My brother got a brand new Trek 3700 for $300 after tax and it's been a rock solid commuter. On the other hand, I ride a '93 Mongoose in every kind of weather you can imagine, and it's like an indestructible tank . I have another similar Mongoose (only it's an '88) that I recently bought for $45. I can promise you it would be a much better commuter than anything at Walmart, etc.