Commuting - Which bike for travelling to college?

Hey,

I'm 17 living in the UK, studying at college (high school for Americans) and rather than spending £180 for a bus pass this year I think a bike would be a better option, especially since I'll probably be using a bike for University next year.

Now, my route to and from college is all road (or at least mainly road as far as I know) so I think I'm right in thinking that a road bike would be best for me?

But no, knowing this is not enough, I've still got to define my specifications further... touring? racing? folding? I don't know

I want my ride to be comfortable but I would also like to go pretty fast, this implies sport racing (a supposed compromise between touring and racing) but I'm not sure.

Could somebody recommend what type of bike I should get, it would also be much appreciated if they could recommend, first-hand, a specific bike, considering I do not wish to spend more than £200 (~$350) on it.

Thanks in Advance
Tom

I bought a $360 Trek 7200 FX (hybrid) for university campus and small city usage. It works well enough for what I need. I'm still a cycling noob, but I think for moderate commuting just about any bike will do. A hybrid is a nice all-around utility bike that suits roads and doesn't mind the occasional grassy excursion.

I am in college and have a road bike and I really enjoy it. Sometimes I ride it for fun and sometimes I ride it to commute. The couriers in the city of washington dc, who ride on some of the narlist roads in country, ride road bikes and cyclarcross bikes. If you are worried about the terrian it is the tires that matter the most, the cyclacross can accomidate what brand of tire you need. At the end of the day the road bike/cyclecross bike is a little more versitle and a lot lighter.

I recommend the folder. One of the things I noticed about college campuses is the ability to be a bike theif magnet. I hope it is not like that in the UK, but I now only use folders for commuting since I prefer to have my bike with me at all times-anywhere I go. There are so many styles and models with even within bike companies' own line ups that there should be one to suit you. I wish I had a folder when I was in college. I would commute more and worry less about losing the bike in spite of all the locks I used to protect it (one U-lock and one cable).

get a lower end aluminum MTB and then put a rigid MTB fork on it. tange makes some rigid forks. try to get the fork rust proofed if you can. replace the parts as they wear. put some schwalbe marathon or big apple tires on it. get a good seat. adjust it to the proper spot. then put wax and dirt in the hex key holes so people can't steal it. get some pedals that will dig into your soles. don't spend too much on them.

put mud all over them frame and seat and such. get a big chain like the kryptonite fagedaboudit. put a good u-lock on it too. kryptonite makes a good one. i don't like onguard or magnum. their key holes suck hard.

also get a back pack... preferabley a water proof one. don't buy into the messenger bag bull****. books are heavy. you need two shoulders to carry them.

Old sport touring bikes or full touring bikes can be fast, practical urban runarounds that lack thief-appeal. In the UK you should be able to pick up something pretty cheap. Make sure you can fit luggage rack and fenders/mudguards.
If you want to use it for weekend tours in hillier parts of the country, touring style low gears are useful.

how far is the commute?

I'd recommend something like the trek 820, it's cheap, it's reliable, and once you beat it up a bit nobody will want to steal it.

Also, follow that one guy's prescription for bike lockup.