Okay, so I have my eyes set on this bike on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Verso-Ladies-R...id=APLSYXPJH8N

It's pretty, it's got a cargo rack, it's got battery powered LED lights, it cuts my accessory costs in half and because of the 'sale' price it's the same price as the other bike I was considering, and it comes in the smaller frame size I need. However, the warranty on it is invalid if it's not professionally assembled when it arrives.

Now, my question to you, considering I'm going to have to save up for this bike anyways, is what is the general going rate of having a bike assembled(so I know when I call around whenever I have the money for the bike whether I'm being ripped off or not) or should I just hang the warranty, grab some basic bike tools from the sporting goods store and build it myself, if I can gather the knowledge? ((I haven't had a bike since I was little enough that my parents built it.))

Also, as a commuter, am I wasting my time on this? This bike will be my main mode of transportation. Not having a high income, I have to keep the cost of the bike in this range or lower. Does anyone have any suggestions if this bike is a waste of my time and money? I definitely want something with some form of cargo rack, as like I said, it will be my main mode of transportation, and considering the leaning position of bike riding, I bet a backpack would get real heavy, real fast on a bike ride. I know you can get racks separate, but from what I've seen, for a quality bike, buying the rack separate just ups the costs even more. Also, I doubt I'll be riding it more than a mile or two in any one direction; my work is a mile and a half away from my house, so while it may be fairly regular use, it won't be heavy use.

So, bikers, thoughts?