Originally Posted by
aerowenn
I suppose what I'm looking for is something under $200 and at absolute maximum of $250 that can handle a daily commute of 11 miles, anywhere from 1-2 days per week, up to 5 at the maximum. I'm 6' tall, and a little over 200 lbs. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!
Other people have already chimed in with lots of great advice, so I'll try to approach this from a different direction.
First, a five mile ride is very easy. Don't think of it so much as an 11 hour day, because you'll get very long breaks in between your rides. Depending on how hilly the terrain is, a 5 mile ride will probably take you somewhere in the 20 minute range; maybe 30 mins if it's difficult and you get a slow bike. My commute is almost (but not quite) all up hill, 4.7 miles, and takes 25 minutes; going home is a little faster than 20 mins for me.
Also, I'm 6'1", and by the fitting numbers I need a 57.3 cm frame in a road or cross bike. So you'll probably do well on a 56 cm.