The Centurion is 10 times the quality of that Schwinn and about 10lb lighter.That Schwinn is sporting steel wheels. The Extra light is a joke. That bike is about 35lb but it is lighter then a Varsity of the same size that would have been over 40. The Centurion will be about 25. The Centurion would probably clear 700x25's maybe 28's. The tires on the Schwinn are about a 32mm wide (they are goign to be 27x1 1/4). The stand over on the Centurion is listed wrong. Its about 34inches. 25 inches is 63.5cm, same as the seat tube length.

Fair waring about craigslist. You want it you better be ready with money in one hand and car keys in the other. There are smoking deals daily. I missed a Trek 600 by 10 minutes for $50. The guy that got it fixed the flat tire and has it listed for $300 now.

Not to mention a hill with an angle of 30 degrees! That sucker would have a grade of approximately 58%. (The grade is the slope (i.e., the tangent of the angle) converted to a percentage, so in particular, a hill that rises a vertical foot for every horizontal foot (angle of 45 degrees) has grade 100%.)

Well, I'm exaggerating the incline. It was tough enough on one gear that I forced myself to stop 2/3rds of the way and walk the rest of the way up the hill. Felt like my heart was going to explode at that point.

It's hard to gauge from the google maps link, but looking northwards is the direction that I go in to get to work.

Hopefully I'll be able to take a look at both bikes before next week.

the thicker a tire, the better I suppose for rough roads? Or could I compensate by not pumping the tires to their max? I'm anxious to see how much of a difference the commute would be on a bike that is in much better condition.

Getting a better fitting bike affects more than comfort, it can also affect performance.

I also don't think the other posters were referring to tire thickness, rather tire width. Tire width can help with traction and comfort, and may or may not affect speed. For rough roads tire width can help soak up the bumps. How much you inflate your tires can also help with speed and comfort as well. It can also help in the prevention of flats.

This is what I ended up getting. I couldnt get to see the cannondale, seller was getting more flakey with meeting times. Decided to not follow through with it.

The Schwinn, while bigger, was heavier than I thought it would have been so I settled on a smaller bike. My legs are just nearly fully extended when pedaling. Treading is old and so the tires need to get replaced. Cost me 115. Shinano brakes/derauillers. Miyata frame (dunno if that is significant or not) Can't find the craigslist ad for this but here are some pics after I rode on it.

Even if it turns out I could have done better, it's nice to have a bike that is much better than my old one. Plus, I'll start learning more about bike maintenance on a bike like this.

THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE FOR YOUR ADVICE! I'll be checking out the commuter forum often for other tips.

The world's steepest paved street is in Pittsburgh, PA and is called Canton Ave. It's 38%. There are several in SF and LA from 30-35% and one in NZ at 32%. Canton Ave. is part of the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen route which Bicycling Magazine calls the toughest sub-100 mi race in the world.

Anyway, good choice on your ride. Univega is is solid mid-range quality Pac-Rim bike. Lube it up, make necessary adjustments, get some accessories and go.

Would recommend full coverage fenders like Freddy, Planet Bike, SKS, etc. as they'll be a godsend during wet weather.