Hi,

I have been researching throughout this site and I still am confused so I would like your advices.

Let me describe the situation. I am looking for a inexpensive (~$400) bike that is mainly for paved roads. So I would like to get a road bike. I won't be riding on mountains for sure.

My meager previous experiences with bikes are cheapo MTB bikes from walmart. I used to commute around 3 mi one way to school with cheapo MTB. Thus, this time around, I would like to invest some more to get decent bikes that I can ride at least 2 years without much trouble.

I am 6ft tall and with average build ~165lb.

My plan is to commute ~7mi one way (14mi total) with the bike. The elevations are shown as below.



I found out that having a single speed saves lots of money. I am wondering if single speed is adequate for this route?

At first I thought about Nashbar Hounder per another thread. I really like the price and simplicity. But all the reviews said that components are poor for that bike. I am worried that this bike won't last two years. Thus I am thinking about the Windsor Clockwork as others suggested.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../clockwork.htm

It would be wonderful if you can advise me on right size. I am planning to visit LBS to get the bike fitted. What are the prices for fitting the bike?

I am also open to other bikes. I am going to buy rear rack and perhaps fenders.I also would like to purchase cell phone holder for my googlemap access.

Please recommend me a bike!

Thanks!