I'm researching bicycle commuting, and looking for a good bicycle.
I'm located in Denver, CO. I'm looking at a variety of bicycles at this point. Some of the brands (bikes) I'm researching are Bianchi (Milano), Dynamic (Ricochet), Incline (Cross7), REI (Navarro), Trek (but having issues finding decent commuter bicycles), and Zero (City Bike).
I'm most interested in the low maintenance associated with internal trasmissions (e.g. - The Shimano 7-speed). I'm looking at the Dynamic, Incline, and Zero because of the additional low maintenance associated with shaft drive. I'm not out to race anyone and have no interest in off-road/mountain biking, so the issues with current-technology shaft drives in racing or mountain biking are unimportant to me. I'm looking for a rock-solid commuting bicycle for at most 20 miles one-way, over streets and bicycle paths with few if any hills of consequence.
So, please be kind to a n00B. I'm looking for opinions, comments, and information on any other bicycles which might fit into my needs and preferences. Good-natured flames are acceptable. :p