Originally Posted by
dynodonn
I had the same thought process many years ago, but my commuting needs trashed even the entry level LBS bikes in less than a year, and there's no pleasure in making repairs to, or lugging around a disabled bike far from home.
I met up with a guy while on tour from Pittsburgh to Washington DC who began his ride in San Fransisco. He flew to San Fransisco with his seat and pedals, bought a Schwinn from Walmart and proceeded across country with no problems other than flat tires. He had panniers and a trailer. He put over 4000 miles on the bike including some rough trails. He went the Walmart route because he figured he would trash a good bike on the ride. He originally thought he may have to replace the bike during his trip figuring the cost would be less than a good touring bike, but the Walmart bike prevailed.
Buy what you want, and ride it for all it's worth and then some.