Originally Posted by Rich Clark

I think that if you spend many hours a week on a bike, it should be as nice a bike as you can afford. The only caveat is that for a commuter, you need secure parking (like, in your own office) if you ride an attractive bike. I certainly don't think $700+ is too much for a commuter.
You could buy a comparable hybrid and retrofit all the accessories and end up spending less money.

Or you could decide that the act of "commuting" -- riding a bike to and from work -- doesn't actually dictate the form factor of the bike. The Globe is a hybrid -- an upright bike with road wheels. You could also commute on a road bike variant -- a touring bike or a cyclocross bike -- with the same accessories, and have a faster, more comfortable, and more versatile bike. My tourer, for example, has all the same sorts of accessories as the Globe and is optimally suited for commuting, but it's also ready to do a 60-mile road trip with a camping stop at the othr end.

RichC