So I took an older gentleman that rides a mountain bike for transportation down town to World Bike to check out their line of Linus commuter bikes. We both rode the three speed first. It was quite nice.
Next ridden was the eight speed. Love was in the air! I really liked that one. Just wasn't real fond of the price tag.
Still, that eight speed has had me thinking about it ever since.
Any more opinions on this bike?

I've had my eye on the Roadster 8 (there's a dealer in my town), but I dunno. Not completely sold.

It's a good simple back to basic's looking bike.
I took my Diamond Back out for a few miles last night while thinking about that. I only needed several gears going up and down slight grades. I suspect an 8 speed hub will do for most riding.
Still tempting.

8-speed hub is enough for me, too. Looking for a little less slack geometry and prefer 26-inch wheels, but this deserves a test ride. Wish the fenders were full.

IMO, having experience with both, the Bikesdirect Windsor Oxford, Oxford Deluxe and Kensington 8 are just as good and much cheaper:

Save Up to 60% Off Town Bikes | Classic, Stylish Three Speed City Bikes | Urban Bikes | Commuter Road Bikes | Windsor Oxford from bikesdirect.com
Save Up To 60% Off City Bikes | Classic, Stylish Three Speed City Bikes | Urban Bikes | Commuter Road Bikes | Windsor Oxford from bikesdirect.com
Save Up to 60% Off Town Bikes | Classic, Stylish Eight Speed City Bikes | Urban Bikes | Commuter Road Bikes | Windsor Kensington 8 from bikesdirect.com

The only thing is you have to do some basic assembly.

You might also look at Public bikes:

PUBLIC® Bikes Official Site. Shop bikes, gear, and accessories

I liked Public over Linus when I test rode them. But they are very similar bikes for sure.

Here are a few more similar-ish bikes.
https://www.brooklynbicycleco.com/co...ke-collections
Discover Simcoe city bike: the Roadster Deluxe

If you think a Linus is expensive keep away from the full carbon full suspension mountain bikes

I test drove that bike and loved it. Level top tube and quill stem make it such a classic looking bike.

I liked them so much, I went and bought a vintage steel race bike for commuting. Its a more classy look (and more practical) than those expensive carbon bikes. ;-)

Which Linus? There are a few different models. A lot too depends on how you want to use it and where.

I think Linus are generally well made but are a bit of form over function. For short trips and not carrying a lot of stuff they're likely fine though I don't think any have a fully enclosed chaincase which make them less friendly for regular clothes. For longer journeys or carrying a lot of groceries or stuff then something from Workcycles or Gazelle might be a better option.

More: City Bikes | LocalMile

We have a couple of Linus that we got cheap to use for guests when a local bike shop went out of business. I put a full chaincase on them, bottle dynamo's, lights, better pedals and saddles, steering stabilizers, and a sturdier rack on one. They're OK but I'd not want to ride one very much. Compared to real city bikes they're a bit squirrelier and the smaller tyres are harsher on bumps.

That's an eye opening article, thanks for posting.
I'm not sure what the Linus I looked at was called, Roadster maybe? It seemed like a very smooth effortless ride.