Alright, we've come to an impasse here. We've just got to get this settled once and for all, right now, because the LHT Deluxe doesn't come in the LHT 700c option.
Go to this website and give us the result:
www.totalbike.com/service/frame_size.php
I'm just going to guess that you fit 62cm and not a 64cm LHT frame. If that's the case, then we could still go with the Surly LHT Deluxe 26". If not, then it's on to the big box standard LHT 700c we go in a 64cm frame! However, we need to know for certain.
Funny, I get the feeling that you're arriving at your decision already...
So let's just see what your results are from the website, before we proceed.
I've got the following results from the site:
Road
Frame Size: 58 cm. 23 in.
Crank Length: 170-172.5mm
Mountain
Frame Size: 47 cm. 18 in.
Crank Length: 175-177.5mm
Seat Height
76 cm. 30 in.
It sounds like your local dealer stock Trek and Specialized. I think you should pick something from among their offerings. Go with your gut feelings and actually pull the trigger. You're driving yourself crazy trying to over analyze everything online. These little details are not going to make that big of a difference. You're trying to figure out every. single. possibility, then buy THE PERFECT bike. There's no such thing, so you'll never get there.
Just pick one, already. Use information relating to what you WILL do, not what you MAY want to do one day.
Yeah, I guess you are right on that
I'll visit a couple more shops and will probably set on something. It's really hard to make the desicion though, there are so many options and parameters!
Also, you have to either get over your fear of riding among cars or just accept that you'll never be a commuter. This thing with letting every car accident scare you a bit from cycling.... maybe you just don't have the guts for cycle commuting and you should stay on the bus and feel safe. Make sure you use the seat belts though.
Well, I am ok about staying on some roads but I have a bad feeling about this one still. I am still thinking about avoiding it using that ground road however we will see how it goes when I get my bike and start riding it
Again, thanks everyone for all the input, inlcuding the small steel vs aluminium flame war
Basically aluminium is not a huge concern to me, I just wanted to confirm that it is good. I used to have a cheap aluminium mountain bike before (I believe here it would be called a "wallmart bike") and after a couple of years I could easily see how it bends and wears off so that eventually I was too scared to use that bike. But I guess they used some special chinese aluminium there
Today I visited one of the local shops which according to the website looked like a bigger one. They did have a lot of stuff but not so much for my height. The handlebar question still remains unresolved: all non-road bikes they carry have flat one. First they gave me to try Specialized Crosstrail L-20". It feels really light and fast and it still performed great in grass and some of the mud. However, may be that's a phobia or something like that, but the thinner wheels kept me nervous when I had to do turns and maneuver: it feels as if I enter the turn at even slightly sharper angle, the bike will fall.
Another bike I tried was Hardock mountain bike which didn't come in my size so the test wasn't too clean. The thicker tires felt much better, I could do turns without fearing anything and the muddy ride was somehwat less bumpy. It did require more effort though. However when I locked the front suspension, It became almost as fast and easy to ride as the Crosstrail one. The smaller size of the bicycle did make the ride slightly uncomfortable though so I can't tell for sure.
So now I have even more stuff to think about
The hybrids do seem to be able to handle the roads I'll be riding on and they will probably be better for the longer jorneys I want to do...with the only question being whether the difference is going to be dramatic. Those several hundred meters that I rode when testing bikes, didn't allow me to feel that much of a difference between hybrid and a moutain bike with locked suspension however I wonder whether the difference will be much more noticeable when I'll be riding many miles.
Next saturday I'll visit several other shops and will then either make my desicion on something or will have to look up some huge bike shop in the local state(s) and travel there on amtrak/greyhound.