Hi there, I've been commuting around in Southern California for the past six months. Yesterday my odometer showed I had reached the 1,000 mile mark, so yay for me. This important milestone has made me want to reconsider what I'm riding. I've been on a used
Specialized HardRock with some slick tires; it does the job, but not as quickly as I'd like. I've always been a mountain bike guy, so I've been hesitant to really consider something more road-specific. So I started looking at performance commuter bikes like the
Specialized Sirrus,
Giant Escape, and
Trek 7.3. Slick as hell, definitely, but I'm wondering if I should be thinking about something a bit more aggressive, like a
cyclocross. I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time online looking at different bikes, though before long I just end up with a million tabs open, and still no wiser for my efforts.
I'm a pretty aggressive rider, so I want something that can get me places quickly. Headwinds are an issue in my area, which makes me want to consider something with a more aerodynamic posture. I'm riding exclusively on pavement, with few bumps, and the terrain is fairly hilly. I need to be able to mount a rack on the back, as I run errands on it. It's rare if I ride for more than 15 miles at a time; any place I'd need to go to is fairly close, and as I don't have a car (and am on my bike nearly every day), recreational rides aren't really something I have the energy for.
I'm looking to spend no more than $800, and I'd love to hear your recommendations. What say ye?!