When it comes to bicycle cool, there's long been a trend in some urban areas—New York, San Francisco, and even here in Boulder - toward the scrungy messenger style chic: one pant-leg rolled up, ginormous shoulder-strap bags, bike chains worn as belts. The bikes themselves have been beat up and stripped down to the most minimal elements of cycling: the one-gear, no-brake fixie and its slightly more evolved sibling, the freewheeling, brake-enabled single-speed.

But for the hardcore commuters among us, one speed won't cut it, especially in hilly towns like San Francisco. (Ever heard of Fillmore Street?) Nor will those fat-tire townie bikes, with their gushy saddles and tank-like weight.

Enter the Castro Valley from venerable bikemaker Bianchi. With nine speeds, roadie-style bars, fenders and a pedal-powered light, it combines the best of both worlds - minimalist cool with enough gearing to get you home.

Sky Yaeger designs all of Bianchi's U.S. bikes, including the Castro Valley. (She's the "chick" of the "100% Chick-Designed" sticker that adorns each model.) "When I think of a bike, I think about who's using it and what it'll be for," Yaeger, who lives in Marin County, told me. "When I designed the Castro Valley, I designed it for fast commuting - for people who have to ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco."

With a frame made of steel - a softer metal than aluminum and thus a smoother ride - the Castro isn't going to win you any yellow jerseys, but the ride is exactly what you'd want for the daily back and forth to the office. Or to the grocery store, to the post office - or even for a few lazy hours pedaling in the spring sun, which is how I spent my time testing it. As something of a bike fetishist, I can always find little niggling issues with this component choice or that - the Castro's handlebars are way too narrow for me, and the crank arms too short - but part of the fun of getting a new bike is dialing it in to your needs. Some calloused ascetics might prefer flat handlebars, but I like the numerous positions a drop bar offers. And while there are mounts for racks, they don't come as part of the standard configuration. That said, the Castro Valley should require very little modification: It's ready to work right out of the box, with front and rear fenders, tough-guy tires with reflective sidewalls (a nice touch), and an awesome light.

Housed in the front wheel's hub is a three-watt dynamo that connects to the handlebar-mounted light: Spin the wheel, and on goes the light. In Europe, where commuting by bike is actually considered normal (unlike the death-wish reputation it has here in the States), this kind of hub is de rigueur for working-class bikes. But from what I can tell, the Castro Valley is one of very few bikes - if not the only bike - to roll with one in the U.S., which is too bad, because the thing is a brilliant little monster, with low and high settings, unobtrusive size, and just as much power as my $150 helmet-mounted unit.

(You can also buy a wheel built with a dynamo through Quality Bicycle Parts, the enormous U.S. distributor, for about $170, plus another $40 for the light - but by then you're already dropping a quarter of what a new Castro would cost, so why not just snag the whole deal?)

It's spring. It's soon to be Earth Day. If you've ever given a thought to bike commuting, now's the time to start riding. The Castro Valley - a steal at $800 - is an excellent bike to start with.

Bianchi Castro Valley

Why We Like It: Speedy styling belies its commuter core.

Specs: Fenders, a dynamo-generated light, and a solid drive-train

Cost: $800 is the suggested retail.

Where to Buy It: Find a dealer from Bianchi USA