i do have a lot of stops, here in southern cal and most likely in san francisco too but im not too worried about san fran right now as i can always buy another bike if the one i choose here can't hack it out there. and i also like the disc brakes

so for an internal hub do i have to shift down before i get to the light? or i can just keep it in gear and then at the light start shifting up again?

oh then I would go with an internal hub. the brilliance of it is that you don't have to shift until you stop! and even if you forget to shift until you start riding again, just punch the gears down and they'll adjust almost immediately - no more "rough starts" where you're stuck in a high gear.

i like the giant you posted, also schwinn makes an nx8 with an internal 8 speed for only 650!

20miles is good enough on the 8 speed seek 0 right

i mean the other way around

bump

I'm going to join the chorus recommending a touring or cross bike. A 3-speed coaster is cool for bombing around town but on a 20-miler you're going to want more and positions and real brakes. Plus with a cross bike you can always put skinny tires and nice wheels on it and, bang, it's a road bike. Don't forget lights and fenders!

The seek0 is pretty cool (a bit blingy for my taste), with http://www.swobo.com/catalog/product...cPath=201_1473 being an equivalent choice (swap for a drop bar +brifter/bar-end or flat bar for longer distances).
The 8 speed IGH is not an issue for any distance, even in somewhat hilly terrain. The tradeoff is that you will not have the fine-tuning of gear choices that you would have with, say, a cross bike.
Stock alfine gearing should get you up most hills in 1st or 2nd without much of a problem. I rarely use 1st on my 8sp nexus, and I encounter brief (100 yds or less) segments of 18% grade in my area (ymmv depending on legs and gearing setup).
I think a CX (cyclocross) bike is also a prudent choice, as others have mentioned. Surly Crosscheck or one of the BD Fantom Cross bikes would fit the bill there.

My current fave for all around utillity and flexibility is: http://www.civiacycles.com/civiacomplete_bryant.php with the alfine build and belt drive. For my needs (not too different than yours, generally) this bike hits the sweet spot.
. http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=134004
Plus, you could always -later- add a schlumpf up front (and tweak the cog setup) to have and incredibly wide gear range in a nearly zero-maintenance bike. http://www.schlumpf.ch/md_engl.htm

so i just road my buddies one speed raod bike with drop bars and boy did it kick my ass, it felt as if i had to pedal harder to get into a decent speed. this lets me know that i need more than one gear correct? the commute form his house to my house was probably 1.5 to 2 miles and i already felt my knees hurting a little.

is it possible to convert a 1 speed to an 8 + speed? how much would it cost?

I saw this one here on craigslist what do you guys think of it?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac...586422908.html

The CL bike is big. 62cm is a huge frame. How tall are you?

This is the best advice you have received so far on this thread. I know there are several good bike shops in West LA that will help you out. Go to several shops and explain what you want a bike for and see what they have to offer. Take as many out for a test ride as you can.

If you go the used route check out the Bike Kitchen near LACC http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/

Good luck and have fun. Buying a bike is half the fun IMHO.

You can't just start off riding 40 miles a day. How much cycling experience do you have? As commutes go, that is enormously long. I found that just the shear time it took for me to do a 15 mile one way commute (about 50 minutes one way) wore on me. I was doing it every day, but I am also a pretty avid cyclist and ride a lot anyways. I don't want to be Debbie Downer here but it sounds like you really don't have the necessary fitness or experience to be doing this. If you are committed to eventually being able to do this distance, I would get some sort of road, cyclocross or touring bike, with a good gear range and drop bars. Then start by riding for recreation and shorter errands. Also, once you do decide to commute by bike, do a trial run or two on the weekends to get an idea of how long it will take you.

I'm sure some people will disagree.

Somewhere either in this thread or another the OP mentioned something about 3 days/week. That's a lot different than trying to do the ride 5 consecutive days.

i'm 5.8-5.9 i didnt even think about the frame size :(

Go to an LBS. Seriously.

u cannot go wrong with the older(1982-1990) ridgid mountain bikes(GT/SPECIALIZED/NISHIKI/TREK)they offer a bigger wheel ,which will accept up to a 2.75 tire for more tread to make contact with the roads & curbs you will have to deal with(plus will not flatted as easy), these old bikes can be found cheap on CL and have good "older coponents" ,which in terms gives some extra $$$ to spend on panniers ,lights,fenders & rain gear, i have been commuting on my Nishiki for the last year or so ,this bike was a C/L find for $50 then put another $200 on the stuff(Topeak bag with built in panniers also a battery op Cyclo LED light,and trekk touring bars)) i had mentioned earlier,and saved a ton of money!,plus you will not be out $500 or more ,if you decide the commuting thing is not for you,it can be brutal out there. have fun and keep us updated :D

You might also check out the REI Novara Express. I am eyeballing one myself.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...araExpress.jpg

Now I don't work for REI (although I have been a member for almost 35 years) but here is some food for thought:

REI Novara bikes are included in their annual spring sale in March--20 percent off any single full priced item. And if you are an REI member and purchase the bike with an REI visa card, you can get another 15 percent back at the end of the year as your member dividend. Plus, if you don't already have an REI visa card, they will give you a gift card for $20 for getting one. All these things can add up to a sizeable discount.

I got the REI visa earlier this winter when they were doing a special promotion and got a $50 gift card. The Novara Express retails for $800. During the spring sale the discount will bring it down to $640. Using the REI visa for purchase brings a 15 percent year end divident of $96 and using my $50 gift card will take the price down to below $500. I don't know of another bike of this quality that I can buy new for that kind of money. Like I said, food for thought.

Good luck to you.

Lobo

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...84041_6603.jpg
This is my commuter. It currently has Conti Gatorskins and a pair of Planet Bike fenders on it. I do about 40 daily, 4 times a week. The bag has built in panniers that fold down. The whole thing, with rack, bag, fenders and lights set me back about $650. This years model of that bike is here. I love it, 2 years of basically trouble free riding.

after three months of riding with a basket, am eyeing that same trunk bag...