Vanilla, Davidson, or Sachs.

go with a bikesdirect bike. that way you can have it shipped directly to him for free. if you get a conversion on craigslist, you'll have to find a way to get it to him which could be a pain. bikesdirect bikes are common enough that it isn't going to be any more prone to theft than a conversion. the lemond seems like overkill for a college campus bike.

Well, if your son is in the city of Chicago, there are any number of good options on helping him find a bike, and keep it going. Where is he going to school? Does he know how to deal with small, everyday bike issues (fixing flats, brake adjustments, putting on goofy anodized toy parts, etc.), and if not, does he want to learn or does he want a dependable LBS to take care of his ride?

There are bike co-ops now in Rogers Park (close to Loyola and Northwestern), Hyde Park (right by University of Chicago, not too far from IIT, Chicago State), and Humboldt Park (close to what feels like every tight pants and stupid glasses art student in the entire midwest).Those are all places where he could potentially buy a used or rebuilt bike and also have a source for cheap used parts and (at West Town Bikes and the Recyclery at least) access to open shops and advice from the in-house wrenches.

If you want to get him a new bike, we've got great locally owned bike shops across the city too, from Beverly on the far South Side, up through Bridgeport and Pilsen, to Wicker Park and Logan Square and Uptown and even on the Northwest Side, and it never hurts to buy a bike from a local shop that is around the corner when you need some quick help, new parts, or whatever.

Then there's always the go spend 60 bucks on a bike dug out of a big pile of rusty Schwinns at Working Bikes, which, honestly, is not a bad way to go.

So, where is he, and what does he need, not just in a bike, but what will keep him riding once he's got one?

When my son's bike got stolen from high school's lockup, I got a him a 20" folder from Downtube. I don't think he even replaced his bike lock.

full NJS

He's at Moody Bible Institute, which is adjacent to Walter Payton High. He's not into anodized parts. He knows how to do basic stuff mechanically. He's a good MTBer but has little road experience.

I believe it's not a bad idea to start on a SS and as you develop a feel for what you like and a budget to obtain it, accumulate geared bikes. He has the legs and knees to get away with it for awhile, unlike his dad. Does that sound about right?