Match the bike to the journey
For a three to six mile ride on mostly flat tarmac, a hybrid or flat-bar road bike is hard to beat. Upright position, wide enough tyres for potholes, mudguard clearance, a rear rack, and light enough to carry up stairs at home or into the office. This is the default commuter bike for a reason.
For a longer ride, say ten miles plus each way, consider a drop-bar bike. Road or gravel bikes give you more hand positions, which matter on longer rides, and they tend to be a little faster on tarmac. A touring bike with flared drop bars and 32mm to 38mm tyres is often the ideal long-commute bike if you can find one.
For hilly routes, or where the end of the commute involves arriving not sweaty, an e-bike is the most practical answer. The initial outlay is more, but the difference in how you feel when you get to work is enormous. Electric hybrids have come down in price significantly on the used market.
For multi-mode journeys that involve trains or the Tube, a folding bike is the right tool. A Brompton gets you from your front door to the station, onto the train as hand luggage, off the train at the other end, and to your office. No lock-up station, no theft risk when you are not with the bike.
What really matters on a commuter
Mudguards are not optional in the UK. Without them, you will arrive at work wet and filthy every time it rains, which is about a third of the days you ride. A bike with eyelets for proper mudguards is worth significantly more than one without, and it is the single feature most often missed by buyers.
