if you only need a bike to get from a to b, then a thousand dollar bike is a little excessive.

GurrCentral: you probably ride your bike for fun, as do most people here on BF. You might commute to work on it, and call yourself a "commuter," but i'm sure you still have a blast doing it.

Some people only ride a bike from a to b to get there faster than if they were on foot. If that were the case, any bike would do. A cheaper / older bike has less of a chance of being stolen and a smaller impact on a student's wallet.

dodecacycle didn't say he was interested in riding for recreational purposes - only for transit. i work with what i'm given.

if OP is interested in riding for recreational purposes, i agree with you completely. A cheap bike is not nearly as fun to ride as a nice one.