newbie mtb vs road bike question
I am relatively new to cycling - and am beginning to think about commuting to work a couple of days a week. The ride is aprox 30 miles each way. I do have the luxury of arriving a little late - and have a shower/locker room available to me. Because I want to ride my road tandem as well - I don’t think that I will commute 5 days a week - given the distance (and my lack of stamina)
My question is about which bike to use. I have a 7-8 year old Schwinn Paramount mtb - 21sp with grip shift - front suspension. I have an old rack lying around - and there is a set of mtb "road" tires on it already. The front shifter is cracked- I would need to replace it - but the parts seem cheap enough at nashbar. Should I use this bike - or search for a used road bike on CL and the classifieds? I found a used Trek 520 - but it was too high. There is a $25 Fuji Grand Tourer 12sp online that I have a call in to. Does it make sense to spend money on getting a 15 year old road bike running or less money on the mtb? There are hills on the commute - so the gearing on the MTB would be nice - but I am sure you could get the same gearing from a road tourer.
Thanks for the help.