what he said. Start with the tire size - and a bike that can take 40mm tires is pretty good in an urban environment. Not sure what part of town you are in, but yeah, 40mm tires are great for junky broken up cement you can get in Houston. Really no reason to go less than 40mm unless you are a weight wienie. Tubeless tires have pretty much eliminated commuting flats for me (most of mine were pinch flats anyway). Typically, spending the extra $400 will get you lite weight (and maybe marginally better components).