Hi Everyone,
Just an update: I went for the Cannondale Althea 2
I love the style and feel of it... and because it's purple! I know I know... but the look was important to me because I plan to use this all the time and I had to love everything about it! I also loved the Specialized Vita Sport Disc EQ and it was sooo hard to pick between the both of them!
I also picked a bike with disc brakes because I feel more confident with them... maybe after a few more years, I can graduate into a faster road bike
Thank you all for your input! I really appreciate it! Will post some pictures of my new bike soon