Hi All,
Thanks for the valuable input!

Is anyone familiar with the Giant Invite 2??

It's a WSD cyclocross bike -- I tested it last weekend and liked it quite a bit -- seems like it could be a good mix of commuter/intro to drop bars/more road-like zip. Only hesitation is the Sora components (shifting not as crisp as one would prefer).

(I took the Coda Comp out for a ~18mi community ride (touring city murals!) and still liked it, although I would switch out the saddle. My hands bothered me a bit by the end of the ride, but I still liked the bike. I admit to trying the Giant Avail 1 again ... wow is that a fun ride. But, I need a bike I can lock up outside/in my apt bldg garage and that's not something I'd want to leave out anywhere... going to leave this for my "someday" list!).

Owlie, re: bike storage at work, there are many bike racks outside in a covered area. I typically bus my bike to work then do either the 14 or 26mi ride home (length dictated by public transit schedules)