After my crash on the Dolce last week I decided that I needed a dedicated commuter bike. Something where my tires won't fall into the train tracks I've been pouring through the threads here, seeing what everyone else is using, and it's all over the place. There seem to be some true road bikes that were converted to commuters, and then there are more touring style bikes. I think I'm leaning towards that. I know I want wider tires, I wouldn't mind being more upright, but I don't want the frame to weigh a ton.

I've always owned Specialized bikes, I like the way they seem to fit me. I've tried out Treks and was never crazy about them. I know I see Jamis and Kona mentioned a lot, but I've never riden either. There's a shop a few towns over that carries them, but I kind of feel bad about leaving my local LBS. They're good to me, and if you buy from them you get lifetime tune-ups. Plus they're around the corner so if I needed to drop it off I wouldn't have to go that far. I'm also not sure if I want a new bike or a used one. I don't want to spend a ton of money, probably $500-600, less if I can.

Obviously I know I should try out as many bikes as possible and choose the one that feels best. But what do you think about the LBS issue, or used vs new?