I agree with Wild....but it depends on what you can afford. The fact that you are in the market for a new bike from REI which isn't normally a low cost outfit...I would think the other $70 won't kill ya. The real question is, is this the bike you really want? And if it really is....is it worth it to start riding it very soon rather than waiting for next season?

One other thing...I assume you have a back up bike now. I also assume it's serviceable. So I'm not convinced that you really NEED this bike at this time. Is your want strong enough to depart with an extra $70? Only you can answer that.....