I have a Pacer and a Trucker....among others. They both work for commuting, but it really depends on what I'm doing that day. I'll ride the LHT when the weather is potentially crappy since it has fenders and the Pacer doesn't. I'll take 2 days worth of clothes in on the LHT and leave one so I can ride the Pacer. I like to rotate them. The Pacer is decidedly faster and more nimble in traffic. But so much of it depends on your riding style and where you're riding. Before I had them, I used my Motobecane Fantom CX as a commuter. Now I think I'm going to try Cross out this fall and am in the process of turning it back into a true CX bike. Good luck, I loves my Surlys, but I also love the Fantom CX. I'm recommending an employee of mine look into the Specialized Allez Double Steel as a commuter. The price is right.