Hey guys, I'm sure you get questions like this a lot but couldn't find anything that fit my exact needs.

I'm looking for a bike for general recreational use, commuting, and long distance riding. I ride every day for at least 2 hours to get where I'm going, and I go on an 7+ hour ride every weekend from Long Island to Manhattan. I plan to do some occasional short-term touring rides as well (maybe a week max or so).
While I'm mostly on pavement, the pavement in the areas I mostly ride around at the moment is crap. Lots of potholes, lots of cracks, lots of debris. The bike I currently have, a cheap cruiser bike (~$350), is always getting busted in one way or another from my riding (currently dealing with bent rims).

So what I'm looking for is a nice, durable bike for crap pavement that can be used for short commutes, long recreational use, and long-distance rides. From what I've read I've seen lots of people point towards Touring bikes and Cyclocross bikes.

Any suggestions, anything I should look for, and any particular bikes you could recommend? Also I was talking to a friend from work who has and recommends a Trek 520 - is this a good suggestion or in the right ballpark?


Thanks <3