If you're doing the work yourself, from cheap used parts available at the bike coop
or some other source of reasonable, used, interesting stuff..........sky's the limit.
From your description of your circumstances, I agree with the guys who are telling
you add some 1.5" street tires, like the Schwalbe offering in 26", get yourself a decent
girly anatomy seat (I think the Performance house brad comes in a feminine version),
and buy the best U lock you can find.
I'm partial to the rear wire double baskets that are made by Wald.
Don't get the really huge ones, and make sure when they are mounted they
don't interfere with your heels as you turn the pedals. Depending on what
it has for pedals, you might want to swap them out or not.
To be comfortable riding around in city traffic you need to be certain you
can put a foot down on the ground quickly.
Someone already mentioned lights. There's a very good headlight called the
Magicshine that goes for around a hundred bucks and you can get some darn
nice rear red flashers for about ten or fifteen bucks now.
I think with all that, I'm pretty close to using up about $400. Use the other
hundred bucks on groceries.
