Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
...and it's a steel frame with a steel fork, which is contradictory to "a light frame; I'm no expert here, but thousands of kms I made riding on a heavy steel frame taught me one thing: a good bike is a light bike".
What's with the hate on steel? The OP just said they rode a
heavy steel frame and didn't like it.
Steel isn't inherently heavy. Yes a cheap steel cruiser can weigh upwards of 40 lbs, but there are also plenty of steel bikes out there in the 20-25lb range, which I think is well within the realm of "light frames." And on the other side of things, there are plenty of tank-like aluminum frames out there. My girlfriend's aluminum mtb weighs waaay more than my steel Ironman.
I think the OP would be more than pleased with any number of high-quality steel frames.
For the amount of money the OP is willing to spend, I would think about getting two bikes, rather than forcing one to be their "jack-of-all-trades."