Hi all, my name is Ashley and I'm just starting to ride for the first time really since I was a kid. I'm 5'7, female, with a 30.5 inch inseam. I want to move toward biking as my main mode of transportation to school and work, for fitness and fun. I'd be commuting about 10 miles per day, more on days off for fun.

I live in Olympia, WA and it's often rainy. My routes will be paved (but not the greatest quality) roads and bike trails, occasionally some dirt paths. My regular route only has some mild hills, but there are two steep hills going in and out of downtown which I would like to be able to handle. I don't care about being very fast, but here are some things I'm looking for:

- strong frame
- stable geometry
- smooth ride
- not too heavy
- prefer a more upright position (just haven't ridden with drop bars at all so I'm not opposed to having to learn, also can drop bars be placed in a higher position until one gets more comfortable leaning forward?)
- comes with or is able to fit wider tires (I feel wobbly on my friend's thin road tires)
- comes with or could add a rack/basket

My absolute max price wise is $400, but I'd prefer something in the $200-$300 range as I am just getting into the sport. I'm really overwhelmed with all of the options out there, but here are some Craigslist finds I'm comparing:

Peugeot 55CM Mixte/Women Cruising Bike For Riders 5 feet 5 And Up
Trek with 18" Frame
Kona Smoke - medium 26" - like new

A bit out of my price range but I'd consider it if there are strong positive opinions on these:
Womens Giant road bike
Bianchi Mondiale - 52

Any other advice is welcome too! Thanks if you took the time to read this.