Commuting - Lightweight, Upright Recommendation?

I rode a Jamis Tangier for 9 years. Now I'd like to purchase something lighter-weight for general commuting and fun rides. I like upright bars. Most road bike tires feel too thin for my tastes. I'm 5'6", 140 lbs., 45 years old.

I appreciate the conscientiousness of fellow participants in this forum! Thanks for considering what I'm asking here.

I recently test-rode several bikes. Hands-down, I liked the Specialized Sirrus (51cm - Small, $570) the best. It was most comfortable and nimble, and it seemed to be good quality. The LBS saleswoman told me I could replace the 28mm standard tires with 32mm and still add fenders. Any thoughts on that?

I'm interested in opinions about it, and alternatives to consider. I read elsewhere online a few comments saying the Sirrus' wheels are of poor quality and prone to go out of true. I'm wondering whether it's "sturdy" enough.

Impressions of the other bikes I rode:

* Fuji Absolute -- Pretty good
* Kona Dew -- Ok
* Specialized Globe -- Not as nice as Sirrus
* Gary Fisher Wingra -- Heavy, uncomfortable, lower-quality

Thoughts on the Sirrus? Alternatives? Thanks.

I'm guessing you are actually talking about millimeters (28mmx700 or 32mmx700) not inches in your post above about tire size. Other than that, from what I gather, there are many people on this board who ride Sirrus' for commuting. I'm sure others will chime in and give you first hand experience on them. Keep in mind that good tires run at least 30 bucks per on average; so if you are intending on swapping out tires rather than running them out, you can add 60 bucks to the price of the bike, unless you can negotiate new tires into the sale of the bike.

I have a Trek 7.3FX I use around town. Lightweight, great handling, and responsive. It has a flippable stem, so you can have the bars higher than the saddle. Check them out, you might be able to grab an 08' on clearance.

specialized sequoia

What about jamis Coda/

I rode a sirrus for several years,
yes it will take 700x32 tires with sks 45mm fenders
i transfered the original alex wheel set to my cross check when i first built it and they have never gone out of true (my LBS did true them once when i first bought the sirrus)
just FYI i am about 5'10" and 200 lb
Steve
PS the sequioa will not take 32's and fenders
and don't go above the sport level on the sirrus the extra $ for the carbon bits really is not worth it
the base model has a real nice steel fork with lowrider mounts

I was looking for the same thing - a light weight commuter with straight bars and upright geometry. I test rode the Sirrus and quite a few others befor ultimately buying a Schwinn Super Sport Ultra 1. It was $560 at performance bike. I chose it because it was pretty light (22lbs) and has a very comfortable ride - the bumps and cracks in the road just seem to disappear. The components are pretty decent quality for the price - The frame actually has carbon fork and carbon seatstays, the balance is made form 7000 series aluminum. made in taiwan and a lot of value for the money. Anyway I've added fenders and a rack and not regretted my decision at all.

Other bikes I test Rode:

Specialized Sirrus - nice but I wanted carbon forks and it was pretty expensive for that version. Ride felt very 'stiff' and vibrations really came thru the frame. I didn't like the shifting action on it much either.

Trek 7.5FX - Very nice bike. Weight 25lbs. More upright geometry and seemed to be a true purpose designed commuter. Has very gentle handling. May have been my 2nd choice. Made in china.

Fuji Absolute. - Also a very nice bike, comfortable and good looking, but I did not like the the twist grip shifters. Many people have warned me away from those. Made in china.

Giant FCR 2 - A nice bike, but nothing really stood out. made in china.

GT Legato - This bike was closest in feel to a true road bike. Very light and stiff ride, very responsive. I bit pricier than the others, unless you settle for a steel fork instead of carbon. Like the sirrus, road vibrations really came through to the seat and bars. Made in taiwan.

I apologize -- I hadn't checked back the past few days.

Thanks much, forum members, for your responses.

Yes ... thanks for the correction on the 28mm and 32mm.

Something I'm paying more attention to now is the rear derailleur. I've been told that the Sora is not great. I test-rode the other night a mountain bike only at a salesman's suggestion -- It had an LX rear derailleur. By far, it was the smoothest shifting I've experienced yet.

Any other suggestions by folks as alternatives to the Sirrus to consider? I'll check out the Schwinn recommended below.

What do people think of the Kona Dew series? Thanks.

People around here are big fans of the Konas and Jamis.