Hey everyone. I've searched and read (a lot, actually), but would greatly appreciate your feedback.

So, my question is: is the Jamis Aurora the right bike for me? I mean, I know I have to get one that feels good, but in terms of what I intend to do, and the budget consciousness I have, is the Aurora the right steed?

I went to the a few bike shops in my area and saw a total of 2 touring bikes (and probably 2 cyclocross bikes). One shop had a 62 cm Aurora in stock, so I took it for a ride. (I'm 6'3", with fairly long legs, and pretty long arms. Also weigh ~215 or so atm).

The Aurora felt good, though honestly I don't have much to compare it against except my cheap x-mart mountain bike.

I intend this bike to be used mainly for fitness/road riding. I want something that I will be happy with as a road bike. I want something that will be comfortable on long rides, I want something that will be reasonably fast and light. Though given my size, I don't think there's much point in worrying over a pound or two.

However, I want the ability to take the bike onto the local rails to trails, and someday I'd love to do the C&O canal/ATA trail from Pittsburgh to Washington DC.
I would also like to do some tourning. How long, I don't know.

Budget is, unfortunately, a big consideration. Quite frankly, this would be a big purchase for me, so I like the price of the Aurora relative to the Randonnee/LHT/520...

It seems like the Aurora is basically a Nova with longer chainstays and tiagra vs. 105 components. So, in that regard, if I wanted to take the Aurora off road, I should be able to.

So, any input is welcome and appreciated here.