Originally Posted by Brian Ratliff
. . . That said, I am conservative with my money too. If I were in your shoes, I'd get some slicks for the mountain bike and ride your commute route for a couple months before shelling out for a new bike. I consider any (one way) distance less than 20 miles over reasonably flat terrain to be doable on any bike in the stable. I'd get the slicks though, rather than suffer with knobbies.
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I agree. I commuted for a long time on a hard tail MTB, then stopped for a year or so. Before I shelled out for a Surly Cross Check, I commuted evey day on that MTB for six months or so.
I think a cyclocross bike like the Surly CC is the best compromise. You get near road bike geometry with the versitility to put on fat tires with fenders. Those drops a re certainly nice in the wind, and I put 35 Nokkian studded tires under fenders with plenty of room to spare. I usually ride on 32's. I put most of my thoughts on the subject in the first few posts of the
Advice for New Commuters thread.
I can't speak to the quality of the other bikes on your list because I just don't know them.