Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,226
Likes: 734
From: Sacramento, CA
Bikes: '64 Bianchi CDM, '62ish Altenburger Cinelli Mod B, '63-64 Cinelli SC, 69 Rene Herse Competition, '71 Gitane SC, '73 Cinelli SC, '73-74 Colnago Super,, '73-74 Cinelli SC, '78ish counterfeit Confente, '82 Medici Gran Turismo, '67ish Mondia Speciale
I have a short, flat 7 mi. rt commute, so I have greater options than most. Dodging potholes and heavy traffic are my challenges. Mainly, it's the dense stop and start traffic that Chicago has to offer.
Currently, I use two bikes for my commute (5 days per wk.):
1) 1985 Merckx Corsa Extra, set up with Campy Ergo shifters. This is my sunny day commuter, and I love that the Ergo lets me keep both hands on the bars as I navigate traffic. This is my ride-fast back that I especially love to ride on the windy days here, as I feel like I can just slice through the wind.
2) 1986 Cilo set up with downtube friction shifters. I keep my SKS race blade fenders on this bike and ride it whenever there's a chance of rain or if I know that I'm running errands after work and will need to lock it up for more than a few minutes (the parking lot at work is fenced and guarded, so I don't worry about theft from work). I figure that Cilo is less known than Merckx, and it would just cost less to replace the Cilo if it were stolen. FWIW, I have about $400 in the CIlo and about $850 in the Merckx.
I'm currently overhauling a 1980 Windsor touring bike that will get outfitted with full fenders. I'll end up with about $400 in that as well.
No matter the bike, I carry my velcro attach Sigma flashing lights. My large messenger bag holds whatever I need to carry for the day and has enough room for a few groceries on the way home.
I used to have a Jamis Coda Sport flat bar road bike but sold it. Drop bars really do make a huge difference when it comes to riding in wind and putting you in a better position for really cranking.
So, you can see that my recommendation is to go for a good used road bike and use the leftover money to upgrade and buy accessories, such as good clothes. I'm already finding the benefits of good cycling jackets and gloves. Also, though I much prefer vintage steel in all other respects, I will say that modern brakes offer a huge improvement.
Best of luck to you. Commuting's really fantastic. It wakes me up on the way there and gets me home feeling relaxed and feeling like I've earned that after-work beer.