Hello all,

Wondering if you could help- I need a bike for commuting for under $500. After researching here's what I narrowed it down to:

Kona Smoke
Jamis Commuter 3.0
and (the odd one out)
Bianchi San Jose

I'm looking for an all-weather, easy to maintain, no non-sense commuter for my 17 mile round trip commute. There are a couple hills, but not very steep. Terrain is all road and suburban streets. I'm in OK shape but not an avid cyclist, so I'd use this mainly for commuting, errands, chasing next neighbor kids off my lawn, etc. Once I'm in better shape, will think about a roadie, so hopefully this bike would be a good start. I've owned a mtb and an old road bike way back when...let's just say Beastie Boys Check Your Head came out.

I tried out the Kona Smoke at a LBS, but no stock on the other two nearby. Kona was smooth, but a bit heavy, but then again, I'm not winning any races. I like the look and fenders. I like the IGH of the Jamis, but not too crazy on the handlebars. The Bianchi looks slick, and I like the drops, but not sure if I should go with that as a first commuter bike.

Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks in advance!