Originally Posted by
dahut
Get a flat bar road bike and add drop bar ends.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../cafe_noir.htm Comes 90% assembled. Ask a friend w/some bike-mechanic acumen help you put it together. Or pay a lbs a reasonable fee. Order the bike on a Wednesday and you'll have it by Saturday.
I almost bought this bike, but got this one instead:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._cross_cx2.htm My commute is over 20 miles so I wanted drop bars. Also, I only wanted a double crankset up front. They're less touchy than triples IMO.
The nice thing about the Cafe Noir is the adjustable stem. If the bike is a little too big or small upon delivery one can make a small tweak and be good to go.