Thanks for all the good feedback. A lot of it will come down to riding the bike as several of you say. The high end is something that has me concerned - but only a little right now. It will be perfect for the gravel roads around here when the kids and I do overnight camping trips. On the road may be a different situation. Since I like to spin a higher cadence this may all work out fine.

My biggest issue is liking to keep my bikes a little more vintage - so 7 spd on the rear is the max I'll probably do unless I plan for a longer tour - more than a week. With a big family and lots of activities a really long tour may not be possible for awhile.