Welcome, and have fun commuting. I do enjoy being outside rather than in a box waiting in a queu or traffic.
Key things for you to consider:
- What size bike do you need? Go to some stores, see what they have and what fits, and what they recommend. Fit is the single most important thing.
- How fast do you want to go? My European commuting was fairly relaxed compared to what I do in the US, but everyone’s commute is different.
- Based on speed above – how upright or Aero do you want to be? Also, prefer flat bars or drops?
- What size tires do you need? 23mm is only good for a race bike, 55 is great for a mountain bike, and I find something between 30-40mm is great for commuting.
- Based on the answers above, you’ll have a good idea what kind of frame and style bike you want. You can tweak a lot of things on a bike, but fit (specifically top tube length) and maximum tire size are pretty locked in once you choose a specific frame.
Not a bad idea to start with a beater, then spend the cash when you better understand what you want.