My girlfriend and I are both looking for dedicated commuter bikes with internal gearing. We both want steel frames, which has narrowed the search considerably. We are mainly looking at complete bikes at this point, and the Novara Transfer caught my eye.

Last I checked this bike was aluminum, but it seems the 2010 Transfer is steel. It has almost everything we're after for $660. The generator hub is a nice touch as well. The local REI has one in stock in our size, so I'm considering heading up there for a test-ride this weekend.

I'd feel a little weird riding an REI store brand bike, but then I don't see anything wrong with the bike or components. I'm sure there were some short-cuts here and there (aluminum seatpost, saddle looks crappy, brakes probably leave something to be desired), as with any bike in this price range. The rear hub is Shimano Inter-7, not Nexus, and I'm not sure how big of a difference that is. Anything else I should know before taking a closer look? Does anyone here own one?

I'm also considering the Trek Belleville, but I won't have a chance to test-ride one until later this month (backordered).