proof. If so, you'll have a bike that you can grow old with.

I'm about to plop down a little under $3k on a custom, but I figure it's like a Saville Row suit--tailored to fit one person on this earth: Me. Just remember that you can find some really nice deals out there. You don't *have* to spend $3000. The only reason my bike will cost that much is because I'm getting double fudge on my sundae with the Rohloff. And the only reason I'm even considering such madness is because I gave up my car permanently and figure I will save that $3k and then some by the end of the year because of it.