Newbie searching for first decent bike for commute - hybrid, road or cyclocross.

[thegeezer3]

Commute is around 10km one way. Mon - Fri.
Riding on smooth road and sometimes pavement
Do not plan to do off-road stuff.
Will aim to travel light i.e. backpack with laptop but having option for better on bike storage a plus.
Speed would be nice and something for training.

So first question what type of bike would be good for this?
At first I thought a road bike for the speed and maybe weight but a bit worried about lack of storage options for those odd times.
Then a hybrid looked like a good idea but there are so many and all so different.
Finally ive just heard about cyclocross bikes. I dont know how they differ can anyone shine any light on these.

Budget wise prefer to spend $500 but can goup to $700 if the test ride is awesome.

For now i guess i just need to know what type is the most suitable for my needs.

Can anyone help?

 

[cycleheimer]

Cyclocross bikes will look like drop bar road bikes, except they will take wider tires (think 700 x 38 compared to 700 x 23). They have cantilever brakes, and a higher bottom bracket (I can flip the toe clip side of my pedals down and not have the toe clips hit the ground as I ride). The ones I have looked at, as well as the one I bought, can accept both a rear rack and fenders, which makes them nice as a commuter bike. That's at least my take on it.

 

[vspa]

for extra storage you need to install a rack to carry on panniers, independent of your bike choice,
however the special eyelets you need for racks do not come on every bike,
check it out before you buy,