Commuting - best commuting bike under $850

I am already starting to think about my next bike. I have only been riding a few months and I am wondering what you think a good bike for commuting in this price range would be and what makes it a good value. There are so many companies and I know so little right now. Also do you prefer comfort style bars or dropped bars. There have been a few very windy days where I wished I had dropped bars to lower my resistance. Thanks :D

Used touring bike...

With fenders & a rack!

And some really good locks

$850 will buy you a lot of commuting bike. I don't know what you're into, but my preference these days is for internal geared hub (Shimano 7 or 8 speed), on a euro-style fully equipped (rack, fenders, dynamo lights) bike. Breezer. Trek L-200/300 (or T-200/300, if you're into derailleurs). Kettler. Bianchi Milano. Electra Townie-8. Other makes and models coming on the market all the time...

Just get on a bunch of bikes and see what you like. Look for quality components, the kind of things that can break and bring your commuting to an end. Don't pay extra money just to make something an ounce or two lighter.

The Surly Cross-Check retails for $750, but you will need to buy pedals, fenders and whatever else you need for the ride. I love mine. It has the dropped bars you want, plus it has some of the sturdiness of a mountain bike, which I particularly appreciate when going through construction zones, over rough pavement, or through mud.

It would be useful to understand what kind of distance/road-conditions your commute entails. Sounds like you are doing some open road riding (you mentioned drop bars for the wind?). If that's the case, something more akin to a road bike like a touring or cycle-cross bike will be a nice compromise. For short, stop-n-go in town bouncing around, some prefer something townie-style, more like a cruiser or a comfort bike.

I got a brand new Volpe for $ 525.00 and love it!
Comfortable, steady as it goes, fast as hell.
Corsaire

where did you get your volpe for that price?

On Ebay last December, 2003 model ,RED. Amazingly enough no one had bidded on it, I really got a deal.
I picked up it myself that weekened in NY, the Bike shop was 50 miles away from where I live.

I've been commuting on a 35$ Uo-10, a 35$ Trek 560, and an ancient PFN10E. You could buy all of them twice over for what you've got to spend. Actually probably around six-eight times.

If you're commuting, it's a good idea to get a grasp on bike mechanics, and by now you probably have a very good idea what frame size fits you. Haunt thrifts for a while, and something nice will turn up; take it home, tear it down, and rebuild it. The knowledge gained will do you well; and you can put the $$$ you save into buying some decent tools (Var, Hozan, Park) and a copy of Barnett's or one of the Zinn manuals. Get drops if you're riding an upright now; you'll appreciate the variety after a bit.

thanks for al the advice. My commute right now is mostly on paved bike paths. My current bike is an 03 marin larkspur. I love it but i started thinking what if I had an even better bike!!! LOL Then I realized i wasnt sure what would make a bike better so i posted this thread.

Bicycling Magazine has a buyers guide out in the April 2004 issue. It looks like they reviewed 5 commuter bikes and they were all in your price range, except the Burley. Their must be a pretty good selection of commuter bikes this season. A few of them come with fenders, racks, and chain gaurds.

I just read the buyers guide again...they call them "city bikes", but many of them look like good commuters.