After restoring the 25-year-old Univega in my signature line this summer, I sold my 2006 Trek 520; the Univega is now my daily commuter. It's got relaxed touring geometry; plenty of clearance for fenders and big tires; commuter-friendly gearing with its triple crankset; and a rugged frame that holds up well to carrying loads. It has horizontal dropouts, too -- some day I may build up a rear wheel with an internal hub and give that a try. After I finished restoring it, I figured I didn't need the new Trek 520 any more.

The old Stumpjumper in my signature line is morphing into my winter commuter -- an idea I picked up on BF. So far I have less than $300 invested in the bike: $100 for the bike; new Marathon tires; new brake pads; fenders; rack; a $17 Nashbar trekking bar; a couple of new cables; handlebar tape. It's already a much better bike than anything you can pick up for under $500 at the LBS, and with an extra set of tires around it's still off-road capable. I believe it's also very tour-capable; the geometry is not that far off from today's touring bikes.

Craigslist is filled with two kinds of old bikes that make great commuters:

- Japanese bikes from the 80's (double-butted frames, good to excellent quality components)
- Old mountain bikes that are easy conversions to tough city commuters