Hi there, I am new to the forums!

I have decided to give up my car because I feel like such a sucker paying these ridiculous gas prices.

I am a n00b to the cycling world, but I am in good physical condition.

My commute to work is 16km (10 miles) each way, 4 days a week. Other than that, I may ride it short distances to visit friends, go to the store, etc.

I am riding in the city and will maybe cut across a park now and then but mostly pavement. There are some little hills, so from what I've read this means I will need multiple gears.

I would like to carry stuff (pretty much just lunchbox and maybe groceries), so I will need panniers on the back. And I would like mudflaps/fenders to protect my clothes from dirty splashes. I think I would prefer flat bars as I like to ride in upright position.

My goal is to make my bike my only mode of transportation, so I am planning to ride in good weather and when it's raining. I think for winters, I might just buy a separate cheaper, crappier mountain bike, and put wide studded tires on it, so I don't have to worry about the salty snow ruining the bike (I'm in Ontario Canada, Greater Toronto Area, and have no experience winter riding but would like to learn). Then I would use the crappy bike for winters only. Is this a good idea?

So for the summer/spring/fall, I am thinking of a hybrid bike, but I'm not sure which ones I should look at. I don't know much about bikes, aside from what I have read on this forum so far. Treks seem to be quite popular.

Price range would be $600 - 800

Any suggestions? Is hybrid a good choice? Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mike