Yes, I've been watching those prices daily. They dropped last week prompting me to drop the SLA idea. If they drop further, I may just bite the bullet and buy them 2 weeks earlier than I expected to.

I'm not so worried about a lack of BMS right now, riding will be very light and short distances, and the Infineon and Cycle Analyst can help in terms of making sure I don't pull the batteries too low.

Still, I wouldn't want to go with my overall plan without a BMS, and your suggestion of the Cell Monitor is a good first step. HobbyKing sells 3 types of these beasties and they are all very inexpensive. Considering the replacement cost of a cell, I'd say it's a great investment.