Originally Posted by tarwheel

Since your budget is rather generous, I would check out the Gunnar Sport and/or Crosshairs. Gunnars are high quality frames built with excellent, relatively light steel tubing. Both models have mounts and clearance for racks, fenders and larger tires. I have a Gunnar Sport and it is a great commuter bike, yet fine for group rides and light touring as well. The Soma ES, Smoothie and Doublecross are similar frames for a smaller budget. Not as high quality as Gunnar or available in a range of colors, but excellent values for the money.