Still bike shopping

I've been trying to decide what my next bike should be. I have figured out that a custom built titanium frame is out of my price range. I explained what I was looking for in an email to Mary Kay at Maplewood Bicycle:

As you know I've been trying to decide what kind of bike to buy to replace the Pilot that was destroyed in the accident. I've been try to decide what the perfect bike for me is. I think that I've come to conclusion that there is no one bike that meets all my needs, but maybe a combination of two bikes can do it. I think that I need a "sturdy" bike and a go-fast bike.

The sturdy bike would have a rack, fenders, and low gearing. It would be used for commuting, bad weather brevets, and rides that require lots of stuff (like the crazy ms 150 ride I did last year). When I bought the Pilot last year I thought that the hybrid could fill this role. Unfortunately, after riding a road bike, the hybrid wasn't fun to ride anymore. I was think a touring bike like the Trek 520 for this role.

The go-fast bike wouldn't need any of these features. I wouldn't worry about clearance for fenders or where to mount a rack. I would use it for Tuesday and Saturday rides, centuries, and fair weather brevets. In a pinch I could wear a backpack and use it for commuting. This would be a "normal" road bike.

Since then Mary Kay and Tim Ray have been giving me various options. A few days ago Tim called me and he said he had a few options for bikes. The one he thought was best was a Salsa Casseroll. The only problem is that Maplewood doesn't carry Salsa bikes. Tim referred me to another bike shop that does.

I really appreciate Tim referring me to a competitor just to help me get the right bike. Either that, or I'm so annoying that he wanted to get rid of me.