Originally Posted by
TiHabanero
Please do yourself a favor and go to a quality bike shop, one experienced in fitting and selling more than just family bikes and mountain bikes. Talk to them, tell them what you told us and answer their questions without holding back. They will be able to help you narrow down a bike to fit your needs. This will be more effective and efficient than asking a forum of thousand for opinions.
And to add to that, don't go on a Saturday morning, the first week of May. Go on a weekday morning when no one is around. They will have more time to spend with you, answer questions and let you ride some bikes.