Well, I have been biking on and off my whole life. I just recently bought a 1987 Trek Elance (400t) road bike (my first road bike) and have been riding it back and forth to class. When summer comes along I will be working at a college about 10 miles away, so I have decided to start commuting there with this road bike. Will this make a good commuter? Any tips are welcomed.

Just to add, I will be biking mainly in the country side.

It will be fine if you can fit a rack and mudguards. If it doesnt have holes for mounting them it the rear dropouts and at the bottom of the fork, you can either make do with P-clips from the hardware store or buy some partial fenders without support struts. Keeping lock and change of clothes at work will reduce the amount of stuff you carry every day. Fatter tires will make the ride more comfortable - 25 mm width maybe the max that will fit with fenders, many commuters use 28 or 32 mm width tires. Always carry spare tube, pump, and tools to change the tube with you.

Welcome to cycle commuting!
Using the "Search" function on the forum will bring up plenty of common questions and they're answers asked by many others who were once first timers just like you.

Good luck and have fun!

What part of the country or world do you hail from? You may be able to receive some regional specific advice if you provide a location.

I'm not familiar with the '87 Trek Elance but if it's comfortable for you to ride long distances, then it should work fine.

As someone suggested, you'll need to get a spare tube or two to carry with you, maybe a patch kit, tire levers, a multi-tool is good to have, and some way to air up your tires. I carry a C02 inflater because it's cheap and small.

Lights and fenders are a good choice for a commuter.

Also, you'll need some way to carry your stuff. You can read a million discussions/arguments over which is better. A lot of people like racks and panniers. Others like backpacks and then others go for messenger bags. Personally, I carry a Chrome Metropolis (messenger bag) and love it but you may not. Whatever you carry, make sure you're comfortable with it and that it'll keep your stuff dry in case of a surprise storm.

A good lock setup (U lock and cable lock used together) is good to have if you plan to leave your bike anywhere unattended that's not secure.

And bring plenty of water and snacks in case you need them.

Ummm:

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/90213-advice-new-commuters.html

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