Sage advice as usual, tsl. I can shop for the Shop by eliminating 3 based upon location alone, which takes Marin, Masi, Scott, GT, Orbea, Litespeed, Look, and Raleigh/Diamondback off the table. That leaves two Trek shops (same owner), two shops that feature Giant, Felt, Kona, and KHS (again, one owner) and one that has Specialized and Bianchi. These brands all have models that appeal to me at a price I can afford; the list does not include brands/models that could be special ordered.
That still leaves a bunch of bikes to wade through on paper, but in reality, the selection will be a bit easier if I just limit it to what is on the floor. But I've already basically narrowed it down to just that are on the floor- the
Giant Escape City (has all the goodies included), and the
Specialized Sirrus Sport. I can get either for $500, but the Giant has that extra value added in with the included accessories.