Originally Posted by cyber.snow

As you can see, I am the owner of an older but metal framed Sirrus. It has been a great commuter bike and currently is equipped with an adjustable stem, mostly because I was not getting in much riding and the few times a month that I was getting out, my back would start hurting about an hour into the ride.

My plan is to start riding every day for about an hour. I really want the disc brakes and better quality running gear. I like the idea of taking a look at a bike that will easily take on dirt and gravel roads as we have a lot of them in Northern California. I am not crazy about suspension because I have found them to drive me crazy while climbing a hill or trying to go fast, so a lockout is a necessity. I will go see the LBS that sells Trek and Specialized (not in the same shop) and take a look at their bikes.

I was talking to someone on the bike trail the other day and they were riding a (Giant Deft?). It seemed to have everything but was a drop bar configuration. But the rider swore by it. I had a bad crash once that destroyed a very expensive bike (for me) that was caused by my being in the lower position on the drop bars and not focused on the road far enough ahead, so I am a little afraid of them. I do know that ordinarily they can be as comfortable to ride as any other configuration.

Another thought I did have was going to a one of the CX bikes that have the brakes up on the handle bars....are they reliable?

Thanks for all your help on this...what a great forum.
Snow