I also feel a front suspension is silly. The money spent on that would be better spent on mudguards, a ladies saddle that fits your particular body, possibly Ergon grips for hand comfort some USB chargeable lights or blinkies, some kind of bag that lets the bike carry your stuff, a helmet and maybe a nice rain garment. Obviously, that's more than the fork upcharge, but they are all things that you can find useful when commuting. I know I have. I also feel v-brakes and side pull brakes are a better choice as they are lighter, cheaper and easier to work on. It isn't always easy to find bikes small enough for you, but as mentioned, small and extra large frames don't move as quickly since the market is smaller for these sizes, and shops will give you a deal for leftover or sizes that didn't sell. It might be better to pay a few bucks more to a smaller shop that will go over the bike carefully and help you set it up to fit for ergonomic requirements than buy cheaper and pay someone else to"tune" it. If your cycling buddies know of an LBS that is honest and unpretentious it can be a good idea to establish a relationship with them for future adjustments and repairs. I'd rather pay my LBS a little extra for parts etc than buy it myself on the internet because I want to make sure they stay in business, and their products come with knowlege and installation if needed. Welcome to the wonderful world of bike commuting.... before retiring for the 3rd time I did it regularly from1981 to 2015.
