With Black Friday having come and gone, and Cyber Monday on the docket, I'm discouraged to see that no bikes were discounted. But I'm not surprised.

With that said, I'm now looking ahead to next year. I'm hoping to have a bike I can take onto "long" rides. I plan on riding on roads, though I wouldn't be surprised if I occasionally get pushed off. Years ago as a graduate student, I would often go for 30km trips, 5 times a week. Life's very different these days, but I'd like to get back to that. I expect I'd also like to install "triathlon handlebars."

I took a quick look at some options and identified this short list. Ideally, I'd like to spend as little as possible, but I'm coming to terms with having to spend $1,500 to $2,000 (though most of these options are stretching my budget). Moreover, most of these bikes are still sold out.

My biggest concern is "durability" and good performance. Based on what I know, the derailleurs are the 'most critical' component when looking for the bike... I could be very wrong.

Thank you in advance--deeply appreciative of your inputs/perspectives.

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