Let me get started by saying I haven't owned a bicycle since I was around 13 so my knowledge is a bit outdated and limited to the bmx style Mongoose I owned.

I'm looking to get another bike with the mission being to commute to work and also do a bit of canal path riding. I've looked at the sites for some of the manufacturers names I found from a google search, Trek, Specialized, Kona, Giant. I also spent a little time in a local shop (Topath Bike) today and actually rode a Trek 7.4 (I think it was the 7.4, it had disc brakes and was around $749) I was hoping to spend closer to $500 but that was just the bike I happened to test ride to get a feel for that style (Hybrid he called it)

My commute is almost exactly 12 miles each way and I'm not interested in a traditional road style (we called them "ten speeds" when I was younger. I think a mountain bike would be a waste for suspension and I don't think the riding angle would be comfortable for 12 miles (maybe it would?)

The Trek I rode had what felt like a good seating position and nice hand grips that had a bit extra on the outside of the grip that the meaty part of your hand would rest on. I liked that. The seat was awful but I'm not worried about a stock seat being perfect as there are many aftermarket ones available.

The tires looked pretty narrow and as I browsed the bikes I saw some larger almost mountain bike width tires that had smooth tread. Would those be better for my goals?

Any advice on a good commuter bike around the $500 mark?

Thanks!