Commuting - Money well spent?

OK, so I can't afford the extra cash for a new bike...but my genetics compel me to spend money on my biking addiction...so what is the best investment for bling for your bike? should I buy better panniers, wheels, a new carbon fork? I already have good outerwear for the cold months, great lights and racks to haul what I need...where should I spend the cash to keep me happy rather than dropping 1K on a new bike? what is the best investment?

Beer and a cooler!!! Enjoy!

After the frame i believe the best component upgrade would be a new wheelset. actually how about one of those brook saddles everyone swears by?

Anything that doesn't fit or is uncomfortable, start there.

Nice tires. I heard somewhere that life is too short to ride crappy tires.

I can't help you with your wish list, but my wish list includes:

* A computer with GPS
* A Brooks saddle for the mountain/utility bike
* A nicer rack for the road bike - the rack I have is strong but ugly
* New pedals for both bikes
* Stiffer shoes

Maybe something on my list floats your boat, too. :)

Would you be getting new wheels for performance reasons? I recently got a new wheelset. The stock wheels on my bike were designed to be cheap and durable, - just fine for commuting. But I wanted something more suitable for the casual level of competition I engage in so I went ahead and got some better ones but didn't break the bank on them or anything.

To be honest, at first I was bit disappointed. I wasn't seeing a whole lot of difference. Earlier this week though on a long stretch of road where I sometimes like to open it up, it was noticeably less work to keep my speed up. I made it home in record time that night even though it was hot and dead calm. Tonight on my group ride they made a nice difference as well. I have a race in a couple of weeks so we'll see how it goes.

Though I'm starting to see the benefits from the new wheels I would say that from a just a commuting standpoint, they weren't the greatest investment. If commuting were my only biking interest, a better investment probably would have been a nice workstand.

If not new wheels for performance, the easiest upgrade to justify would be some Schwalbe Marathon Plus', for the sake of not having to worry about flats or wear for a very long time. I don't have any myself because my road bike gets all the new pretty shineys, while the commuter bike just keeps plugging away - just a hand-me-down now and then.

...a better investment probably would have been a nice workstand.

Great idea!.. I've never had a workstand but often wish I did :D *note to self*

bump.

its hard to get a decent bike for just one gand, moeso after buying a new saddle, pedals, helmet, ect. best bike you can get for 1k is the CAAD 9, try to get the 105 version. but it has no eyelets for fendes or racks. it doesn't sound like you need to spend any money on your current bike. keep the money in the bank.

hmmm...
you could... give it to me! :D
i agree with the tires comment. tires make or break things for me. bike, motorcycle, car, truck, and ATV all benefit from having nice tires.

The best investment is of course another bike.

Find a nice used bike of a different style from your current one(s) and upgrade it back to daily service condition.

Then you have a choice of bikes for your commute.

SE draft singlespeed. Available for around $250.

http://sebikes.com/Singlespeed/700cDraft.aspx

OK, so I scratched my itch...I went out to get more beer for the weekend, and the LBS is right up the block from the beer store...I got a sweet case of Rocky Mountain refreshment and some kickass detours transit tour Panniers...triple the volume of my Nashbar Daytrekkers...with a sweet clip on attachment mechanism that is pretty cool...I could pr'olly go for groceries with these things...While there, I happened to look at a couple of Specialized Globe IG3 that are clearanced at less the $500.00. Oh sweet Money Gods, shine down upon me...

I try to only spend money on the stuff that breaks now.

that said, that was after sinking a lot into getting the accessories and a good fit to start with...

and now i need a new messenger bag...*sigh*

After the frame i believe the best component upgrade would be a new wheelset. actually how about one of those brook saddles everyone swears by?

+1 hand built wheels and my brooks are my best upgrades

no question, wheels and fork, and maaaaaybe, tires?