Having changed jobs I now have the opportunity to ride - and I like the look of these... Belt drive (no oily chain) and internal 11 spd hub, with hydraulic disc brakes... and the matt black looks nice!
avantibikes.com/nz/bikes/kids-bikes/
Bike exchange say they cost $1,699.95
For less than 1/2 of that you could get a really nice commuter/hybrid that would probably be as comfortable and easily maintained.
Have a look at
Specialised cross trail $849
Giant Roam $1299
Scott sportstar $900
Personally i'd go the specialised very good value
Orbeau - Carpe H30 $900
Personally I ride a dusty old clunker the 7km to work. Keeps me fitter than the above, that I still really want. I don't get a lot of the lycra clad cyclists. I see them riding in packs, talking. If you're holding a casual discussion you're not actually exercising. You're kidding yourself.
The biggest factor in a bicycle is probably its engine.
How about Trek Soho Deluxe for $1400? Also belt-drive, also Alfine internal hub. Has mudguards.
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I like the internal hubs, especially the reliability and no maintenance aspects. Took me a few days to get used to switching gears under no load though (the exact opposite of derailleur).
Yeah - I know, there's almost too many nice bikes to choose from...
I don't really need a new bike, I'd just like one!
I recently put some Mavic Crosstrails on my 2006 Avanti Barracuda Disc (hydraulic) mtb and it made a noticeable difference to ride performance, and with a decent set of road tyres it's a good-enough commuter.
I'll keep an eye out for sales towards mid year when the new season's ranges comes out.
I was given this for Christmas by my awesome missus! It's under $400 and I'm using it as a training change from my usual 20 speed carbon roadie. The difference in workout is incredible, but I do the Manly > City ride in the same time.
Belt drive, internal hubs would be myh pick for top of the line commuter though. This bike will require a lot of TLC as the components will wear out quickly.
Did I say it glows in the dark for over an hour? First in the country 
Mongoose sabrosa, commuter. Bought it for $999 new in black a few years ago.
Does the 45-50 km commute easily & comfortably. Complements the Giant Anthem i used to race. For what i paid i can not recommend it more highly, bugger all maintenance even did a Stage of the Tour Down under on it in. Baggy shorts as it isn't required to get all lycra covered. 1 rear cog & chain replaced in 3400ks.
Here is one :http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bicycles/mongoose/flat-bar-road/mongoose-sabrosa-3x9/bondi-junction/nsw/100346330
All the way from the mean streets of Woollahra to Randwick, through Centennial.
~7km and ~25 minutes. 20 minutes with today's wind.
Not quite the hills you have.
Military Rd. in peak hour must be... something.
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mate if you want a proper workout I can fix you up with an all steel mountain bike. you'll be rooted in no time. those good bikes you gotta ride too far to raise a sweat. i;'ll even throw in an old car tyre you can drag behind you for extra credit!
excellent point !
that's what my wife did.
i thought i was getting too fat and asked for a 20 speed carbon roadie for my 40th. but she bought me an all steel bmx instead.
i've been riding it for 7 years and love it. check it out
Select to expand quotedmitri said...
mate if you want a proper workout I can fix you up with an all steel mountain bike. you'll be rooted in no time. those good bikes you gotta ride too far to raise a sweat. i;'ll even throw in an old car tyre you can drag behind you for extra credit!
excellent point !
that's what my wife did.
i thought i was getting too fat and asked for a 20 speed carbon roadie for my 40th. but she bought me an all steel bmx instead.
i've been riding it for 7 years and love it. check it out
sweet! Do you still shave your legs and wear lycra?
I swear some dudes just get into cycling as an excuse to shave their legs. I have known 50yo fat balding execs that shave their legs because they cycle.
These guys would be the first to turn bxtch if sent to prison.
Why oh Why do you possibly need to shave your legs???!!
^^^
My brother-in-law is a tri-athlete and iron man. He tells me that it is not for aerodynamics, but rather that when they stack, the resulting graze is 'smoother' and easier to clean... or so I am told.
Others on here must know 
I am riding one of these guys.
Had it.. 3 months. Verdict: Varied.
It's an AWESOME bike. Really, really fun to ride.. quiet, stealthy, just frigging awesome. It's in my mind, possibly the best commuter you could buy. But it needs to run perfect.
The problem is because the drivetrain is so ridiculously quiet, (it's a belt drive, after all), if you get any kind of squeak, no matter how infinitesimal, from anywhere, it completely overrides the riding experience. Since these sounds previously, were masked by the drivetrain! So - while you get 'low-to-zero' maintenance, you get another kind of maintenance, which is paranoia, about where the hell the latest noise is coming from, and, do I have the skills to fix it (as belt drives don't really reward 'standard' mechanical competence for bikes).
But - if you buy one - put your LBS under the gun and make sure they get it right, right out of the door. The problem is they need to be tip-top from day 1. If you're paying ~$1700 for a bike - make sure they have it running perfect... hold them to the fire. Unfortunately this is painful because.. there's only so many available, they get ridden/abused by prospective buyers.. some don't know how to really fix them.
But I ride daily to work and I love the thing. There's a good attention to detail on the bike (ie there's a teflon-like coating on the rear triangle, to dissuade crud from the belt accruing). I don't regret in any way the purchase apart from teething issues and look forward to many years of service.
Another great thing is it's pretty stealth on the street. Most people don't give it a second look. It just looks like part of the background which is fantastic from a security by obscurity point of view. I just lock it in a reasonably high circulation area and don't give it a second thought thereafter.
I think I saw the same bike in a shop last week, and was also struck by it, and wanted one. The shop also did conversions. But I didn't ask how much.
How difficult, what would be involved, how much would it cost to convert my bike to those hub gears and a belt drive?
Are you sure you need flat bars? Can't you ride in drop bars? I've seen some people on real high end bikes with flat bars and they were hunched over for speed, would have been better off in drop bars.
Cyclocross bikes have drops with brake handles on the top of the bars also.
The disc brakes are cool but I've read accounts of them failing when used on long steep downhills on road bikes.
While looking for my next bike, I came across this article
www.bikeexchange.com.au/blog/best-urban-belt-drive-bikes-2019
