Ride everything you can in your price range. Fit is the most important aspect. Any decent frame will hold your weight (even carbon, even though there is some naysayers), its the wheels we clydes need to worry about. Check out the Lemonds, treks and specialized that your shop carries. Trek 2.1 is a pretty decent bike. As far as the model year, there probably won't be a whole lot of changes, except you will be able to get the 08's at a cheaper price.