Getting more into commuting

As a college student, I haven't been able to afford a nice bike for commuting, so I've been using a single-speed cruiser that my friend made for me and it hasn't been very commuter-friendly. Now that I'm graduating and I'll have more disposable income, I want to get a nice bike for commuting and hopefully will start biking a lot more.

I've been doing some shopping around at local bike stores, and have narrowed down to a hybrid commuter bike, like the Kona Dew Plus, or a cyclocross, like the Kona Jake. Obviously the cyclocross is much more expensive, but I was wondering if anyone has some suggestions for what would be a better buy. I'll probably be biking about 15-20 miles a day, and may get more into biking for recreation now that I'll have more free time.

I'd love to hear some pros and cons with the commuter and cyclocross bikes, because at this point I really don't know what to do. I also have the potential of moving to the Pacific Northwest or Colorado within the next two years for grad school, so I'm wondering if either bike would be better for those areas? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :)

I would consider the Kona Dew.

Your commuter bike will get banged around, scratched, scraped, dented, and maybe even stolen.

Make the cheaper bike the choice for your commuter. You might have less stress that way.

The Dew is essentially cyclocross geometry. It is a sturdy and forgiving bike, and very easy to upgrade. The bar set-up gives you powerful control over the front end of the bike. Intuitively "yanking" on the bars lets you lift the front wheel up and over curbs and other road hazards. The leverage advantage lets you keep control when the front wheel gets knocked by a rock or crack.

You may find the limited hand position bothers you on longer rides.

I have a Kona Dew Plus. I like it a lot, though so far the few times I've bike commuted I've done so with my Trek road bike. But my goal this month is to start riding the Kona instead. It's a nice bike and the price was very reasonable.

Sorry I can't compare and contrast as others here can do. Just wanted to say that I really like my Kona. :)

I commute on a nice CX frame, but I also have the luxury of locking my bike up inside a building where I can see it all times. If I was locking up outside, for the same amount of time & in the same place every day, I would ride the cheapest beater I could get my hands on.

A CX frame is probably overkill for "just" commuting, but it's the majority of riding I do so I'm fine with that. The cx might also do duty as a light tourer, but again, only if I can lock up super securely. If you're looking into riding more recreationally, I would keep your beater as a commuter and get a second, specific nicer bike to take care of the fun times. Like a track, road, tourer, or mountain depending on what kind of recreation you're into. If you actually want to get into cyclecross, then get the jake, but I wouldn't commute with it unless I could lock it up inside and out of sight.

The Kona Dew Plus is a fine choice. Disk brakes for big hills and the rain, drivetrain that looks great for hills, upright geometry for jumping curbs and better control up front.

The disk brakes mean you will need a rack compatible for them. Kona tweaked the design so it's easier to install fenders.

Specs:
http://www.konaworld.com/asphalt_com...ntent=dew_plus