Thanks again for the all the feedback. I have one more question regarding the soma double cross. I was told that I am not going to have as much contol over this bike when it is loaded as I would with a touring bike because it will not have as low of a center of gravity. Also, I was told that specifically because I am smaller it may be even more difficult to control a non touring specific bike loaded up. Anyways, that made me nervous, since safety is definitely a primary concern. Any comments on this? How concerned should I be?