i should have added that my bike is built with the nashbar carbon cyclocross fork. being new to cycling I don't have any notions of "aluminum is harsh, steel is real" I just happily ride. What I can say is that I love this bike with the 700x 35 nashbar streetwise tires because I don't have to avoid any potholes. IT's so much more of a comfy ride on the bigger tires, I'm confident that makes more of a difference than frame material in ride comfort, especially for me weighing close to 250lbs. I went with the carbon fork because this is gonna be an all weather commuter and I wanted added stopping power of disc brakes up front although I believe the nashbar steel fork now has disc tabs on it so you could still do that. I used to have a giant rapid which is a flat bar roadie not quite as long on the chainstays and I can honestly say, this bike rides so much better and smoother with the rear rack loaded up than my giant did. I'm not sure if it's because perhaps the rack is mounted lower or not, but this bike rides loaded with 30lbs on the back every bit as good as it rides unloaded.