A couple of the women in my club have the Dolce, and they love them. I don't think they have the new model with the carbon seatstays, though. The carbon stays and fork with the zert inserts should take care of a lot of road buzz. A bike that fits you is the one you'll loved cranking out the miles on. Stick with the LBS that is more concerned about your fit on the bike. If you really like the way it rides, I say go for it. It's designed for women, so being able to reach the levers easily is designed in.
I didn't see where someone suggested the interrupter brake levers, but bar ends on a flat bar bike is common. On the drop bars, I never rode in the drops, but on the tops of the bars, on the hoods, and in between the tops and hoods on the curve of the bars. Three hand positions.
Good catch, BluesDawg. For the hills, she could always ask them to swap out the cassette for the tallest that her rear derailer can handle. The Tiagra components will last her thousands of miles.
Last edited by Dchiefransom; 07-16-09 at 10:09 PM.