Hi, some of you might have seen my thread on modifying my existing claud butler urban 400 into an upright commuter (no more than 6miles). After including the cost of a new gearing system to replace the damaged one on there right now, it looks like I will be spending over £150. Seems a lot for a bike which was only £350 t start with.

Plus I am unsure as to whether the geometry of it is particularly suited to an upright posture. I've had an attraction to steel for a while now and started browsing Velorution's site and came across the Azor (opa/ama/toronto) or the retrovelo. All kitted up, the Azor will cost me approx £700 (8 speed nexus, rack, marathons) and the retrovelo will be £1000 (8 speed nexus premium/red band, no racks included). Any advice on one over the other? I gather the retrovelo is lighter which might be better for an underweight male like me trying his 1st steel bike. Size is also an issue since I am only 5 foot 6.5inches and Dutch people tend to be tall, hence me thinking I might have to get a female frame. From what I've read, most people in mainland Europe consider the wsd frames to be unisex anyway.

I need a fully upright seating for preference and back/neck issues. I will use a good springy saddle to make sure too many shocks aren't transmitted into the spine as a consequence.

Thanks

P.S. I will be carrying 5kg/9LB worth of locks around with me too!