Beginner Mustachian here. I'm an Australian student who currently lives 9 kilometres (5.5 miles) from the nearest grocery store, and 15 kilometres (9.5 miles) from my clients that I tutor in maths as a side job. However, I don't want to move, as I currently live with my grandmother while I'm studying. Since she owns her own home, the board I pay is very reasonable, and despite being on student welfare, I'm able to save a little more than half my income; way better than I'd get if I moved into town.
This isn't "unbikable" distance, but it's definitely more than suburbia, so does this mean I need a better quality bike than I would if I only needed to travel 2-3 miles at a time? I'd like to work my way up to travelling the 15 kilometres there and back 4 times a week over time, without being excessively sweaty at the end of the ride, since I do need to keep up some level of professionalism. (though less than an office job might demand) Should I go to a bike shop and tell them my needs, or would I end up with something more expensive than I want? I don't know anything about bikes, so I think I need some more info before I look into buying a used one.
Any advice on how to proceed would be appreciated.