Originally Posted by
jasonnc80
For $700 there are a lot of choices.
It's at the top end of your price range but maybe look at the Wabi Classic?
http://www.wabicycles.com/
They are normally $695 but they have a special going on for the Sapphire Blue in size 61cm (probably around your size) for only $575.
http://www.wabicycles.com/classic_bi...apphire10.html
Nicer steel (Reynolds 725), a big upgrade from the hi-ten republics, and even better than the normal 4130/520 cro-moly on other entry level bikes. Plus you can customize it somewhat with the type of bars, stem, crank length and gearing. These sound like small things but once you buy a $400 BD bike you may end up spending another good chunk of money getting the fit/gearing dialed in to what you want. This way you spend the cash once and you're set.
In that price range, this Wabi is a great deal. The bikes listed in the OP are all a lot less bike than you can get for $700.
However, more important than the "best" sub-$700 bike is what
kind of bike you need. Where, when, and how will you be riding? A cheap bike with the right geometry is a better choice than a pricier bike that doesn't meet your needs.
Also, since you're presumably within striking range of plenty of shops, you should be taking a whole bunch of bikes for a spin. Looking around online is no substitute for seeing how the bikes ride in person. Even if you can't try a particular model in person (e.g. the Wabi if that's your thing), you can ride bikes with comparable geometry to zero in on what suits you.