Originally Posted by
DVC45
I suggest, that while searching for your "Holy Grail" bike, that you buy a used (but in decent shape) late 80's or early 90's, steel, rigid fork MTB. I see them in CL for <$100 all the time. Look for Treks and Specialized brands. I find these bikes a real bargain and almost bomb proof.
When you finally find your "Holy Grail", then this bike will make a great "Oh, ****!"/back-up bike.
' never hurts to have a reliable back-up bike, IMO.
Good luck and have fun hunting your bike!
This is what I did, except that I bought the first steel bike new instead of used :-(. But after a couple of months of riding, I realized that my particular commute demanded internal gearing (lots of stop-and-start at intersections) and internal brakes (lots of rain). So I picked up a Trek Soho, which really suits my needs perfectly (and not having a chain to deal with is a big bonus).
I was tempted early on to drop several hundred dollars on a better bike the first time around, but doing so before having done my commute several times I would have ended up with rim brakes, a derailleur, and an unnecessary suspension fork. I'm sooooo glad I waited. That said, my commute is 13-15 miles with hills; if yours is 5 miles flat then I would probably worry less and most any bike will suit you fine.