Well last night I brought home my first hybrid. Went to go to a few LBS to test ride the standard go-to hybrids. My original budget was ~500 so I was looking at the Fuji Absolute 2.1, 1.7, and Trek 7.2. Unfortunately there is not a Specialized dealer near by. After I got to the shop, I spotted a 2014 Absolute 1.5 which had a number of upgrades over the 1.7 and 2.1 like a carbon fork and was on clearance since it was a 2014 model. It was marked down even lower than the sale price on their site so I took it for a quick spin and it fit like a glove.
Long story short, I couldn't pass it up. Ended up getting 20% back in credit for Performance Bike that I will spend on some goodies. The people at the shop were all nice and helpful. I don't have any pictures at the moment but I will get some up this afternoon!
To hold everyone over, here is the stock photo:
