The Hotrock with 350-400mm seat post and 120-135mm stem might be the perfect combo once you find some street tires.


check this out

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...7_20000_400307

Thank you for the recommendations people.

I think I may be wanting to go for a hybrid or road bike. For those of you saying mountain bike, please give me some of your reasons/justification. Or you could list some specific pros/cons for each pertaining to my area.



To the person who gave me the route mapper, thank you! My ride seems to average around 4%, though some parts get up to 7 or 8% hills. Elevation seemed to range between 300-500ft.
(Where I live everywhere is gradual hills, though there are the occasional super steep ones. I checked one bad hill in the middle of my campus (I'll rarely ride that)...it was 20-21%)


I'm only riding on paved asphalt roads to class only (don't have time to do anything else than that because of school). I think I may want to purchase fenders...it's a temperate zone, we don't really have a rainy season, but it's typically raining all year. (Of course if not, the 300% humidity here will be sure to get you wet)

The reasons that I would recommend a MTB for a commuter are many: Older (early 90's), rigid (no suspension) MTBs can usually be found cheaply on your local CL. They are rugged and can handle commuting duties admirably well. New components to replace worn-out ones can be found easily and cheaply. MTB gearing is ideal for climbing any hills that you may come across on your commute. They are easily transformed into functional, all-weather commuters with the installation of fenders, racks, and lights. 26" tires are readily available for all sorts of riding; slick, "urban" treads for the city, knobbies for singletrack, and studded for winter commuting. You can even purchase a separate set of rims and tires for a quick swap for ugly conditions or if you want to hit the trail on the weekend. When you can afford the bike of your dreams the MTB can be kept as "Old Faithful" should your dream bike be down for maintenance. Lastly, if it gets stolen it can be replaced easily.

If you don't want a MTB then by all means find a road bike or hybrid. Almost any bike will make a great commuter when well-equipped.