Thanks for all the advice in this thread. I read it thoroughly, and personally I can't wait to get back on my bike... i know i've said that enough in these forums.
The consumer in me wants to go out and buy a new bike, but I won't have more than $600 to spend. I have a decent mountain bike that i've been using on my 5km round trip commute to work. I've decided to keep the knobby tires to go off-roading with friends, however I don't do that often.
One thing I wanted to try this year is going further distances. It's not the long day trips or anything like that I'm reading here, but I'd really like to try some casual, yet efficient trips around my region (Niagara Wine Region is really nice in the summer). They'd be about 50-60 km round trips, maybe shorter, but longer than what I'm used to. Eventually, I'd like to get more ambitious and go on longer trips, like to Toronto which is about 150km away.
So if I don't buy a bike, I'll have to gear up my mountain bike (has front suspension), to be able to do this trip. I know i'll need proper road slicks, decent enough for gravel and some dirt. What's a good tire for this? Maybe I'll get a rack, though I've done well with a backpack in the past. I'm good at travelling light. My bike is heavy enough.
If I do buy a bike, I've sort of got my sights on the Kona Dew or Kona Smoke 2-9. I've got some good advice about these bikes as a commuter, but how are they on longer distances?
Any more advice for a girl with a mountain bike wanting a few trips (probably by herself) to Niagara Falls for sight-seeing and fun?