I bought a Breezer and it wasn't cheap. My LBS calls it the "Volvo of bicycles". What gives me more of a workout (and I sure need it) is that it is upright, on the heavy side at 35 lbs, and I carry a ton of crap to and from work everyday. I'm usually hauling 55-60 lbs with the weight of my bike and my stuff. So it makes my 3.5 one way trip to work a little more substantial. The high quality makes me confident everything will stay working, especially my brakes.

So, good quality can make for a good workout. I like reliability, and I can afford it.