First of all, hello everyone. I was searching for a few reputable bike manufacturers besides Trek and came across this site. I found the forum to have a hefty number of users on it so I know I'll get a lot of good responses and feedback.
I currently have a one speed BMX bike from 5th grade that is finally starting to fall apart. This will be where your guy's feedback will come in handy as I don't have any knowledge of road or mtn bikes.
Anyways, I've been looking for a bike for about the past week. I'm largely interested in a road bike for fitness reasons (50-75 miles/week). The trick is, I commute around campus (I go to Michigan State University) and the bike will definitely take a beating on the sidewalks and street crossings (going up and down curbs from the street).
I know a mountain bike is ideal in a student commuter situation but I also want something for fitness that I can take on long trips.
What I'm looking for is a road bike that can handle some beating but still be somewhat of a speedster for under $850. I've been looking at the Trek 7.5 FX fitness bike but I was wondering what some of you guys thought on this matter. Let me know soon because the weather is too nice and I'm very anxious to start riding.