I have been commuting with a bike for a two years but I've never been a "bike person" so I didn't know there was anything better than the kmart kind of stuff. Big shock when I saw this forum, lol. So far I've been riding a borrowed 30 year old Giant mountain bike on my 7 mile round trip commute, but I have to return it so I need a new bike. I was looking at kmart and liked the look/feel of the Schwinn Riverside women's cruiser bike, but research tells me I should be looking for a $400 bike from a bike shop. I've never bought my own bike before except as a kid, so I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm on a pretty tight budget so it's going to be tough to shell out $400+ on a bike, but I'd rather spend the money than replace my bike after a year or two. Another question - what are the pros and cons of smaller/larger wheels, if there are any? If it makes a difference, I'm female and 5'0''. Also... I tend to ride in a skirt so I like the step through frame and chain guards/fenders that come with the riverside. Are there any better quality bikes that are similar?