New biker needs advice.
 

I'm not necessarily a new bicyclist, however; I'm new to getting serious about the sport. I have always had crappy bikes that did not fit me right, were too heavy, and didn't last because of poor quality. So today is the day I want to get serious and do some research. I am looking to buy a new bicycle and I need some advice about what bike to buy. I am not a pro bicyclist. I think I fit in the intermediate category so I'd like to buy a bike accordingly. So to make a long story short....Please recommend some bikes you guys think will work well. I'll be using this bike for transportation (15 miles a day) and recreation (bike trails and forest preserves) so I'll need something that can stand up to some terrain and be fast and light.

Ummmm - maybe a cyclocross bike? You need to do some more research on your own before we can help you...

Go to your LBS (local bike shop) and tell them what you want to do with your bike. That will give you a good idea of the style that you are looking for.

+1 on cyclocross

Also check out the Specialized Crosstrail. It has decent road/trail capabilities and costs much less than a cyclocross bike. However, don't bother with the lowest model, as it's shock cannot lock.