>>1159857The thing with commuter bikes though is that slow = more effort for the same distance and time. I could probably get one of those going reasonably quick and cover a good amount of distance on it, but I'd have to push myself hard to do it. If I were to put the same effort into riding one of those as I do my commuting rig I'd probably take almost twice as long to get to work and I'd be more tired afterwards because I'd been riding longer.
If you want to transport stuff, rack + panniers is the way to go, almost always. Front baskets are nice for groceries and other light but bulky stuff, but having too much weight up high makes you overstable. If you don't like using a rear rack then your best bet is a front rack on a low trail fork (requires the right ht angle), maybe with a basket as well for throwing small stuff in. For phone + wallet + keys + tools I usually recommend handlebar bags since you can easily get to stuff while on the bike if needed. For carrying lots of weight you'd be better off with a front and rear rack so you can divide up the load instead of putting it all on one wheel, which will mess up the ride some, even on a bike built for it, but unless you're touring you probably don't need that much capacity. For grocery shopping for a week for 2 people I use 2 panniers and a basket, works no problem.
Really any well made bike with a reasonably relaxed geometry and plenty of rack eyelets will work well if set up right. Depending on your budget, and sine you like using front racks instead, I'd recommend looking into getting something designed for a front load, with a low trail fork. Large front lodes on traditional geometry frames typically result in oversteering, but a low trail fork prevents that. Old road bikes can be good for this provided that the geometry is right, but most are going to have too long a top tube and too short chainstays to really be comfy for commuting. Touring bikes are perfect if you don't mind weight too much
