So I'll just lay out the situation I'm in, and hopefully get some great tips/pointers from everyone.

The commute I'll be taking is just under 10 miles, 20 miles round trip. It is a mix of road/sidewalk/short cuts through parking lots/and residential neighborhoods. The bike I'm riding right now is a 15 year old "roadmaster" mountain bike and it is on its last legs. I haven't started commuting quite yet, I've been conditioning my body for it but feel I am ready for it now. Went on a 30 mile ride yesterday, took about 2 hours and 15 minutes (with a nice water and stretch break in it) and feel like it is about that time to upgrade my bike and start the commuting.

I’ve been reading up on bikes and still have a million questions about models, manufactures and what exactly I am going to need in a bike. My price range is anywhere from $100-$600, and I’ve been looking at a ton of different bikes. I’ve read a bunch of good things about the trek fx series, and am going to go look at a 7.2fx tonight just to get an idea of how it looks in person.

I’m just interested in what kind of bikes/things I should be looking for in my search. I’m 6’ 185lbs, and plan to use this bike as a commute bike, paved bike trails, and would like a bike I can take offroad on lighter trails for fun occasionally. If you have any other questions about what I’m looking for let me know, and thanks in advance for any help that you guys can give me