Exactly.

I later went to yet a different LBS. I was very pleased. They were upfront and even let me look at the QBP catalog and showed both the stock build and what I just learned in called the Virtual Build (the catelog calls it the the "105 STI stock build". This LBS quoted $1350 for the '105 STI' and $950 for the standard stock build. I was so pleased with how straight forward they were and also very helpful & friendly. I will gladly pay $950/$1350 to do business with them - the extra $100 or so over online prices is well worth the fitting (stem, seatpost, cranks, etc.) that they (and most good LBS) do they do at no extra charge.

The question remains how do I want to configure it? This is a bike I plan to use forever, both for commuting, but also lots of 4WD trail riding (rougher than dirt roads, but not technical like rocky single tracks) on weekends. I am willing to pay for the upgraded groups, but need to put thought into where to put the money (i.e. not neccessarily the exact 105 'virtual' configuration) but also what other cross bikes compare at $1350 (at $950 none really did)

(I do wonder why the other LBS did not know about the standard stock build and were so vague about the '105 STI' build - expecially why they priced it at $1800 before I questioned that. The annoying part is this was the LBS I have done all my accessory shopping at and this other nice new LBS is 10mi away.)

Al