If the office has space to change and shower I would recommend eventually moving up to buying a road bike and taking a workout ride (like an hour or more) on the way to work.

Thank you for your replies everyone!

I think I've talked DH off the ledge - he has agreed to ride the hybrid for a while and we'll see how it goes. He may need to spend a little money on gear but he is already fairly well prepared b/c he used to bike to the train station in our previous city. (That bike is long gone, however)

He works in a super, extra secure office, so he probably will be able to park an expensive bike there - but still.

I bought a good (not amazing) bike (mountain bike with hybrid tires) in 2002 and commuted in another area on it for about 8 months. I believe I paid around $400-500 at that time. Started using it to commute 5-6 miles each way and it worked great. I actually took it in for a tune-up and the bike shop guy commented on how great it looked.

I would not spend $2k on a bike with an $80k HHI. I would recommend lights and reflective gear.

Agree on $600ish for bike--have been commuting on a bike in that range for 20 years--commute of about 5 miles each way.

Clothes and other gear will depend a lot on several factors
--What times and in what weather will he be bike commuting?
--What is the traffic and terrain like?
--How will he deal with his clothes at the office?

I'd say an overall budget of $1000 is more reasonable.

I cycled 10 miles each way on a $400 bike for two years. Then i bought a $900.

Your husband is a little princess.

This is a 15 minute ride. Tell him ride the hybrid for a bit.