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For a commute of this kind - up to 6 1/2km (4 miles) on street-lit, urban roads - you can ride literally anything from a top-end race bike to any old rust bucket. As less time is spent cycling - 5km (3 miles) takes around 15 minutes at a medium pace - you can best improve your journey times by minimizing the non-cycling element of your journey. If you can walk out of the door, get on the bike and go at a moment's notice, you could be halfway there while the racer is still looking for his cycling shoes.
Bike: All you really need is a bike with an upright riding position for excellent visibility, a wider saddle because that's where your weight will be, 35mm or 37mm tyres for comfort, a hub gear, full mudguards and a chain guard. You could also try a decent 700c wheeled hybrid, which is widely available and also offers an upright comfortable ride; and most common of all, the mountain bike - even if it's never used off-road. Though do put on a set of slick or semi-slick tyres to improve on-road riding performance.
Accessories: A kickstand is great if you're on and off your bike a lot. An immobilizer is useful when dashing into shops, though irrelevant for point-to-point commuting - take a better lock too. On street-lit roads, lighting means 'being seen', so make sure your lights are both bright and long-lasting. Whatever lights you use, have a back-up front and rear light.
Clothing: If you're not riding at pace you can wear anything, particularly on a roadster. That's the point. Just avoid thick seams, which you get in jeans, or very long coats or scarves. And don't dress too warmly. It's best to wear layers so you can take one off at a time if you get too hot.
Medium-distance commuting: Pre-work warm-up
At a distance of 6-16km (4-10 miles), the more upright riding position of a roadster becomes a chore: it's slow and you may get a sore bottom. The argument for wearing dedicated cycling clothes, at least in winter, is a lot stronger.
Bike: Basic touring bikes will serve, as will hybrids. There is also a legion of 26in mountain bikes, which you can modify to a greater or lesser extent. If you want to go further down the custom route, On-One, Caribou and Thorn all do frames suited to building fast, rugged 26in wheel commuters.
Accessories: Proper lighting is essential. Even if you're carrying some gear in a courier bag, a rear rack with a pannier or bag lets you divide your load, putting the heavier stuff on the bike.
Clothing: It depends how hard you ride and what's acceptable dress at work. In winter, you can wear cycling tights along with winter boots on your bottom half, and just throw a cycling jacket over your work shirt. Then you've only got to change your trousers. In summer, most casual shorts are fine for cycling; add knee warmers for cool spring or late-summer starts. If you're carrying weight on your back, padded cycling shorts will prevent the saddle pressing uncomfortably. Get a gilet (or vest) to keep the wind off without stifling you. Combined with arm warmers, you'll be fine for most dry weather conditions. Take a nylon rain cape or lightweight jacket for showers.
Long-distance commuting: Mile eating
We're defining this as 16km (10 miles) or more each way, and some of it will probably be on rural roads. A moderately fit rider can manage this day in, day out. Yet it's still a chunk of time to spend cycling; the ride home can seem to take for ever. Minimize your effort and riding time by cycling quickly.
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Bike: 26in wheel bikes with slicks are still viable at this distance, as are tourers - particularly shod with the right tyres. Drop bars or tribars, which you can fit to flat bars, let you pile on the speed and are good in the wind. Old road frames with forward-facing dropouts are a budget option. Touring or cyclo-cross style road frames with forward-facing dropouts are better still: you'll have clearance for 28mm+ tyres and bosses for cantilever brakes.
And though most of us will ride with derailleurs, hard-core riders can run a fixed gear; slightly less hard-core riders a singles peed; and soft core riders a hub gear. As you're riding fast and hard, give yourself a higher top gear: 53in, 70in and a 93in 'overdrive', perhaps.
Accessories: Good lights, as for medium-distance commuting. To ride faster, minimize what you're carrying. Buy two locks and leave one at work. Leave your shoes and jacket at work, and take your trousers and five shirts in at the start of the week. On an upright roadster, bags and rucksacks hang comfortably from your shoulders; bent over, your back takes the strain. To avoid this choose panniers that can be fitted even to bikes that won't take racks.
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