Commuter bike recomendations?

25km a day (round trip?) is possible on any bicycle...

For bad roads look for larger/wider tires before getting suspension and carbon...

The MEC internally geared bicycle is nice(low maintenance). The Alfine hub is one of the better quality hubs in that category... but it is over your budget i think. I would be nervous to leave it locked up for a long time, even with a high quality lock.

Yes, 25km/day is short and easy. I'm riding a 20 year old beater bike now, and figure that after all this time, I can afford to splurge and get something really nice.

My beater is an old fixed-frame mountain bike, and has been fine all this time. I'm getting old and soft now, so the thought of some suspension is attractive. I also rode my son's spiffy new front-suspension MTB for a week or two last summer, and really loved it.

I'll be storing it indoors at both ends, so not so much need to worry about bike thieves.

Urbane has some Globe bikes. I've been riding the Live 2 its great. http://www.globebikes.com/ca/en/globe/GlobeHome.jsp

I'd go without the shocks for efficiency, and ensure that there is clearance to attach fenders, etc. Fixed gear is one way to go.

something like this:
http://www.khsbicycles.com/06_urban_uno_10.htm

If you want something light, easy to ride and under $1k I would look at this site.

http://www.wabicycles.com/index.html

I have a lightning, and am very happy. It's got a flip flop hub so I got a freewheel for commute and fixed for training. You won't believe how easy it is to ride and climb.

Only issue is they are in LA so tax and import are a bit of a add-on but if you can get it delivered to the US and spend enough time over there to get your full import allowance. It's a steal.

The difference carbon makes is pretty subtle. Ya, it absorbs some of the road shock, but its main benefit is simply its lightness. I have a carbon rear triangle on my hardtail mountain bike (the rest of the frame is aluminum), but for my commuter bike, I honestly prefer steel (often called chromoly on bikes). Chromoly provides a much softer ride than aluminum for sure (one of the reasons why long-distance touring bikes are often steel).

I probably wouldn't recommend front suspension though. The problem with front suspension is that really nice, really good suspension on mountain bikes feels, well, really nice. But the cheaper suspension you find on hybrids and commuters isn't as good (and you wouldn't want it to be as squishy anyways because you don't want to lose the pedalling efficiency). I do have a cheap suspension fork on my steel commuter, but my commute occasionally takes me through ravines and down stair cases... Anyways, not a big deal, but it might add some weight and take away some efficiency from your ride.

As for the MEC bikes, I'm not a big fan, not only for their sheer ugliness, but when compared with other brands, they're actually not very good value either. And because I like to be able to work on my own bike (not to mention weight and efficiency issues), I wouldn't look at an internally-geared system. For a good, reliable, fast and fun commuter, you probably want 700c wheels, and at least Shimano Deore (or LX) components. Check out what you can get from Trek, Gary Fisher, Kona, or Rocky Mountain within your price range and you'll find that you're getting a lot more for your buck.

"As for the MEC bikes, I'm not a big fan, not only for their sheer ugliness, but when compared with other brands, they're actually not very good value either. And because I like to be able to work on my own bike (not to mention weight and efficiency issues), I wouldn't look at an internally-geared system. "

Care to qualify any of that? I mean if you don't like a black paint job, then fine... but the bikes are in the appropriate price range for what they're spec'd with. In fact the bicycles spec by MEC stand out because those brands you mentioned have gaps in their lineups, Kona being the most complete IMHO(Trek is just $$$). Regarding IGH hubs, the Shimano Alfine is a very good hub which can go long distances without service. Your complaint about the drivetrain power loss and weight would only makse sense if you were to race with it. IGH is a great option for a commuter if you have the extra dough and want less fuss. MEC has an IGH bike priced appropriately.

I've convinced several friends to buy a Dr. Dew from Kona. I find it to be an excellent commuter bike for my purposes. Their Dew Deluxe is also a good choice. It's a wicked fast bike.

If you're in Toronto, Sweet Pete's is selling the Door Prize, made out of an assortment of Kona parts, which as $579 is a steal.

Allow me to join the chorus discouraging you from getting front suspension. It saps the energy you put into pedaling, and doesn't provide much benefit. Your arms can absorb front bumps, and if you have a delicate tailbone or back, you could consider a suspension seatpost.

I ride on some pretty rough streets and 100 km+ distances on my old mountain bike (steel frame, no suspension, wide slick tires) and have found it more comfortable than riding my comfort hybrid with front and seat suspension, plus the MB position is more ergonomic and I can go faster, even on fat tires.

I'd also recommend somewhat wider tires before suspension. One of my friends uses a performance hybrid frame with a 1.25" tire up front and 1.75" in the rear, just because he was getting some butt numbness from a 1.25" rear tire. Once he swapped out, he was riding fast and comfy.

Some great suggestions here. Let me add one more.

I ride a Marin Hamilton 29er pretty much off the shelf. I've added Planet Bike fenders, the least expensive rear rack available at MEC and then changed over the pedals because the stock plastic ones were junk.

And here's why: first off, price, it was just $550. Second, the single-speed set up is just right, it's not a track set up, so stops and starts aren't a challenge, and it's still comfortable to pedal when I get up to speed. The steel frame is a bit more mountain bike than road and gives you a position half way between aggressive and upright. The stock tires, Continental Town Rides, are wider at 1.6" front and rear and at that size it means that I don't get caught in sewer grates.

I got mine at The Cycle Shoppe on Queen Street West, but most other Marin dealers seem to stock them as well.

The best way to find out what bike is most comfortable for you is to test ride as many different styles as you can. Find a good commuting bike shop (such as Urbane) and try out what catches your eye.

I, like you, were riding a hard tail mountain bike as my commuter for 16 years. I've since replaced it with a Muirwoods 29er. I tried a couple of bikes out, all aluminium except for the Muirwoods which is steel and I didn't get a good ride on rough roads with the aluminium frames, even ones with steel forks. I wasn't interested in shocks, they are heavy and I think they lose some power transfer from the pedal as they absorb some of your effort. The Muirwoods 29er fit the bill perfectly for me. It fit very similar to my old steel mountain bike and the ride vibrations and bumps are dampened. The 29" versus 26" MTB tires are a plus both for reduced rolling resistance and seem better for pavement cracks and small potholes. My only complaint is that it's hard to find fenders that fit - I went with the Planet Bike 29" Cascadia fenders but had to order them from the USA as I couldn't get them at MEC and couldn't find another online retailer in Canada that stocked them. I am using my wife's planet bike hybrid fender for now on the stock tires, but when I put my wider winter tires next fall I'll have to have the larger 29" fenders.

I really like the wide handlbars on the Muirwoods. Very comfortable although some folks felt they needed to cut them down a bit. It feels like you're holding a bull's horns at first, but now I find they are good to rest your wrists on when you're not in a too technical part of your commute.

Hope that helps.