Now that you've heard from the Devil's Advocate, how about hearing some real-world experience? I resent the suggestion that I do not know anything about bikes. I have a garage full of them and I do all of my own maintenance. I bought my belt-drive bike after a year's worth of careful research, and the Soho was on my short list.

The bike I decided on is a 2010 Norco Ceres. Very similar to the DLX in that it has belt drive, IGH, flat bars, and disc brakes. I commute through 4 seasons (which up here means ice & snow in the winter). The belt drive, IGH, and disc brakes were a godsend during the last winter's commute. No more frozen dérailleurs, iced-up cassettes, worn rims from grit-laden brake shoes, and best of all... no chain to clean! After the season was over I just hosed the bike off and wiped it down. Virtually zero maintenance all winter!

Don't let the naysayers drag you down. Test ride the Soho. If you love it, get it! You may not see extremes of weather that we experience here in the Great White North, but you'll never have to worry about cleaning your drivetrain after riding through the rain, or worry that your brakes won't perform as well when wet. I'm all for saving a few bucks, so do what I did: Wait for the next year's model to become available and get a smokin' hot deal on last year's version!