Commuting - Which bike

From the newbie, name should not be confused with doing a ironman event but stuck from rockcrawling jeep.

I currently commute 15 miles each way on an old Trek 930 single track. The ride is winning, so I am considering investing into a new bicycle. The current front runner is a K2 Mod 5.. I have two questions. How much easier will the commute be on a road bike? Is the K2 a good bicycle?

A little more info on me. I would like to join a club and build up to a hundred mile ride. I am 50 yrs young and lost 120 lbs over the last year and a half. I started riding my bicycle for health reasons and to help keep the weight off.

Thanks for any comments in advance (both pro and con)

I don't know a Trek 930 Single Track from a K2 Mod 5, but I do think that in general road bikes are more efficient than mountain bikes. Larger diameter wheels and skinnier tires make a big difference. Have you taken a test ride yet? If so, what was your opinion?

witch bike?

http://www.cgstock.com/pics/5664.jpg

Another newbie here....I used to commute 17 miles each way on my Jamis Quest road bike. It was an enjoyable commute although there were times that I wished for wider tires, fenders and a rear rack for panniers.

Using my own experience as a guide, may I suggest the Jamis Aurora? On paper it offers many commuter-friendly features like drop bars, reasonable gearing and clearance for wider tires and fenders. It should give you most of the speed, comfort and handling that you'll need for a 15-mile commute.

A bike the Aurora will also fit into your future cycling plans if you are thinking of doing club rides, day tours or centuries. You won't want to race on the Aurora but it should be fine for all-purpose riding.

Good luck! :)

I'm wondering why you think you need a bike with 105/ Ultegra/ Dura-Ace(!) components. Even for a beginner racer, nothing above 105 is at all required (actually, some people race on Sora just fine, but don't tell the bike snobs). You will have absolutely no flexibility to lock this bike up outside for fear of it being stolen. Any thief that knows even the basics of road bikes will immediately see the 105 rear dérailleur and target this bike if at all possible. Also, consider that this is a huge leap up from your trek. Huge! However, any new bike for about 600 dollars and up is going to feel excellent in comparison, so I'd really question why you need a bike like this. Not only that, but it's pretty impractical. The carbon seatstays and seatpost prevent you from attaching a rack even if you did have room in the first place, which don't anyways, and anything other than raceblade fenders are probably out of the question. Don't get me wrong, it's a great bike, it's just more than you need in a lot of areas, without some key pieces that would make it a great commuter.

I own a Jamis Aurora, the bike mentioned by an above poster, and I would highly recommend it. It's a road touring bike, and it will still feel a ton faster and even lighter than your current bike. However, since it is a touring bike it is sturdy, and has the ability to mount larger wheels, fenders, both front and back racks, etcetera. A similar bike is the Surly Cross-Check, which is very similar bt is technically a Cyclocross bike. Ditto the Bianchi Volpe.

I completely understand the hungering for a new bike, but it's important to understand that though they may be marketed heavily, a lot of road bikes are simply ill-suited to everyday use.