Originally Posted by
grolby
As for the chainguard, yes, it's a very good thing to have. I wouldn't consider it absolutely essential (as I would consider fenders), but it's pretty close. The major change I made to my LHT was the handlebars (drop bars to Velo-Orange porteur bars). A chainguard is one of the next things on my list, as I consider rolling up my pants or stuffing them into my socks (which are all 3/4 length, so it doesn't really work) to be a great aggravation, and silly-looking besides.
Chainguard really limits your selection. I am very impressed with this add-on from Velo-Orange. It opens up the possibilities to some more models that don't come stock with chainguards.
http://www.velo-orange.com/voalpoch.html
OP: I've been pretty impressed with the value I've seen in the Schwinn line. I'm confused by which locale you're looking for your LBS in, since you are moving. But a LBS you're happy with is good. You may also want to look at the REI Fusion and Transfer, higher than your budget, but gives you an idea of some of the boundaries and you may find with rebates, coupons, etc. from time to time.