fast commuter bike-maybe this?

delllat

is this a decent bike to commute on for this kind of money?

http://www.sterlinghouse.co.uk/productdescription.php?prdgrp=V50_200308&rsno=3

cyclopath2001

It's not a bad bike for the money and much fun could be had riding it, but it's not an ideal commuter bike.

For dedicated commuting, especially this winter, I'd recommend, something slightly less sporty with:

A rack to keep a bag with your change of clothes (it's more comfortable than a backpack)
Mudguards (event partial ones) to keep you dry.
Lights.
Rear reflector.
Maybe less gears, for ease of maintenance.
Slightly fatter tyres.
Straight bars.

That said, I ride something like the one you've chosen as I don't have space for a selection of bikes. The roads take a toll out of the lightweight wheels, be prepared to replace them from time to time.

DirkVoodoo

TBH it looks a bit crap. You can do a cheapo conversion job to turn a toyota MR2 into a ferrari. It looks the part (almost) but it doesn't really handle like one. I'm not saying you need a ferrari to commute in, but a cheap road bike wouldn't be a lot of fun.

For double that money (yes double, but best buy a good one now rather than realise it later) you can get a nice Specialized Sirrus. Far better for commuting and probably more enjoyable. Important thing is that its a better built bike with better parts.

blorg

I wouldn't do it, you would be better off with a hybrid. Hybrids become decent at a lower price point than road bikes.

unionman

Cheap wheels never last

Howitzer

Have a look at the Giant Escape r2

Got one recently and it's all going well.