Choosing a Bike

[FIREySkyline]

Choosing a bike -- if you're a typical MMM-er, you like to know a topic and make an educated choice. I'm looking for an all purpose bike for transportation around a suburban town with no bike supporting infrastructure. My commute would be 10 miles or so to work.

I've been looking at a few different options:

- Something like the Surly Disc Trucker / Straggler - seems to be a solid all-around option for primarily road use
- A cyclocross style bike, obviously a versatile option
- Something more in the style of a mountain bike with road tires ... and maybe even an electric motor kit? Potentially gives you the best of both worlds, the motor to help you move with the versatility of the MTB form factor that would allow me to use the bike in a wider range of scenarios

I'm looking for some wisdom from some experienced Mustachians. Both in choosing the correct type, and then specific models as well. Thanks in advance.

I have never owned anything except a BMX bike as a child, so I'm a noob. 'Been doing research, but there's just so much out there that I don't have the experience to discern.

[Thinkum]

Buy a used bike. For commuting, I would recommend a hybrid bicycle. Something like the Trek FX series. It will be lightweight and have less rolling resistance. Having the flat bar will mean your torso is more upright which is good for riding with traffic.

[Laissez-Faire]

Electric bike, absolutely. I've had mine for a couple of weeks now and it's a just super convenient and fun as a commuter vehicle. My 5.5 mile commute takes a bit over 20 minutes (in europe e-bikes are restricted to 25km/h), only 5 minutes longer than by car. I can bike in my office clothes and arrive non-sweaty.

This morning we had very strong winds. My fellow cyclists were obviously struggling to keep moving as I breezed past them. I was reminded why my few attempts at commuting by traditional bike during the years have always failed :D

I decided on a e-mtb as I plan to expand my biking habit as I get accustomed to biking again, after 30 years of practically not biking..

[accolay]

It doesn't really matter what you get, just make sure it fits and it feels good to ride. You can always add a bike rack or baskets, different seats or handlebars to almost any bicycle to your taste.

For the sake of thriftyness, I'm not sure I could put down $1500 for a bike unless it was maybe my sole source of transport, and even then... I think $600 can buy you something pretty good, and skeptical that for a $1000 more you'll get much of an increase in performance or whatever, unless maybe you're riding in the Tour de France.

[2microsNH]

I love my Surly Cross Check, and my friends with Surlys (e.g., Trucker) love them. They're tough and versatile, and relatively inexpensive for the value. I've had mine for 15 years and use it both for kicking around town and for all sorts of road and gravel-road riding. For years I commuted to work on it, I've shipped it across the country to ride while traveling, and I've even done a few mountainous century rides on it (Tahoe and Sierra Nevadas). It's also great in the winter because the wider tires and steel frame stand up to ice and road grime. You won't be able to ride their cyclocross or touring bikes on technical mountain bike trails, but I've occasionally taken mine off-road on some bumpy, rutted old logging roads and it's been fine.

I don't recommend a mountain bike for a 10-mile commute... mountain bikes are heavy, and even skinnier mountain bike tires don't roll efficiently on roads.

If you want to buy used, you can probably find some Surly bikes on Craigslist, eBay, or Pinkbike -- e.g., I just saw a nice Long-haul Trucker for sale on my local Craigslist site. Tempting, because it was a good-looking bike! But then I remembered how much I love my trusty old Surly.

[big_slacker]

I love my Surly Cross Check, and my friends with Surlys (e.g., Trucker) love them. They're tough and versatile, and relatively inexpensive for the value. I've had mine for 15 years and use it both for kicking around town and for all sorts of road and gravel-road riding. For years I commuted to work on it, I've shipped it across the country to ride while traveling, and I've even done a few mountainous century rides on it (Tahoe and Sierra Nevadas). It's also great in the winter because the wider tires and steel frame stand up to ice and road grime. You won't be able to ride their cyclocross or touring bikes on technical mountain bike trails, but I've occasionally taken mine off-road on some bumpy, rutted old logging roads and it's been fine.

I don't recommend a mountain bike for a 10-mile commute... mountain bikes are heavy, and even skinnier mountain bike tires don't roll efficiently on roads.

If you want to buy used, you can probably find some Surly bikes on Craigslist, eBay, or Pinkbike -- e.g., I just saw a nice Long-haul Trucker for sale on my local Craigslist site. Tempting, because it was a good-looking bike! But then I remembered how much I love my trusty old Surly.

I'm with most of what you've said here and agree, except the part about weight??? The cross check and LHT are like 25 lb bikes. Many hardtail MTBs are the same or lighter with 2.25" tires, haha!

The point about skinnies offering less rolling resistance stands of course, but you can throw some 35-38cm road tires on a 29er and call it good if you're only going 10 miles.

That said, road bikes are road bikes for a reason. The riding position is more aero, the bikes are GENRALLY lighter and the wheels/tires offer less rolling resistance. If you're gonna be on roads buy a road bike. Unless you're a dedicated MTB guy, or the riding position hurts your back, etc.

[lemonde]

I'd get a comfortable bike. For me that means one with a more relaxed geometry rather than one that encouraged me to ride more aggresively.

[BikeFanatic]

Another voted for road bike. Ten miles is too long a distance to ride on a mountain bike,  the tires will hold you back. You can get road bike with flat bars for more upright position and comfort.

[big_slacker]

Another voted for road bike. Ten miles is too long a distance to ride on a mountain bike,  the tires will hold you back. You can get road bike with flat bars for more upright position and comfort.

Or touring bars.

[PDXTabs]

- Something like the Surly Disc Trucker / Straggler - seems to be a solid all-around option for primarily road use
- A cyclocross style bike, obviously a versatile option

Personally, this is my vote. I actually have two bikes from Surly. The first one I built up was the Pacer, but I was disappointed by the lack of fender clearance and disc brakes (for the rain). Years later I purchased a used Crosscheck frame and built it up with a Civia front disc fork. I basically built my own Straggler. I'm a weirdo so I run it 1x9 with an 11-34 rear cassette, bullhorn handlebars, and a downtube shifter. Now the Pacer is my summer bike.

If you are going to ride in the rain the disc brakes and ample fender clearance are definitely worth it.

[FIREySkyline]

I appreciate all the inputs, especially notes on the Surlys. I definitely want to be cost-effective, but I want to have something that will actually get used and thus be efficient and worthwhile. With respect to all the comments downplaying the performance of bigger-tired bikes, none of the comments seem to take into account an ebike conversion on one of these and how that would play out.

I'm very seriously considering either a Surly ECR or Ogre as an Ebike -- any specific thoughts on this? Barring that, maybe a Disc Trucker; I just can't find any negatives to a Surly. Will I spend more up front? Yea. But if $500 extra now means years of more biking, I'm all in. If I can get a beefy ebike setup on an ECR or Ogre, I may use it almost exclusively for my transportation and despite the up front cost, that would be a big long-term win.

[2microsNH]

I really agree that disc brakes are great in the rain. As I mentioned, my Surly is an older model (2001) and thus has cantilever brakes, which I have to really wrench on to stop the bike when my rims are wet.

I can't really comment on ebikes.

[Goldielocks]

I ride an older version of this.

We put paniers on it, and an ebike conversion kit, and it was fantastic.   Then I converted back into a city bike for commuting.  With 700cc tires and upright stance for traffic, it is fast and can handle a few bumps, but not heavy gravel.  Even dirt roads mixed with packed turf are a bit much for this for more than a few minutes.

No way would I use MTB tire on a commuter bike or have much suspension, you lose too much energy and the last thing I want is more effort on my commute in to work.

[InnTee]

I have an REI touring bike (Novara brand, which used to be their house brand). It's similar in concept to a Surly, though doesn't have the brand name behind it.  I bought it new but used my 20% REI member discount, which helped a lot!

I've found the touring bikes to be super versatile, very stable, and well made for carrying heavy loads. I use mine all the time for errands. I don't have a commute, but if I did I'd add some fenders and use the touring bike.

Downside: weight.

[NESailor]

- Something like the Surly Disc Trucker / Straggler - seems to be a solid all-around option for primarily road use
- A cyclocross style bike, obviously a versatile option

Personally, this is my vote. I actually have two bikes from Surly. The first one I built up was the Pacer, but I was disappointed by the lack of fender clearance and disc brakes (for the rain). Years later I purchased a used Crosscheck frame and built it up with a Civia front disc fork. I basically built my own Straggler. I'm a weirdo so I run it 1x9 with an 11-34 rear cassette, bullhorn handlebars, and a downtube shifter. Now the Pacer is my summer bike.

If you are going to ride in the rain the disc brakes and ample fender clearance are definitely worth it.

I have a Straggler I built frame up.  1x10 with SRAM road levers on regular drop bars and an X9 rear (pull ratio is the same).  I love it.

[Sisyphus]

I'm a novice biker, purchased a Surly LHT back in 2016 and I love it.  It's great for longer rides, very comfortable.  If I'm doing more stop and go city riding, I take out my Trek Soho for maneuverability.  But if you are doing 10 mile commutes, I would get a cross/touring bike.

[JJ-]

Surly bikes are incredibly expensive. Yes, you get a cool looking road frame and plenty of street cred but it comes with the weight of steel. You can commute on a hybrid with skinny tires at a third to a half of the cost of a surly, or you can ride a road bike with a back pack. Anything trek should for the bill.

I would avoid modding a mountain bike unless you completely rebuild it from the frame.

[PlainsWalker]

The steel is real vs. steel is old fashioned and heavy debate is a contentious one.
I sit in a weight class that invalidates the warranty on most aluminium and carbon production frames. But, I am under the weight limit for the steel frame Surly.
I have a 10 mile commute as well. I started commuting it on a junker big box bike. Destroyed the poor bike shape object after a few months and moved on to a Cross Check. It has been working well for me on the daily commute, occasional club rides, and a few forays onto the single track.

[FIREySkyline]

This is a good discussion. It seems like in this class of bikes there are a BOATLOAD of options:

Surly Long Haul (Disc) Trucker LHT
Surly Cross Check
Salsa Vaya
Salsa Marrakesh
Kona Sutra
Specialized AWOL
Jamis Aurora
Trek 520
Fuji Touring

I've been hearing a lot of people say that they actually like the Surly stuff least out of these options. The Salsa Vaya, Kona Sutra and Specialized AWOL seem to be getting a lot of preference. Any of these bikes is likely solid for ebike conversion if desired.

This choice is basically impossible. I'd take the first one I could find on craigslist, but I can't find ANY of these in my size on craigslist within 200 miles of me. I'm a 53cm-ish guy (5'8")

[NESailor]

This is a good discussion. It seems like in this class of bikes there are a BOATLOAD of options:

Surly Long Haul (Disc) Trucker LHT
Surly Cross Check
Salsa Vaya
Salsa Marrakesh
Kona Sutra
Specialized AWOL
Jamis Aurora
Trek 520
Fuji Touring

I've been hearing a lot of people say that they actually like the Surly stuff least out of these options. The Salsa Vaya, Kona Sutra and Specialized AWOL seem to be getting a lot of preference. Any of these bikes is likely solid for ebike conversion if desired.

This choice is basically impossible. I'd take the first one I could find on craigslist, but I can't find ANY of these in my size on craigslist within 200 miles of me. I'm a 53cm-ish guy (5'8")

What you're saying is right but you're not really comparing apples to apples.  There are road touring and off road touring bikes on your list.  If you're really just wanting to commute - why not pick up an old 10speed for under $100?  I found an old Schwinn (60 years old) for FREE.  Tore it down, cleaned and relubed everything, got new tires for like $30 and ride that to work in the summer.  It works great even though it's heavy as heck.

[FIREySkyline]

This is a good discussion. It seems like in this class of bikes there are a BOATLOAD of options:

Surly Long Haul (Disc) Trucker LHT
Surly Cross Check
Salsa Vaya
Salsa Marrakesh
Kona Sutra
Specialized AWOL
Jamis Aurora
Trek 520
Fuji Touring

I've been hearing a lot of people say that they actually like the Surly stuff least out of these options. The Salsa Vaya, Kona Sutra and Specialized AWOL seem to be getting a lot of preference. Any of these bikes is likely solid for ebike conversion if desired.

This choice is basically impossible. I'd take the first one I could find on craigslist, but I can't find ANY of these in my size on craigslist within 200 miles of me. I'm a 53cm-ish guy (5'8")

What you're saying is right but you're not really comparing apples to apples.  There are road touring and off road touring bikes on your list.  If you're really just wanting to commute - why not pick up an old 10speed for under $100?  I found an old Schwinn (60 years old) for FREE.  Tore it down, cleaned and relubed everything, got new tires for like $30 and ride that to work in the summer.  It works great even though it's heavy as heck.

You're right, the Vaya and Crosscheck are not technically heavy touring bikes. But the Vaya is in the same vein, the cross check is probably not a serious contender.

With a 20+ mile per day riding requirement for biking, I don't want to get something that will be less usable and kill my motivation to bike from the outset. I could start off with whatever old bike I can find on CL, but if it kills my motivation to get out and bike it'll be counter productive. Still, not off the table.

[JJ-]

Going back to the OP, if you haven't ridden a bike since a being a child. Only for that I'd recommend against some of the more aggressive geometries (like the straggler) and more expensive bikes, to get a hybrid from somewhere like REI or Craigslist if you're comfortable buying one used. Either scenario you can get your money back if you don't like it.

Or you could go for a road style geometry right off the bat, but realize you may not have the core support to ride those frames comfortably yet for 20 mi/day, in addition to breaking in your nether region and quads.

[FIREySkyline]

Going back to the OP, if you haven't ridden a bike since a being a child. Only for that I'd recommend against some of the more aggressive geometries (like the straggler) and more expensive bikes, to get a hybrid from somewhere like REI or Craigslist if you're comfortable buying one used. Either scenario you can get your money back if you don't like it.

Or you could go for a road style geometry right off the bat, but realize you may not have the core support to ride those frames comfortably yet for 20 mi/day, in addition to breaking in your nether region and quads.

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

[GuitarStv]

I'd get a comfortable bike. For me that means one with a more relaxed geometry rather than one that encouraged me to ride more aggresively.

Comfort is somewhat subjective.

The bike in your picture looks quite uncomfortable to me.  That upright position means that your butt gets sore quicker and your legs will have to pump much harder to fight through the wind, and the weight of the bike would make me miserable every time I start a climb.  My commute is currently 14 miles each way though.

[accolay]

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

I think that's an excellent idea.

[JJ-]

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

I rode a giant roam for 2 years for a daily 18 mi RT commute. I decided eventually to go for something more aggressive (and comfortable per Guitarstv above) I wanted to do longer rides. It took more weight off my bum.

[FIREySkyline]

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

I rode a giant roam for 2 years for a daily 18 mi RT commute. I decided eventually to go for something more aggressive (and comfortable per Guitarstv above) I wanted to do longer rides. It took more weight off my bum.

What did you end up getting?

[JJ-]

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

I rode a giant roam for 2 years for a daily 18 mi RT commute. I decided eventually to go for something more aggressive (and comfortable per Guitarstv above) I wanted to do longer rides. It took more weight off my bum.

What did you end up getting?

One of those expensive surly bikes. I ended up selling it and ride a caad10.

[FIREySkyline]

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

I rode a giant roam for 2 years for a daily 18 mi RT commute. I decided eventually to go for something more aggressive (and comfortable per Guitarstv above) I wanted to do longer rides. It took more weight off my bum.

What did you end up getting?

One of those expensive surly bikes. I ended up selling it and ride a caad10.

A caad10 isn't exactly cheap either. Why the swap?

[JJ-]

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

I rode a giant roam for 2 years for a daily 18 mi RT commute. I decided eventually to go for something more aggressive (and comfortable per Guitarstv above) I wanted to do longer rides. It took more weight off my bum.

What did you end up getting?

One of those expensive surly bikes. I ended up selling it and ride a caad10.

A caad10 isn't exactly cheap either. Why the swap?

The geometry felt better for longer rides -- I had a straggler -- and the weight drop was immediately noticeable. The straggler just felt like a jack of all trades but master of none. You can't do road rides with it with groups, and forget longer climbs due to weight unless you throw a triple on it, and you can't do serious touring with it. My opinion is that it does work for a commuter at your distance, but it isn't worth the price.

[FIREySkyline]

Haha thanks for the tip. I actually am an active soccer player and reasonably fit, so I'm not terribly worried about the fitness issue. But I am strongly considering getting something cheap to figure out what my wants and needs are first. A friend of mine raves about the Giant Roam 2. There a are a ton of bikes in that range.

I rode a giant roam for 2 years for a daily 18 mi RT commute. I decided eventually to go for something more aggressive (and comfortable per Guitarstv above) I wanted to do longer rides. It took more weight off my bum.

What did you end up getting?

One of those expensive surly bikes. I ended up selling it and ride a caad10.

A caad10 isn't exactly cheap either. Why the swap?

The geometry felt better for longer rides -- I had a straggler -- and the weight drop was immediately noticeable. The straggler just felt like a jack of all trades but master of none. You can't do road rides with it with groups, and forget longer climbs due to weight unless you throw a triple on it, and you can't do serious touring with it. My opinion is that it does work for a commuter at your distance, but it isn't worth the price.

I just today made a deal on a mint Salsa Fargo I found on Craigslist with a host of accessories. It seems like the perfect bike for me. Made for touring and has the right components for an ebike conversion.

[JJ-]

I just today made a deal on a mint Salsa Fargo I found on Craigslist with a host of accessories. It seems like the perfect bike for me. Made for touring and has the right components for an ebike conversion.

Cool! I hope you like it!

Let me know how you end up modding it.

[big_slacker]

Cool bike, should be a fun do it all!

[FIREySkyline]

Cool! I hope you like it!

Let me know how you end up modding it.

After we came to an agreement, the guy actually left the listing up and got a better offer and reneged on me. So I'm back to square 2. Square 2 being that I'm pretty confident I still want a Fargo, but can't find one. I'm thinking about buying a frame and building myself. This is somewhat mustachian, somewhat anti mustachian. On the mustachian side I will be gaining new skills and knowledge building it myself and ensuring each component is suited exactly to my needs. On the anti mustachian side, it costs more than finding a complete bike.

[NESailor]

The geometry felt better for longer rides -- I had a straggler -- and the weight drop was immediately noticeable. The straggler just felt like a jack of all trades but master of none. You can't do road rides with it with groups, and forget longer climbs due to weight unless you throw a triple on it, and you can't do serious touring with it. My opinion is that it does work for a commuter at your distance, but it isn't worth the price.

Interesting take.  I love my Straggler.  The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that it weighs A TON.  Somehow I lucked into the geometry and it fits me like a glove (56cm version).  I find it super comfortable and have actually gotten some Strava results on the Straggler vs. my much lighter road bike.  I'm considering having a titanium version built by one of the custom builders in China - Waltly or similar.  I've seen them done with frame couplers which is basically a dream.  Take it anywhere bike.  I travel to Europe annually so this would be a kickbutt setup.

Interested to hear about the Fargo!

[JJ-]

Cool! I hope you like it!

Let me know how you end up modding it.

After we came to an agreement, the guy actually left the listing up and got a better offer and reneged on me. So I'm back to square 2. Square 2 being that I'm pretty confident I still want a Fargo, but can't find one. I'm thinking about buying a frame and building myself. This is somewhat mustachian, somewhat anti mustachian. On the mustachian side I will be gaining new skills and knowledge building it myself and ensuring each component is suited exactly to my needs. On the anti mustachian side, it costs more than finding a complete bike.

A hobby is a hobby. If you know you want that frame, then by all means build it up. It might take you a while if you haven't done it, so a beater to get around might be a good idea 

Some places I have used for parts are price point (RIP), nashbar, and of course Amazon. You can also choose lower end components than what might come stock on the build. I wouldn't skimp on the wheels though.

[JJ-]

The geometry felt better for longer rides -- I had a straggler -- and the weight drop was immediately noticeable. The straggler just felt like a jack of all trades but master of none. You can't do road rides with it with groups, and forget longer climbs due to weight unless you throw a triple on it, and you can't do serious touring with it. My opinion is that it does work for a commuter at your distance, but it isn't worth the price.

Interesting take.  I love my Straggler.  The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that it weighs A TON.  Somehow I lucked into the geometry and it fits me like a glove (56cm version).  I find it super comfortable and have actually gotten some Strava results on the Straggler vs. my much lighter road bike.  I'm considering having a titanium version built by one of the custom builders in China - Waltly or similar.  I've seen them done with frame couplers which is basically a dream.  Take it anywhere bike.  I travel to Europe annually so this would be a kickbutt setup.

Interested to hear about the Fargo!

Yeah, it was a "nice" fit. And steel handles rougher roads better than aluminum. Yeah, you can move quickly on it. I found though that the longer rides and climbs really favor a lighter bike.

 I liked riding it all as a commuter, it just wasn't the bike for me in the end for more than just commuting.

[FIREySkyline]

Probably isn't anyone who could care less, but I bought a Salsa Fargo, added a Tubus Cosmo rear rack straight from Germany and two Ortlieb Classic Roller panniers and it has been AWESOME. I'm a commuting machine. Only 400 miles thus far, but it's a great bike. Off road, or on, it can do it all. Usually a do-it-all bike is a compromise, but in this case not so much. Once I sell my truck I'm looking to add a BBSHD motor to make it my do everything vehicle.

[Capt j-rod]

I roll a surly big dummy. I bought it used and have never been happier. My trek is still around for quick trips but the big dummy is a work horse that really doesn't pedal that much harder. I'm never in a huge rush anyways. Congrats on the new ride and a healthier you! Make sure you have good lights as you stated it's not a bike friendly area.

[FIREySkyline]

I roll a surly big dummy. I bought it used and have never been happier. My trek is still around for quick trips but the big dummy is a work horse that really doesn't pedal that much harder. I'm never in a huge rush anyways. Congrats on the new ride and a healthier you! Make sure you have good lights as you stated it's not a bike friendly area.

Ah yes, forgot the lights, I have these two:

Front - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IO12B30/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rear - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IO12OLO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The big dummy is quite a bike... but has quite the utility as well. E-powered or all natural?

[47%MMM]

If you are building this as an ebike, can you keep us updated on the components you are selecting? I tried to figure all this out and by the time I added in everything I wanted, it was cheaper to go with a Radwagon and upgrade the lights. I'm very curious how you make out since I want to one day build an MTB ebike from scratch for fun.

Good luck!

[FIREySkyline]

If you are building this as an ebike, can you keep us updated on the components you are selecting? I tried to figure all this out and by the time I added in everything I wanted, it was cheaper to go with a Radwagon and upgrade the lights. I'm very curious how you make out since I want to one day build an MTB ebike from scratch for fun.

Good luck!

All said and done, the Radwagon will definitely be cheaper, but far less capable and versatile. Definitely depends on what you're looking for. The Fargo with a BBSHD should be a beast. I can update when it finally happens. For now I'm settling for the 15MPHish that my legs can do when loaded down.

[aneel]

I've been through many craigslist bikes ($60 and under) and finally found my happy place on this commuter/hybrid Bianchi Avenue: https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/searchlistingdetail.aspx?id=96058

[Debts_of_Despair]

I'd get a comfortable bike. For me that means one with a more relaxed geometry rather than one that encouraged me to ride more aggresively.

Comfort is somewhat subjective.

The bike in your picture looks quite uncomfortable to me.  That upright position means that your butt gets sore quicker and your legs will have to pump much harder to fight through the wind, and the weight of the bike would make me miserable every time I start a climb.  My commute is currently 14 miles each way though.

Couldn't agree more.  That upright riding style is good for <10 mile Euro style intracity trips.  In the US, as soon you start riding farther than that, out on open roads, you are going to want something more aero than that.

[FIREySkyline]

I'd get a comfortable bike. For me that means one with a more relaxed geometry rather than one that encouraged me to ride more aggresively.

Comfort is somewhat subjective.

The bike in your picture looks quite uncomfortable to me.  That upright position means that your butt gets sore quicker and your legs will have to pump much harder to fight through the wind, and the weight of the bike would make me miserable every time I start a climb.  My commute is currently 14 miles each way though.

Couldn't agree more.  That upright riding style is good for <10 mile Euro style intracity trips.  In the US, as soon you start riding farther than that, out on open roads, you are going to want something more aero than that.

I thought I was going to want a hybrid style bike with flat or touring handlebars... but after 400 miles on my Fargo I find myself in the drops 99% of the time and I can't imagine living without them, for long or short trips.

[Debts_of_Despair]

Good to hear.  Novices have this strange aversion to anything with drop bars.  The part they don't understand is that you can still ride on the flat part of the bar if you want.  I think the misconception is remnant of 90s marketing when people only bought mountain bikes, regardless of what they were going to use it for.

[architect]

Is that your bike? Seems quite what I'm looking after. I'd be curious about its brand and model to what I could find where I live.

[G-String]

I love my Giant Escape hybrid commuter bike.