It has been a hot and humid commuting week in Okinawa. Sweating is the body's way of cooling. When that sweat can't evaporate, there isn't any cooling, just soggy shirts and shorts and continued heat. I remind myself that in a few weeks, I will remember why I love this island: from October pretty much to the end of the school year in the middle of June, the weather is wonderfully room temperature.
I've made low-ball bids on e-bay on a couple of dream commuter bikes for myself. A Rohloff Speedhub-equipped fourteen internal speed Trek and a Bianchi eight-speed internal. The Trek went for $1,000, the "buy it now" price and the Bianchi is still in play. It retails for $600 which seems quite reasonable to me.
I test-rode a Breezer Uptown 8 in Logan, UT this summer. I could only try it out on a an incline from one parking lot to another. Wimmer's Sewing and Cyclery (great combo) is located in the flat part of Logan. They didn't have them in stock, but I'd like to also try Breezer's Greenway and Liberty. They refer to them as "Range" bikes.