As a sort of follow-up to my previous commuting thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-would-you-do/) I've decided that I do want a separate bike for commuting. As I mentioned there, the commute is ~8.3 miles, slightly hilly. I must be able to carry groceries (sometimes a lot) on the ride home. If I can't carry groceries by bike, I can't commute by bike regularly - simple as that.

At first I thought about touring rig (like a Surly LHT) since that can easily accommodate a rack and panniers and remain stable under a load. Then some of the new IGH and belt drive systems caught my attention. I've read about all the pros and cons of these systems but what seems great is the low maintenance and resilience to adverse weather. I've never really liked derailers much either, probably since I don't really know how to adjust them well, though I may learn.

So, two questions:

1. Are derailers and an exposed chain really THAT bad in the rain? Bad enough to get a potentially less suitable or more expensive bike just for that reason? Is it just a matter of applying a little bit of lube or is it like some people say - the whole system will rust out in a matter of hours. In San Diego we don't get that much rain compared to other places, no snow and the roads are never covered with salt or anything like that. But it does rain sometimes and I would commute then as well.

2. Can someone make any suggestions on a good long distance commuter with IGH and/or belt drive (no SS/fixed)? It seems like you can find this mainly on more "urban" bikes not really meant for longer commutes. The Civia Bryant seems good but it's a tad out of my price range.