Originally Posted by pkulak

I agree that a touring bike is a great way to go. However, those bar-end shifters could be annoying in the stop and go of city commuting. And if you do a cross bike or a touring bike, it's gonna have cantilever brakes, which are always just terrible. Some people will disagree with me, but they just are. If you go the cross or touring route, have the shop put mini-v brakes on for you.