You don't have to get anything new unless you mean new to you. Your local craigslist might have some nice deals. I personally have a LHT with rack and fenders, and a comuterized hardtail (Although I just lost my job) that i would commute with. Only the LHT was brand new (although it was a year earlier model). The hardtail was hardly used and 10 years old when I bought it.