thanks for all the replies guys, it really helps. I actually expanded my list of possible bikes and pretty much took out the FX 7.4 because it is so much more expensive than the others. There is a Performance Bike by my apartment that I didn't know existed. They have the Fuji Absolute 2.0, GT Tachyon 3.0 and a couple of Scattante that I am going to check out, all of which are around $550, almost $200 cheaper than the FX and I can try them all out. If anyone has experience or opinions on those bikes (or others performance bike may have) please let me know. Thanks again!