Commuting - Bike advice for Newb

I am looking at buying my first new bike for commuting, instead of riding an old ironhorse MTB all the time.

The commute is about 5 miles each way, on fairly rough paved roads. Hopefully i will commute by bike whenever snow isnt on the ground, but more realistically when the weather is fair outside. I am thinking a hybrid/fitness bike would fit my needs, as i want something faster and lighter than the MTB, but I cant get used to drop bars on a road bike. Ideally, I would like to be able to ride on packed dirt and even grass from time to time.
I have pretty much narrowed it down to 5 bikes, and would appreciate any input to help me make a choice.

'07 Trek 7.3 FX $599
'06 Kona Dew Deluxe $599
'06 Kona Dew $449 (including upgraded R/D to Deore)
'07 Rocky Mountain Whistler 30 $699 (front suspension switched out for a rigid fork)
'06 Specialized Sirrus Sport $739


Any opinions on these bikes?
I have heard alot of good things about the Konas, except that the wheels aperantly go out of true very easily, which worries me with the local roads. The Treks seem to be love/hate around here, and I've read pretty much nothing about the Rocky Mountain. The Specialized is near the top of my budget, and i would prefer to stay under $700, although if it is worth it I will spend it.

Try a Specialized Sequoia

Look at the Novara Safari (http://www.rei.com/product/730480).

Those are all decent bikes; if I were forced to choose one I would likely go with the Trek; the Dew Deluxe is a close second, except that disc brakes are slightly more difficult to service and make it more likely to be targeted by thieves. I know little about the Rocky Mountain, but neither it nor the Specialized seem to be worth the extra money.

Another bike you may want to look at is the Jamis Coda Sport (http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/07_bikes/codasport.html); it's very similar to the bikes you're looking at but has a full cro-moly frame and fork, as well as multiple eyelets front and back. None of the bicycles you have here would allow you to easily mount a front fender, should you ever choose to do so, and if you're commuting, few things are nicer than being protected from wheel spray. There's also clearance to mount about any size of tire you want. In my opinion, this is about the best $600 commuter you can find, and comes pretty close to being the best at any price.

Try a Specialized Sequoia She (he?) said she didn't want drop bars.

Look at the Novara Safari. She said she wanted to stay under $700.

Come on guys, at least read the post before replying.

Maybe you can shop around a little more? The Trek 7.5 and Giant FCR2 both retail in my area for $690.00.
I think both of these bikes are a step up from the models you are looking at.
Good Luck

She said she wanted to stay under $700.

Come on guys, at least read the post before replying.

Give me a break! It was $720 and the OP said he/she could go over $700. We 're not spliting hairs here or anything ha?

Maybe you can shop around a little more? The Trek 7.5 and Giant FCR2 both retail in my area for $690.00.
I think both of these bikes are a step up from the models you are looking at.
Good Luck

I can try to shop around for price, but I'm stuck in Regina, SK, with only three bike shops within a 4 hour round trip. There isnt a lot of competition around here. I think ill make a trip to go check out the Jamis bike though, it looks pretty interesting.

Basically one dealer does Trek, one does Specialized, and another does Kona, Giant, and Rocky Mountain.

I'm leaning towards the Konas at the moment. The dealer is by far the nicest/most helpful, and didnt seem to care that I wasent looking at $2000 bikes. The question is should i spring for disc brakes for $150? Otherwise the two Konas are pretty much identical, given an upgrade to the R/D on the Dew to Deore.

Sorry about that, I'm here in Southern California.
I was just recently shopping for some of the same models you are looking at.
The Trek 7.5 and the Giant FCR2 are (in my opinion) vast improvements over the lesser models mainly due to the carbon fork and Tiagra RD, for not much of an increase in price.
I looked at all the bikes you listed except for the Rocky Mountain, but I also looked at Marin (available at REI). The Giant and Trek stood out from the others at similar price points.
These two bikes are almost identical exept for the frame geometry. I went with the Trek... fit my short legs better.
Good Luck.

She said she didn't want drop bars.

...The Sequoia has 2 sets of brakes. You can keep your hands on the top
as much as you like. Think of it as straight bars with funny looking bar ends :rolleyes:

She said she wanted to stay under $700.

...She also said she'd go higher if it was worth it. Besides, all we're talking is test ride here...

I have a '06 Kona Dew (my second season riding it) and I absolutely love it. It rides so smooth and it's very light (at 25 lb) and very durable. My wheels are still fine and not out of true at all. I hop off curbs all the time and never had any problems with the wheels. You won't be disappointed with a Kona at all! I can't speak to the Deluxe, though, and have no experience with disc brakes.

Have you ridden any of those bikes yet? That will narrow it down for you a lot. Fit is a lot more important than components here (has anyone really worn out a derailer? or brake levers? - I've got 10+ year-old 105's, Deore's, and 600's and they all shift/brake beautifully). For such a short commute disc brakes are overkill. You can ride packed dirt and grass on practically any bike/tire even slicks.

Buy the bike that fits you and makes you fantasize about the next ride. The rest of the stuff will fall into place.

I don't think disks would be necessary unless you're screaming down mountain descents.

I would be interested in a comparison between the Kona Dew Delux and a Scott Sub 20. Roughtly same prive (Scott is $50 cheaper, but no disk brakes).

FWIW. I went with the Scott over the Dew (the former was on sale). Love it.

I've ridden the Trek, the Sirrus and the Dew Deluxe and liked them all. I think ill probably go with the Dew Deluxe because of the dealer though, they were so much nicer than the other guys.

Thanks for all the advice.

. . . .I'm leaning towards the Konas at the moment. The dealer is by far the nicest/most helpful, and didnt seem to care that I wasent looking at $2000 bikes. The question is should i spring for disc brakes for $150? Otherwise the two Konas are pretty much identical, given an upgrade to the R/D on the Dew to Deore.
I agree with the person who said fit was critical. What bike feels best when you are on it? That's something we can't give you advice on. For example, some people LOVE Breezers, and they're great bikes, but I can't stand the upright position. Some people would hate the hunched over position I have on my Cross Check. You can upgrade mediocre components later, but you can't fix bad fit.

That said, if you can work well with the Kona dealer, you are right to give that a lot of consideration. Starting a relationship with a good LBS is important, especially if you are not into repairing your own stuff. A good LBS will give you advice when you buy a tool and a part.