Touring bikes often make great commuters... they are spec'd with durable frames, components and meant to carry loads. If you plan todo tours or such it's not a bad idea to use your touring bicycle as a commuter. Many LHT pull a lot of commuting duties. Why somebody would want to hop on a totally different bicycle with all the quirks that brings when it comes time to tour makes no sense to me. I doubt it would make sense to you either because you're on a budget and can't afford or don't want to be bothered by keeping another bicycle around for commuting just to save a few lbs off the frame... keep in mind though that the LHT is one of the more "touring" styled bicycles out there(long wheelbase) so it won't be as twitchy as a road bicycle(that can be a good thing when it comes to potholes or a bad thing when trying to track-stand)