Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
For an in-between solution that might work and isn't as expensive, you might try some of the crank-forward bikes. They have more upright position that might not aggravate your back the way most DFs do. The RANS lineup is the best of them; the
Fusion can be had for less than a thou in US fundage. Other cheaper but less capable substitutes are made by several manufacurers:
Electra Townie and
Giant Suede come to mind.
Yes, there are now a slew of sub-$500 (U.S.) crank-forward bikes out, some as low as $300-$350. These include the Giant Suede, Electra Townie, Trek Pure, and Raleigh Gruv. The Gruv has been recently discontinued but is still available. The Suede is a rather conservative crank forward, with the crank only being about 3" forward of its normal position, wherein on the Gruv it is more like 6". They all have rather mid-level, or below, components. Some have only Shimano Tourney or SRAM ESP3.0 derailleurs, others are a bit above that at Shimano Acera. They are fun to ride, I took a Gruv on an extended spin last weekend and had a blast on it.
Trek had the Sole out in 2006 and it is probably still around, but I didn't like it much. And there's a slight crank forward Electra Amsterdam that is a very pretty commuter bike at $550-$600, but only in a 3-speed.
None are the match of the Rans bikes, but are far less expensive.