Neilfein why don't you consider the Downtube Mini and speak to Yan. It has a great reputation on these forums and an 8 speed hub. Jur has even ridden his off-road which I think shows the versatility of thebike. Yan also offers a very good returns guarantee which lets you trial the bike and only incur postage if you don't like.

If a bike shop won't let you testr ride models outide properly and have some kind of secure deposit system to cover themselves then I wouldn't buy from them personally. Find a dealer that does or give the Downtube Mini some serious consideration.