Yeah, I thought about a folding bike at one point.

Do they perform and last just as well and just as long as non-folding bikes? Or do the parts and components compensate in quality to make up for the fact that they are designed to fold up?

This also just might open up another can of worms for me. I'm already kind of confused as it is.

Yeah, for some reason I really have a gut feeling about the Felt Brougham.

Nevertheless, I really just want the best bike for my buck and something that I can bare to look at and feel comfy on.

I'm going to try and find time today or over the weekend to stop by REI and check out the models everyone recommended (Novara Buzz One and Raleigh Detour 4.5) and try to find a Jamis dealer in my area (I actually found one thats a few blocks away) to check out the Coda Sport.

I think I'm going to strongly opt out of the Phat Cycles and Pure Fix. I'm kinda nervous that people don't know much about them and something about their websites gives me the impression that they aren't a practical bike for me.