<p>The shortest and easiest answer is single-speed road bike for the least amount of maintenance and the most amount of riding. </p>
<p>Again, don’t buy ANYTHING from campus unless you’re desperate or have coupons. Amazon.com sells almost everything (except bikes, but that’s a different story) for lower prices. </p>
<p>For the last two years I’ve been riding a pretty-expensive mountain bike but with vigilance I haven’t had anything stolen. Keep it indoors. Registration is mostly a deterrent; they totally botched up the registration (wrong gender and serial number) so it’s just a show job. Whatever you buy, be extra sure to lock it up carefully; lock anything that has a quick release lever to the frame or to the bike rack. The school has done a good job upgrading to the “lower-case q” racks. </p>
<p>I use a U-Lock + cable. It takes an extra 10-20 seconds but it means that the wheels are locked to the frame and the rack.</p>