A $800 bike is more than enough for 30 miles/day. Unless your ride goes straight up a mountain, a $1600 bike not going to be noticably faster or more "comfortable" than a $800 bike. A more expensive bike is worthwhile if you plan on getting into 100 mile rides in your first year. If you're going to take a couple of years to reach that level, then you're better off starting out with a cheaper bike until you really know what you want. Then you can spring for your nice bike and use the entry level bike for rainy days and commuting.