Hi - I also have been researching commuters for awhile now. For me, I think I'll go with the Surly Cross Check. Here's why: it comes in smallish frames, but maintains the 700cc tires. A complete brand new bike is around $850 (I know that's a bit more than you mentioned, but...). It's tough as nails that bike. It is a great commuter, and you can use it for touring too. The only thing I'm not really crazy about is that the shifters are down on the drops, but I figure I'll get used to it. It is a cyclocross bike with wider rims than the road bikes and a double in front. The gearing ratios are good for me - I live in the rockys and (needless to say), there are TONS of hills. Nonetheless the gearing is pretty good. It's a chromolly frame which I like better than aluminum for commuting (dampens the bumps), as do the beefier tires. So, that's my opinion... the bikes are a bit hard to come by. You need to go to the Surly web page and look up your state and they have the LBS listed that sell them... Good luck!