I have a Faraday and it's a lovely bike, but it doesn't quite suit my needs. My commute is very hilly (at one point there's a 25% grade) and the Faraday is just not making it, forcing me to hop off and walk a long, exhausting, sweaty distance. Plus it has no suspension so the slightest bump in the road rattles my bones in a bad way. So I'm looking for a replacement.

I'm also very short (five feet even) and I've fallen several times when coming to a stop with the Faraday because I can't reach the ground enough to catch myself, so a squat, powerful bike that doesn't cost a fortune is what I'm looking for. Can anyone recommend a direction to start looking?