I commute on an older terry classic touring bike with drop handlebars. I use a rear rack and have a briefcase pannier for my laptop, etc., and a handlebar bag for my lunch, purse, and flat kit. I used to use 25mm wide tires, but got too many flats on the rear wheel, so put a kevlar belted 32 mm wide tire on the rear only, and haven't flatted yet. She is not as light as my racing bike, but I worry less about theft and I like that she can carry stuff and handle road trash. I agree with the suggestion that she is better off with a drop bar road bike that is as light as possible, and still does what she needs it to. She should try to get a good road bike on ebay or craig's list to get more bang for her buck.