SKT,
Last year I probably shopped at some of the same stores you are now. I considered the Soma Smoothie but ultimately bought the Gunnar Sport. My purpose was ultra long distance but now the Gunnar bike is pretty much my "go to" bike. It is amazing how comfortable and smooth this bike is with 28mm tires and 36 spoke wheels, yet it steers more precisely and responsively then any other bike I have had. So, geometry really makes a difference.