As usual, this forum has provided great advice. I've spoken to some guys at the local lbs, and they seem to think that a cyclocross bike would be my best bet if i'm going car-free. Of course, that is a very expensive bike. One guy stated that if I was commuting alot on a road bike, i'd have to change out the drivetrain every year, and would wear the bike out alot quicker than a cyclocross bike. Any thoughts on this? I like dropbars, so right now, i'm leaning towards a used/new road bike or a cyclocross bike. I just don't know if i'm comfortable dropping a grand on a cyclocross bike. It seems like a lot of carfree people have got a heck of a lot of miles out of older bikes with a bit of maintenance.
-BacktoBasics