Are you going to be doing any 100milers prior to this or anything? I can't see riding a steel frame for 10 years and then all of a sudden doing 200 miles on a carbon frame. By the end you may wish you had brought the steel bike, just for the familiarity with it on longer rides. You should totally get a carbon, i'm just saying tossing it at your longest ride ever right away may bite you in the butt.