I'm 58, and many years removed from cycling. After having visited Europe for a couple of weeks and seeing how many people use bikes as their primary transportation, it made me think about how I could replace foot and vehicle time for cycling. I work at a fairgrounds and could certainly use a bike to get around and use it for meetings downtown and for going to lunch. so, an average week might involve 15 - 20 miles. I tested an Electra Townie 7d and kind of like it. It had an adequate low range for the kind of hills I anticipate. I was a little "shaky" on it - that is the steering was real sensitive to me, which I guess I attribute to my years of separation from riding.

I also have looked at sales on Craigslist but wonder if, for my situation, it would be better to go ahead and invest in a new machine at a LBS. Also, I didn't see exactly what I saw in Europe there. Perhaps I need to try the Trek 7.1, 2, or 3, although the salesperson said that might be a little more sensitive or jerky for me.

Check out the Jamis Coda series. They are an excellent commuter and road bike. If you want you can easily mount fenders for wet weather and a rear rack to carry panniers or a backpack (for clothes, etc). We sold loads of them when I worked at a shop in Atlanta before I retired.

https://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/street.html -- Click the "Urban" tab to see all the Codas.

outsourcing decisions is popular here , as is the I got an (XXXX) and I like it, response ..
so mine is repeated pick the shop first then get a bike there . test ride them

a handfull of factories make dozens of different brand names, under contract.

all things being equal, they will be..

Good advice to pick the LBS first and then follow their advice (but it never hurts to then get a 2d opinion here as long as you take it with a grain or two of salt).