If I was drinking a beer it would have shot out my nose

Sorry NR, hope you feel better. Sounds like a brooks AND a triple up front is in your future. Maybe you can wear one of those weight lifting belts.

nbac23 hey, I live in Catonsville and really like the triple for the extreme hills around here, though some of the BF youngsters will ride them on a fixie. My next bike will have a compact. Most of the city ridingN to S is fairly flat so any speed will work BUT if you ride E to W then you got some rather stiff climbs(Jones FAlls river valley) You will lose speed w/out a 52/53. Not much tho'. Ask yourself: Do I want to fly as fast as possible OR have decent knees when you're an old curmudgeon fella like me.
Royal farm: Depends which RF. i leave mine unlocked at some grocery stores but will lock it in certain areas for a quick stop.

NR: I would eat the 200 for the Jeff cup. You don't want your 'junk' hangin' out your trunk.

MAx: still working on the panniers. Check out Beckmans. Some say the best there are, ain't cheap.