I have ridden both alu and steel and test road a CF. The CF bike felt kind of dead to me. Alu was kind of stiff and harsh on not perfect roads. But I liked how the Alu sprints. After going thru so many different bikes and types, I am pretty set on steel bikes. Even tho they are heavier, I like the smoothness of the ride. That 2 lbs difference could be not taking a crap that day... and i am not a pro so I definately perfer a nice smooth ride. Keep in mind everybody is comparing totally different geometries on each of the bikes they test.

Maybe when i am ready to buy a new bike, I will consider a litespeed.

I tested or had, Specialized Roubiax Elite, Felt F65, Lemond Reno, Scott Speedster S3.

There are some really good LBS that acutally let you buy the bike and test ride for like a month. If you dont like the bike for any reason you can return and they will try to help you find another bike. Some places, are like Atlanta Cycling in Atlanta and City bikes in Washington DC.