thought i might cloud the issue a bit further. i commute 3 days a week (working my way up to 5) in nyc from crown heights in brooklyn to the upper east side. it's 22 miles round trip and includes crossing the w'burg bridge. a few months ago i bought a jamis commuter 3.0 and have been commuting on it ever since. it comes with fenders, internal 8 spd. hub, and a comfortable upright riding posture. i might also add that the price is super reasonable, i paid $500 for it and could have gotten last year's model for even less but i wanted the '08. i added a rack for about $30 and i'm good to go. as for lighting, i bought some fenix flashlights and twofish lockblocks last year that worked great.