I recently acquired a bike from my older brother. Anyway, it's a cannondale 1997ish m300se. It's a rigid bike and he only rode it a few times. It looks brand new. I will be going to school in Salt Lake in the fall and want to turn it into a commuter. I know the first thing that has to go is the tires. What tires do you recommend for turning it into a good commuter? What other things would you upgrade? I will get a better bike in the future, but want to use this one for a couple of years before upgrading. I love commuting- I did it for 2 years while living in Tokyo. Thanks for the help!

I would go with slick tires first, and lights if riding at night. A backpack for carrying stuff.

After that I would ride for a while before deciding what else I wanted to change. You have experience commuting, so you'll know what you like and what you don't.

I have found that spending money to upgrade stuff that didn't need to be upgraded...
Well, I have a box of stuff that will probably never be used again or didn't get used to begin with.

If you are riding on paved roads then replace the knobbies with slick tires.

You'll also need:
headlight
tail light
fenders(for when it rains)
patch kit
a good frame pump

Thats a should get you off to a good start.

You forgot a rack for carrying all the extra goodies.

Erm....whats a rack? (eyes backpack)

Also without going overboard on buying stuff, a pair of cycling gloves, can be bought pretty cheaply and makes a vast amount of difference to the comfort of your ride. I cannot believe I cycled 3 years without any.

My basics would be:

1)Helmet, lights + lock
2)pack
3)gloves
4)semi/slick tires
5)bottle + cage if going a distance
6)padded shorts
7)basic tool kit, spare tubes, tire levers
8)helmet mirror
9)a light waterproof jacket,
10) something glaringly obvious that I've missed. (chain lube as well)

A pump of course!

Replace the seatpost quick-release with an allen bolt or someone may "borrow" your seatpos and saddle.
Toe clips keep your feet in place and add a lot of efficiency without the hassle of special shoes.