I have a year to buy the "ideal" bike and your stipulations are mostly the same as mine, if it's steel ok.....if not ok.

So far unless something else pops up its the Co-Motion Pangea to win and the Soma Saga to show.

But, I doubt that on the road there really is no justification for the pricing differences. I'd bet on the Saga to take the lead, for the win, when it's time to enter the AMEX number.