Thanks for the advise and will see if I can get a couple of freebies tossed in. I'm pretty excited about getting my new bike to say the least. This whole process has been a little overwhelming with the sheer magnitude of makes, models, and prices. I'm also a victim of my own analysis paralysis. I very much enjoy researching items before buying. My paralysis was compounded by the fact of how totally ignorant I was about the overall bike picture. Just figuring out components was nerve racking enough. Everyone's suggestions above were welcome and helped clarify as I moved along. But I found I was constantly saying "that sounds right and good, but what if". What works for your overall setup may not work for me, but it was sound advice. I'm going into Saturdays final round with an open mind. I will rely on the shops expertise to put me on the right size bike, with right setup, for the right price and pull the trigger. Honestly, I'm not really expecting any real huge difference between the bikes. Hopefully I'm wrong and one jumps out. But with basically equal components, same tires, and good shops backing them it may boil down to 2 items. The Norco is $75 cheaper and more importantly has disc brakes. But who knows, we're gonna find out Saturday. Thanks again to all who commented, made suggestions, and provided sound advice. It was greatly appreciated. Now "if I do this then, but what if".....gotta stop it Thanks all!!!!!!